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Then there was the issue of Katrina herself. In many ways, she was a strong character. She had built up a successful business and she was good at what she did. This was despite a difficult start in life and the fact that she had to support her troubled twin her whole adult life. Her determination and drive had clearly carried her through some tough times. She was feisty and funny, and he admired her more and more as he got to know her better.
But right now, Katrina was vulnerable. She was fearful for her sister, and was also under attack from an unseen aggressor. It was a powerful combination. One that could make her seek protection. And if that protection happened to take the form of a strong pair of arms and a shoulder to cry on? Well, who could blame her? The problems would arise later, when the threat was gone and his presence was no longer needed.
In addition, he had added a whole new layer of fragility. By allowing himself to be duped into believing she might have been making up the threats, he had turned their relationship into a ticking time bomb. She barely trusted him now. When she found out he had doubted her, any trace of confidence she had in him would be shattered.
Putting Katrina’s well-being first was his focus, of course, but there was more to it. When his fiancée had been killed, Spencer had retreated behind a wall of pain. The world had ceased to be a safe and reliable place, and he knew he would never risk his heart in the same way again. Nor would he allow grief to damage his capable and competent facade.
It would have been hard for other people to tell, but he had simply disengaged from life after Billie’s death. He knew Bella and Jarvis had been concerned about his emotional disconnection, but he had shut down any attempt they made to talk about it. Throwing himself into work had been his coping strategy. The only guy who got to hear his problems was a certain large, chocolate-colored dog. And Boris was good at keeping secrets.
He knew love involved risk. No one could see into the future. Time and fate played their own tricks. But he’d known when he’d gone down on one knee and p
resented Billie with a diamond ring that they were both prepared to take a chance on a future together. Then she’d been snatched away and his feeling of loss had been so raw that he had dismissed the possibility of love in his future. He simply couldn’t contemplate losing another loved one.
Until now, he’d never had cause to reconsider his decision. Then Katrina had come along and tipped his world off balance. Was he thinking of taking another leap of faith? He wasn’t sure he’d reached that point. Not yet. But she’d awakened something inside him and reminded him of how it felt to be alive. When he was with her, he remembered that life had texture, color and meaning, and that it was full of excitement and joy. Did he want to walk away and retreat behind his wall once more? He wasn’t sure, and that, in itself, surprised him.
He reached for his cell phone on the bedside table and checked the time. 2:00 a.m. Sleep seemed a million miles away. He sat up and pummeled the pillows in hopes of getting more comfortable. As he did, Boris gave a deep bark from the kennel outside.
Although Spencer’s canine partner had a varied vocal range, the “woof” he’d just given was unmistakable. That was his warning bark. In response to the sound, Holly and Dobby had responded with a series of yaps, but Spencer ignored them. His own well-trained dog was telling him there was danger nearby.
Getting out of bed, he pulled sweatpants over his boxer briefs and padded barefoot to the window. He was able to open the slats of the blinds just enough to get a view of the yard. There was only a trace of moonlight and he remembered Katrina’s comment about not wanting to install motion-sensitive lights in case her canine visitors triggered them.
After a moment or two, his alertness was rewarded. Another bark from Boris was followed by a sudden movement close to the fence. Straining his eyes to get a better look, Spencer could make out a crouching figure moving slowly toward the house.
Lightning fast, he pulled his weapon from the drawer of the bedside table, where he’d placed it earlier. As he stepped from the room, another door opened, and he almost collided with Katrina.
“I was woken by barking.” Although the hall was in near darkness, he could make out her pale features. “I thought something might be wrong.”
She wore a tank top and shorts and, as he placed his hands on her shoulders, her flesh was cool beneath his touch. “I’m going to check out the yard.”
She shivered. “I’ll come with you.”
“No. I’ll only be a few minutes.” His earlier thoughts about keeping his distance were momentarily forgotten as he drew her close and pressed a kiss onto the top of her head. “Stay inside. Lock the door after I’ve gone.”
He moved toward the kitchen and she trailed after him. When he reached the door, she halted him with a hand on his arm. “You’ll be careful?”
He smiled. “I’ll do my best.”
“Not good enough, Spencer.”
It wasn’t the words so much as the emotion in her voice that made his head spin. Even in the urgency of the situation, he was blown away by the knowledge that she cared. The timing was awful, but his heart had developed a happy new rhythm.
“I’ll be careful.”
Chapter 10
When Spencer had gone, Katrina paced up and down the small kitchen for a few minutes before returning to her bedroom. Snatching up her cell phone and shoving it into the pocket of her pajama shorts, she returned to the kitchen.
Her mind was in turmoil. She knew Spencer would have to check out the yard when he heard Boris barking, but she had sensed there was more to this. He had been too tense, too impatient to get moving. The thought that he knew something was wrong had her on high alert, her nerves buzzing. With no idea what was happening outside, her fears for Spencer’s safety were spiraling out of control.
An attempt to distract herself by drinking a glass of water didn’t work. Maybe if she looked out the window, she would be able to see what was going on. She stepped up close, standing to one side and gazing out on the moonlit scene. She couldn’t see any sign of movement, and the dogs had been silent since Spencer had left the house.
Even though the night was warm, after a few minutes of standing in one place in the darkness, she was feeling chilled. After shifting from foot to foot on the tiled floor, she decided to go in search of some footwear.
Turning away from the window, she let out a startled cry as she walked straight into someone who was standing behind her.
“What—”
His hand snaked out and he caught her by the arm, jerking her hard against him. The lower part of his face was covered with a scarf and he wore a hoodie pulled up over his head, with sunglasses hiding his eyes. Tall and strong, he held her easily despite her struggles.
