Butterflies tickled her and she buried her face in David’s chest as she giggled.
“What? That’s seventy-five pounds of canine jumping up on me if it weren’t for this fence.” Despite his words, amusement colored his tone and his arm remained firmly around her waist.
“With the two of you, there isn’t anything that can keep me worried.” She smiled up at him, enjoying the fit of their bodies against each other.
David gave her a lopsided grin. “Good. I’d like to say we make a solid team but Atlas here is working for you but not with me, if you get what I mean.”
“Ah well, he’s a free agent for the time being.” She didn’t want to ruin the mood. But it’d be stupid to pretend Atlas wouldn’t be returned to duty once they’d gotten him back to one hundred percent responsiveness. The big dog was too good to retire yet.
“True.” David pressed a kiss to her temple.
“So.” She could barely believe her own audacity but the last few days, the last few minutes in particular, were all about personal evolution, apparently. “Where were we before Atlas expressed his opinion?”
Because she’d like to get back to that. And explore. In detail.
Okay, maybe she wasn’t as daring as she could be. Yet.
“Here.” David caught her mouth for another hot, fantastically mind-blowing kiss. “But I think we should all head someplace more private.”
“All?” Catching her breath was a challenge.
He tapped her nose. “Don’t go thinking too hard because it’s not anything too exotic.”
Keeping one arm around her waist, he snagged Atlas’s leash and gave Atlas the command to sit. There it was again: the half-second of consideration before Atlas made the decision to follow the command. David didn’t comment, but he didn’t have to. They both recognized it. He simply opened Atlas’s kennel.
More rehabilitation required before Atlas would be ready for duty.
“Since you feel safest with both of us,” David commented as he hooked Atlas’s leash onto his collar, “then both of us will see you back to your cabin and stay there with you through the night.”
He’d just invited himself to her cabin. For the night. Yep, she’d heard the key points there.
A thrill rushed through her. It might’ve been better if she’d invited him but she was definitely not opposed to the idea. Especially considering how nice it was to be tucked against his side as they all started walking back to her cabin. The lighted paths had less contrast and the dark beyond them wasn’t as sinister. She didn’t jump at every sound. It was a world of difference in company she trusted.
Her heart just about burst out of her chest once they got there, though. The idea of going back inside, where she couldn’t see anyone coming…“You’re definitely both going to be here. All night?”
It took everything she had to suppress the shiver when her mind went into overdrive and images of a man’s face peering into her windows flashed across her vision.
His arm tightened around her waist, grounding her and bringing her back to reality. “We’ll keep watch.”
“Just tonight?” And that was the issue, wasn’t it? She’d forgotten momentarily about the danger out there. His kiss had blown it right out of her mind but it was still there.
He didn’t push her inside the cabin, or even nudge her. She swallowed hard and walked in on her own. The attack hadn’t happened here, after all. But at the hotel, she’d been shoved inside. And next, they’d hurt her. They’d been about to do worse.
A whine cut through her thoughts and Atlas shoved his head under her hand. His cool nose pressed against the inside of her arm as he wriggled his head, demanding her attention.
“We’ll be here and we’ll take each night as it comes.” David was still outside. He’d stayed back and given her space with her fear.
She was grateful for it. Every door—every time she’d walked through one—she’d shoved this far back into the corner of her mind. Mostly, it’d worked. But not tonight. Too many thoughts were crowding her head and she wasn’t able to compartmentalize the way she normally would. Maybe David had seen it all this week when she hadn’t been completely aware.
Even knowing he was with her and wanting him there, she wasn’t sure she wouldn’t have panicked a little in that moment if he’d been right behind her. “I’m sorry.”
He shook his head slowly. “No apologies. Not ever.”
She opened her eyes wide against sudden, unexpected tears. “I’m kind of embarrassed. But I really appreciate…this.”
He was being incredibly considerate, and thoughtful, and patient. She couldn’t say the words without the emotions spilling over, and tears weren’t sexy. She wanted to recover the excited moment earlier, not be stuck in this echoing fear now.