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In her sleep, she turned his way and murmured his name. He smiled and let himself believe she was sleeping so easily because she knew he would keep her safe.
Brushing his fingers over her hair, he leaned down to whispered, "I'll take care of you."
After pressing a chaste kiss to her cheek, he backed toward an old Lay-Z-Boy he had sitting in the corner of the room and sank down. He sat there for a long time, just watching her and thanking God she was alive. Glad she slept so peacefully, he eventually closed his eyes and drifted off himself.
~ * ~
Willow woke in the middle of the night because of a nightmare.
Raith's nightmare.
At first, the thrashing sound coming from across the room scared her half to death. She didn't know the time or even where she was. But it didn't take her long to pull her senses back together.
As she sat up, the blankets pooled around her waist. In the glaring streetlights pouring through the window, she picked him out immediately, huddled in the huge chair in the corner and tossing his head back and forth.
Willow set her hand over her heart when he started to moan as if in pain. Then he whispered her name in a panic as if he was trying to find her before a spasm rippled through him.
Scurrying out of bed, she hurried to him and nudged his shoulder. He woke so abruptly, surging alert, she gasped and jumped back.
"Willow," he said, his voice hoarse and ragged. Then he wiped the sweat off his face and looked up at her. "What's wrong?"
It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him his uneasy dreaming had woken her, but at the last second she answered, "I had a nightmare," and crawled into his lap.
His arms immediately latched around
her. His warmth soaked through her, and she sighed, content. She could tell he sought comfort as much as he gave it.
"Want to talk about it?" he asked, his voice rumbling through his chest and echoing into her ear where she kept it pressed against his heartbeat.
"Do you?" she countered.
A shiver went through him as he finally caught on. "I woke you."
She lifted her face. "You said my name."
He made a choked sound of denial. But then he confessed, "I dreamed he got into your bathroom, that he got you... and it was my fault."
"It wasn't your fault," she said, stroking his beard stubble.
"Yes, it was. I didn't take you seriously enough the first time. I—"
"Shh," she coaxed and kissed his chin. "You sent in the other deputy to finish checking my rooms even though you didn't believe me."
"But I did believe you." He closed his eyes as he leaned his face against her shoulder. His hands shook as he began to rub his trembling palms up and down the sides of her arms. "I was just upset, jealous... stupid."
She smiled softly. "I've missed you."
He searched her eyes, not sure if he could believe her. Then he sighed. "I don't deserve it."
"I don't care." To prove it, she kissed him.
His mouth was warm and responsive and what she'd been wishing to feel all night. Nothing had helped her forget the horror of what had happened in her bathroom like falling into Malloy's bed and being enclosed by his smell. She had wrapped herself snuggly in his blankets, imagined he was there next to her, and fallen unconscious within seconds.
"He's going to come back for me, isn't he?" she asked, clutching his bare shoulders and curling even further into the chair with him.
"Shh," he answered and pulled her tight against him. "He's not getting anywhere near you. Do you hear me? I won't let him."
She shuddered with fear and desire. The desire won. "Make it go away. Make me forget."
