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Numbers have been a part of Nick’s life for over six years. There was no way he could treat everyone suspiciously. He knew that if he were to do that, he would quickly lose the trust of his team and most likely turn them against him.
He had known Drew since he was a teenager. He was certain that he could trust him. He would tell him as soon as his voice wasn’t hoarse from the pain of the betrayal.
Yes, he would tell him.
He groaned when he realised that he hadn’t brought his Jeep. He was so focused on reaching Greg before he woke up that he hadn’t even thought about what he would do once he was finished. Instead, he just jumped in with Mallen and Drey without even thinking.
He rolled his eyes at himself. Perhaps it might help him clear his head if he took a walk.
The lift took him up, he walked out of the underground, and when he saw the rain clouds still raging outside, he thought that at least the storm clouds had moved away.
As he walked, he became drenched, and when he reached the trees near his residence, he almost whooped in relief. Every time the wind blew under the tails of his jacket, they hit him with a great big whap.
With his soggy jacket flapping in the wind and his squelching boots slapping on the wet forest floor, he was certain Harper would hear him.
He squinted to see through the deluge, his hair dripping into his eyes, his beard soaking up water like a sponge.
She heard him sploshing up the steps because the door flew open, and his heart leapt at seeing her there. While it didn’t completely erase what had happened, it did dull the edges of it.
“Hello,” she said, twisting her hands together. When she looked like she was about to jump on him, he felt a smile tugging at his lips and moved into the warmth radiating from the open door. “Oh, are you okay, Nick?”
The question was so innocent that it made him laugh, especially after everything that had happened.
She took a wobbly step back, unsure of what to do. Laughing so deeply, he felt like he was losing his mind, he shut the door. He almost collapsed, and Harper looked at him askance, her eyes concerned.
“It has been another rough day,” he said with a grim expression on his face.
That was an understatement, and he leaned against the door as all his energy drained from him. With his head tilted back in disappointment, he shook it, unable to open his mouth without letting out the raw pain eat at him.
“I think that’s downplaying it,” she said and walked into his arms.
His arms wrapped around her, and he let out a huge breath. It was just what he needed. The warmth of Harper’s body kept everything at bay while she was enclosed in his arms.
She said softly, “You did what you had to do, and now, you need someone to care for you.”
Before he could protest, she turned and began to walk down the hall, tugging him along.
He sighed, too tired to argue with her.
He walked into the bathroom and cleaned up while she slipped into the bedroom with a look that demanded he find her after, or she would find him. He nodded.
When he removed his shirt to clean up, he splashed water repeatedly on his face, but it didn’t fix or change anything. Looking at himself in the mirror, he saw a heaviness in his eyes, as if the sadness of the day wouldn’t be washed away so easily.
He stomped out of the bathroom and paused inside the bedroom door.
Harper was lighting scented candles, and he recognised the scent of some of the candles she had created. He thought it was chamomile and bergamot, but he was no expert on soft feminine things.
Perhaps he should become one, he thought as she pulled out an oil and tapped the bed. “Are you trying to put me to sleep?” he jokingly asked.
“No,” she replied softly. When he started to sit, she shook her head and bit her lip. “Your trousers too?”
“My trousers?” he inquired as she lowered her head.
She nodded frantically at the bed, and he grinned with amusement. After unzipping them, he pushed them over his hips and down to his knees. When they fell to the floor, he nudged them off his heels.
The weight of his body hit the bed, his back to her, as she approached the bed and knelt behind him.
He heard her take a deep breath, and she cleared her throat, patting the bed for him to lie on. Complying, he lay down next to her.
