Page 75 of Shadow Sabotage
I was breathless as I rested my forehead to his. “Tell me why you like me,” I demanded.
He wrapped his arms around my waist and placed a soft kiss on my neck, sending a wave of pleasure through my body. “Because you’re wild and confusing. You’re irritating and…”
What?I pulled back and narrowed my eyes at him.
“Amazing,” he finished, giving me that smirk of his. “You’re absolutely amazing. You constantly surprise me. Every time I think I have you figured out, I see a new side of you.”
“So you’re saying you like puzzles.” I rolled my eyes, trying to hide how much this meant to me. How muchhemeant. “Typical, I suppose, for a detective.”
“Yeah. I suppose it is,” he said softly, considering. “But there’s nothing typical about you, Claire. You’re brave. Selfless. Confident. And also… fragile. Soft. Tender. But only when you think no one is looking.”
My eyes widened.
“You hide that side of you,” he went on, frowning. “From everyone except me. Why?”
I swallowed hard. “They expect me to be strong. They all count on me for that. Hell,Iexpect me to be strong. I have to be.”
“Youarestrong. Having a tender heart doesn’t change that.”
“It feels like I have to choose between one or the other,” I admitted. “Being soft, being weak… It’s dangerous.”
“Dangerous?” He stroked his hand lazily up my back, giving me a contemplative look.
“Life here is harsh. Every year, we lose calves no matter what we do. No matter how hard we try. It’s always the weak ones. They get picked off by predators or can’t survive the elements.” It was all true—basic facts of life on a ranch in Wyoming. But I also knew I was revealing part of myself I didn’t share with the others. My fears. What drove me to push myself physically, to be stronger than everyone else.
A fear that I had to be strong enough to save myself—and strong enough to save everyone else too.
Understanding dawned in his eyes. “You’ve probably seen that a lot.”
I nodded. “It’s the same with the people we search for. The ones that take days or weeks to find? They only last if they’re strong. Resourceful. The weak ones…” I closed my eyes tightly, as if it could block out their faces. “Strength matters,” I said finally. “Being soft can get you killed.”
Vance touched my face again, brushing his thumb across my cheekbone as if wiping away an invisible tear. “You’re safe with me,” he said gently.
My eyes widened again at the words. They felt like a balm soothing my heart. How could he have known what I needed to hear when I never would have known myself?
I’d always equated safety with strength. But there was safety in this, too. In having a partner, someone who had your back, someone you could be vulnerable and safe with. I’d always had that with Cheyenne and my family.
Never anywhere else.
And suddenly I realized why I’d never left the ranch even though the thought of working it forever felt suffocating. I’d needed that safety, even if I hadn’t recognized it. And I’d never expected to find it anywhere else.
“I like you,” he said softly, repeating his words from earlier. “I like your softness and your strength. I like that you let me see it all.”
“Why are you telling me this?” My voice was shakier than I was comfortable with.
Vance was saying all of these things that made me feel … everything.
Excited.
Vulnerable.
Hopeful.
Scared.
Adored.
His eyes never left mine as he spoke words that seemed to surprise him. “Because I want more.”
