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“I called her.” He settled his hand over mine. “I called as soon as you jumped into action earlier and told her what happened.”
I stared at him for a long moment and then nodded, my throat suddenly too thick for more than a weakthank you.
Decker released my hand and pulled out of the parking lot.
Now, the rain outside has slowed to a soft patter on the windshield, and it couldn’t have taken more than two miles before my eyes fluttered shut, too heavy to keep open any longer.
The next thing I knew, Decker stood outside the passenger door and was carefully trying to wiggle his big arms underneath me.
“You don’t have to—”
“I know,” he grunted just like he had earlier. I was starting to understand its meaning; he knew he didn’t have to,but he was going to.
And at this point, I was in no position to protest. I let him lift me from the seat and settled against his chest. He kicked the door shut, and that was when I realized—we weren’t at Mom’s house. We were parked out front of a simple ranch home that I could barely make out in the darkness. All I could see was the porch light illuminating the front door.
“Where are we?” I blamed exhaustion for my relatively foolish question.Where else would we be?
“My house.”
My eyes closed again, and I exhaled slowly.His home.The idea shouldn’t feel so settling. So right. So…needed. But it was. Later, I could blame energy deprivation. But for now, I wanted nothing more than to be wrapped up in his arms all night.
“Decker?” I murmured I didn’t even know how much later, feeling a mattress dip underneath me and the hard weight of him settle by my side.
Instantly, I snuggled closer, wanting to melt into the heat of him. The warmth of his body ate away at the coldness in my clothes.
“Yeah, baby?” he rasped low, pulling me to his chest.
I savored the steady rise and fall of his chest, the strength of his arms wrapping around me, holding me tight. The thud of his heart so achingly familiar, I sighed and completely forgot whatever I’d wanted to ask and instead, blurted out the only thing at the forefront of my mind.
“I like when you call me baby.”
ChapterTwelve
DECKER
“Reese.”I pulled her close to me and tried to stop her from shaking. Instead, she trembled worse and whimpered.
Dammit.She was having a nightmare.
“It’s okay, Reese,” I muttered in a low tone against her hair, trying to ignore how her body rocking affected mine. I jostled her shoulders a little and added, “It’s just a dream, baby. Wake up.”
She gasped and stilled next to me.
“You were having a nightmare,” I rumbled.
Her head tipped back slowly, our eyes finding each other in the haze of the midnight moon streaming through my bedroom windows. Normally I shut the blinds before going to bed, but the moment I’d laid down next to Reese, we’d both been out like lights. It was one helluva night, and all I wanted was to hold her after watching her run around for hours at the hospital.
I did what I could while I was there, mostly helping people who were struggling to move on their own or helping the staff lift patients from a gurney to a bed. I overheard one of the nurses say they had over fifty emergencies arrive at the hospital within the span of the first hour, and the number had only grown from there until the storm finally let up a little.
But Reese…she was like the goddamn North Star, bright and steady and guiding, trying to hold up the entire night sky.
“I dreamed I was trying to pull you from the car—trying to save your life.” Her body curled closer to mine, and I felt every inch of her softness.
I slid my hand to her cheek, stroking the silk of her skin. “I’m fine,” I rasped and before I could stop myself, I pressed a gentle kiss to her lips.
A mistake because I wasn’t fine.I was in pain. Tortured by having this woman next to me in my bed, knowing that in too few days she would be gone from my life forever.
My house had always been off-limits. For her, it threatened too many complications. For me, it promised too many memories.
