open her eyes, the comfort of her bed dragged her back toward sleep. When she finally did manage to keep them open long enough to say she was awake, she sat up so suddenly she gave herself a head rush.
Where in heaven’s name was she?
As she blinked and rubbed her eyes, the previous night gradually came back to her. The dinner, the chocolate in her mailbox, Jake. She scanned her surroundings, the sparse interior of Jake’s boat. For a moment, her heart leapt into her throat. Where was he?
As she came more fully awake, common sense returned. He was probably up on deck. Had he spent the entire night up there? Judging by the chill permeating the cabin, he would have spent several mighty uncomfortable hours exposed to the night air.
Sydney slipped from the bed and immediately shivered in the chill. She wrapped the blanket around her shoulders and climbed the stairs. Her mouth nearly fell open when she reached the deck. The boat sat in the middle of the lake with dense fog crowding its sides. She shook her head as if to clear cobwebs. Had she fallen into Oz while she slept?
She searched the deck and found Jake asleep, leaning against a box that stowed life jackets and other assorted boating paraphernalia. His face, while it still held its hard edges, had lost its tenseness in sleep. She couldn’t help but smile. The big, tough detective slept like the rest of the world.
Sydney removed the blanket from her shoulders, then leaned down to place it across Jake’s body. Silly man, he could have slept inside on his couch. Although with him so close, she doubted she would have slept a wink.
When the fabric had barely touched him, Jake sprang wide awake, immediately in defensive stance with his legs poised to spring forward. His sudden movement startled her so much she fell backwards before she could prevent it. She righted herself only to find a gun pointed at her chest. The sight of that menacing dark barrel pulled a frantic gasp from her as she scooted away.
"Wait, Sydney." Jake lowered the weapon and overtook her. "Wait. I’m sorry."
Before she could reach the stairs, Jake pulled her into his arms. "Shh. I won’t hurt you."
She sank against him and squeezed her eyes shut to prevent tears from falling.
"You startled me," he said as if that explained all. "I’m a cop, remember? One who’s trying to keep you safe from a killer."
That she didn’t need to be reminded of. Against the better judgement she would have exhibited had she been anywhere but in Jake’s arms, she accepted the comfort and warmth he offered, if only for a few minutes. She treasured her control, but every once in awhile when she was at her most vulnerable she wanted someone to take care of her — like her mother used to when she was little, like her father had in those horrible, lonely days after her mother’s death.
Jake wrapped his arms more tightly around her. "Don’t ever sneak up on a cop."
"I’m sorry. I thought you looked cold, so I was trying to put the blanket on you."
He leaned back from her enough that he could look down into her eyes. "Now who’s in danger of sounding like she cares?"
"Self preservation, I assure you. If you freeze to death like an idiot out here, I have no idea how to drive this boat. Speaking of which, how did we get in the middle of the lake?"
"This was the only place I was going to get any sleep."
"You think he would have come after me with you here?"
"I wasn’t taking the chance."
When they stopped talking, their position grew more awkward. Truth was, Sydney loved the feel of Jake’s muscular chest next to her, but the contact also worried her. What if her body tattled the attraction she had to hide? Could he detect the warmth flooding her, feel her heart hammering against her chest? She couldn’t handle Jake’s indifference, not after everything that had occurred in the past twenty-four hours. But when she moved to rise, her leg brushed next to his, revealing that perhaps Jake wasn’t so
Where in heaven’s name was she?
As she blinked and rubbed her eyes, the previous night gradually came back to her. The dinner, the chocolate in her mailbox, Jake. She scanned her surroundings, the sparse interior of Jake’s boat. For a moment, her heart leapt into her throat. Where was he?
As she came more fully awake, common sense returned. He was probably up on deck. Had he spent the entire night up there? Judging by the chill permeating the cabin, he would have spent several mighty uncomfortable hours exposed to the night air.
Sydney slipped from the bed and immediately shivered in the chill. She wrapped the blanket around her shoulders and climbed the stairs. Her mouth nearly fell open when she reached the deck. The boat sat in the middle of the lake with dense fog crowding its sides. She shook her head as if to clear cobwebs. Had she fallen into Oz while she slept?
She searched the deck and found Jake asleep, leaning against a box that stowed life jackets and other assorted boating paraphernalia. His face, while it still held its hard edges, had lost its tenseness in sleep. She couldn’t help but smile. The big, tough detective slept like the rest of the world.
Sydney removed the blanket from her shoulders, then leaned down to place it across Jake’s body. Silly man, he could have slept inside on his couch. Although with him so close, she doubted she would have slept a wink.
When the fabric had barely touched him, Jake sprang wide awake, immediately in defensive stance with his legs poised to spring forward. His sudden movement startled her so much she fell backwards before she could prevent it. She righted herself only to find a gun pointed at her chest. The sight of that menacing dark barrel pulled a frantic gasp from her as she scooted away.
"Wait, Sydney." Jake lowered the weapon and overtook her. "Wait. I’m sorry."
Before she could reach the stairs, Jake pulled her into his arms. "Shh. I won’t hurt you."
She sank against him and squeezed her eyes shut to prevent tears from falling.
"You startled me," he said as if that explained all. "I’m a cop, remember? One who’s trying to keep you safe from a killer."
That she didn’t need to be reminded of. Against the better judgement she would have exhibited had she been anywhere but in Jake’s arms, she accepted the comfort and warmth he offered, if only for a few minutes. She treasured her control, but every once in awhile when she was at her most vulnerable she wanted someone to take care of her — like her mother used to when she was little, like her father had in those horrible, lonely days after her mother’s death.
Jake wrapped his arms more tightly around her. "Don’t ever sneak up on a cop."
"I’m sorry. I thought you looked cold, so I was trying to put the blanket on you."
He leaned back from her enough that he could look down into her eyes. "Now who’s in danger of sounding like she cares?"
"Self preservation, I assure you. If you freeze to death like an idiot out here, I have no idea how to drive this boat. Speaking of which, how did we get in the middle of the lake?"
"This was the only place I was going to get any sleep."
"You think he would have come after me with you here?"
"I wasn’t taking the chance."
When they stopped talking, their position grew more awkward. Truth was, Sydney loved the feel of Jake’s muscular chest next to her, but the contact also worried her. What if her body tattled the attraction she had to hide? Could he detect the warmth flooding her, feel her heart hammering against her chest? She couldn’t handle Jake’s indifference, not after everything that had occurred in the past twenty-four hours. But when she moved to rise, her leg brushed next to his, revealing that perhaps Jake wasn’t so
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