Page 29 of Risk Assessment
Dylan came up behind her. “Are you okay?”
She turned to him. “I—I don’t know,” she sniffed. “I can’t seem to make them move.”
He looked down at her feet and then back up to her face. “It’s okay. How about I go first? I’ll make sure it’s safe, and then you can take a look.”
She nodded and bit her lip.Stupid. Dylan already checked the whole place. Her stalker wasn’t there. How come her feet wouldn’t get the message?
Dylan walked around her into the room. She heard the curtains being pulled and a door opening. He reappeared and stood directly in front of her.
“I’ve checked everything, and it’s all clear.”
She nodded again.Feet move!Nothing.
He reached out and took each of her hands in his. “How about we just take this nice and slow?”
She nodded as she swallowed the lump in her throat. Fear raced through her veins at the thought of entering the room. Dylan moved backward, tugging her gently.
“Look at me,” he instructed.
Her eyes focused on his, as she held her breath. He nodded his encouragement. She moved forward.One foot in front of the other. Snails moved faster but it didn’t matter. She was in the middle of the room and she hadn’t looked away from Dylan’s eyes for one second.
He smiled slightly. “We made it.”
She risked a quick glance around. “Um, yeah, I guess.” She tried a smile but failed.
“You will be fine. Today was a lot. And tonight was…unexpected. You thought you were safe here, and he still got to you.”
She bowed her head, but he put his finger under her chin and brought her eyes back up to meet his. “I promise I’ll help youtake care of this situation. That was our agreement, and I stand by my word. You can trust me.”
The truth of that statement was in his eyes.He meant it.She wound her arms around his neck as weight of being alone lifted from her shoulders. He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed. All at once, she relaxed into him.
He eased her back. “Now, why don’t I grab your toothbrush and something for you to sleep in, and then we’ll crash for the night? Don’t know about you, but I’m bushed.” He gave her hands a squeeze and then left the room.
She stood in place and looked around. His room was decorated similarly to hers with soft greens, browns, and whites, but it was a little smaller. The bed was a queen instead of a king, and theen suitebathroom only had a shower stall instead of a shower and a tub.
Sleeping in the other room was not going to happen in her current state but maybe after a night of solid sleep, she’d give it a go tomorrow. Letting her stalker win on a regular basis was just not in the cards. But it was okay for one night. Just one. Her gratitude toward Dylan increased ten-fold when he came back through the door with her toiletry bag and her slippers.
“I didn’t know if I should just pack up all of your stuff or what, so I brought what I thought you would need.” He hesitated. “I, ah, looked for pajamas, but I didn’t see anything.”
The heat rolled into her cheeks as the thought of Dylan checking out her silk negligee. She’d brought her lingerie with her thinking this trip would be a break from her stalker. Not so much.
“I—” She shook her head. “Never mind. Do you have a t-shirt I can borrow?”
“Sure.” He handed her things to her and then went to his bag at the end of the bed. He pulled out a navy Yankees t-shirt and passed that along as well. “I’ll just go check the rest of the cabinone more time, make sure it’s locked up tight. Will you be okay You can lock the door behind me if you want. Maybe we should rehearse a secret knock so you’ll know it’s me?”
Oh God, he was perfect. Using humor to distract her. “Yes. I feel much better now.” She gave him a tentative smile. He smiled back and walked out the door. It wasn’t a lie. For so long she’d been alone in this and now someone believed her. And that someone was going to help her. Relief filled her as she brushed her teeth. She hummed tunelessly to herself as she got ready for bed. Tomorrow’s main event was a barbecue at dinnertime. Her stomach growled at the thought.
She finished up and walked out of the bathroom as Dylan walked into the room. She smiled.
A strange look darted across his face as he gave her an appraising glance. She looked down at herself. The t-shirt floated around her more than touched her, and it stopped mid-thigh. “It’s huge,” she said as she looked back up at him.
“Um, yeah, well…” The huskiness of his voice made her nerve endings tingle. He swallowed as he gave her another once-over, going more slowly this time. “I guess it’s my turn to get ready.”
“Yup, guess so.” Their eyes locked, and heat started to pool in her core. His scent lingered in her hair from his hug and it made her desire to reach out and touch him almost palpable.
He took a step closer, sending her heart into a gallop, and was reaching out his hand when he swore under his breath. He dropped his hand and cleared his throat. “Um, I have to make a phone call. Why don’t you try to sleep? I’ll do my best not to wake you when I come back.”
“Sure,” she said, but she was talking to empty air.
