Indestructible. Cassie Miles
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“Absolutely not.” She mustered just enough strength to resist his ridiculous idea. “Tomorrow I have work.”
“Being assaulted qualifies you for a sick day.”
Taking time off wasn’t a problem in terms of her employment, but she was concerned about the people she worked with. “If I don’t show up at the library tomorrow, everybody is going to worry. They’ll be calling to make sure I’m all right and bringing over casseroles. I don’t want to cause a fuss.”
And how would she explain that she was running off to a secluded cabin with Drew? She’d mentioned to Heather and Lily Rhoades, the head librarian, that she was dating, but that was a far cry from spending a weekend at his cabin. Or being pregnant with his child.
This was all too much. She groaned again. “Please just take me home.”
After checking the rearview mirror, he pulled over to the side of the road and parked his SUV. He turned to her and took her hand. “I know a little something about danger. We can’t go back. It’s not safe.”
She had the terrible feeling that he might be right.
“Take me home,” Melinda said. “Or I’ll scream.”
If Drew could have forcibly abducted her, he would have done so. The danger was right here, in her face, undeniable. She’d been assaulted in her own home.
“Be reasonable, Melinda. We have to get out of here before they come back.”
“They?”
“You’re in danger.”
“You’re making too much of this,” she said. “Like the policeman said, this was an attempted robbery. I’m not surprised. There’s really no security in our apartment building. The lock on the front door opens right up if you shake it hard enough.”
“This wasn’t a run-of-the-mill robbery. He dragged you into the bathroom and drew blood.”
“We can’t be sure that happened.”
A streetlight outside the window shone on her cheekbone and jaw. Her quiet beauty disarmed him, and he felt guilty for sucking her into the peril he’d lived with for most of his life.
He couldn’t expect this very normal woman to grasp what it was like to live on the razor’s edge, and he didn’t know how to explain without sounding like a lunatic.
His truth wasn’t easy. He’d have to break it to her gently. “At least, let me take you a hotel tonight.”
“Oh, gosh, no. I can’t let you go to all that trouble and expense. I’m fine, Drew. The best thing we can do is leave the investigating to the police and get on with our lives.”
“It’s not just your safety,” he said. “You have to think about the baby.”
She rubbed at her forehead. “I’m getting a headache.”
“You can’t close your eyes and pretend this didn’t happen. Nobody likes to think they’re in peril, but—”
“You do,” she said. “You go looking for danger. Extreme danger.”
“That’s my job.”
“And I’m a librarian. That’s my job, and I want to go to work tomorrow. That’s final.”
“Are you always this stubborn?”
“With most people, I’m the very soul of cooperation. You bring out the worst in me.” She yanked down on the door handle and swung it open. “If you won’t take me home, I’ll walk.”
“Close the door.”
“We’re going home?”
“Fine.”
Maybe she was right. He’d taken precautions. In case of this very situation, his apartment was set up like a fortress.
On the short drive back to their building, Drew kept an eye on the rearview mirror, making sure they weren’t being followed. The streets of Sioux Falls, bathed in moonlight, were as quiet and serene as a Norman Rockwell painting. He told himself that they’d be safe for tonight.
When he parked in the lot near the entrance, he flipped open his glove compartment and took out his .32 Beretta Tomcat—an efficient and accurate pocket-size handgun.
She gaped. “That gun better not be loaded.”
As if he’d carry an unloaded weapon? “The man who attacked you wasn’t playing games. We need to take precautions.”
“Like what?”
“Like going to my cabin.”
She shook her head and winced. The doctor had inspected her scalp for head wounds and found nothing, but she seemed to be in pain. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Then stay close beside me. Do exactly as I tell you. We’re going to my apartment first.”
They managed to get inside the building and up the stairs without incident. Coming here wasn’t the best option, but Drew felt relatively safe in his one-bedroom apartment. He’d armed the place like a fortress with three locks on the door, bulletproof glass on the windows and surveillance cameras. After he prowled down the hall and looked into the closets to make sure they were alone, he set his Beretta down on the coffee table. There were three other guns hidden around his apartment.
Melinda had collapsed onto the sofa with her eyes closed. The lamplight shimmered on the strands of gold in her long, curly auburn hair. Utterly peaceful and untroubled, she didn’t look like someone who had been violently attacked less than two hours ago.
When he attempted to lift her so he could carry her to bed, she pushed him away. After a huge yawn, she asked, “What are you doing?”
“Taking you to bed.”
“I’ve got a headache.” Her lips spread in a sleepy grin. “I never expected to hear myself say that to you. Going to bed with you is, well, it’s …” She yawned again. “It’s amazing.”
Though he hadn’t been thinking of sex, her suggestion aroused him. Making love to her had been his number one priority tonight. This evening should have been a “welcome home” celebration—a home-cooked meal followed by hours of mind-blowing passion.
“I want you to sleep here tonight,” he said. “In my bed.”
“Oh, I hate to be a bother.” She pulled a frown. “I’m fine right here on the sofa.”
Enough politeness! He tucked one arm under her knees and wrapped the other around her back. With a quick jerk, he lifted her off the sofa. “Whether you like it or not, you’re going to be comfortable tonight.”
In her pale greenish eyes, he saw a battle between exhaustion and stubbornness. “But I—”
“Hush, Melinda.” He gave her a little kiss on the tip of her nose. “Let me take care of you.”
With a sigh, she relaxed and nuzzled against his neck. “I’m too tired to say no.”
He carried her down the short hallway to his bedroom and settled her against the pillows. By the time he pulled off her running shoes, took off her sweatshirt and tucked her under the down comforter, she was asleep.
Though sorely tempted to join her in bed and hold her against him, Drew had to figure out what to do next.
He went to the kitchen and poured a glass of the wine she’d returned without drinking a drop. In the living room, he perched on the edge of the sofa and turned on the flat-screen television. Using the remote, he tuned to the channel that displayed the view from