Page 80 of Hot Zone

“Shh,” I said, pressing a finger to his lips. “Close. Your. Eyes.”

To my surprise, he did, though the way his jaw tightened said he wasn’t happy about it.

“Now…” I said, softening my tone. “Breathe in through your nose, out through your mouth, and think about something peaceful. Like the ocean. Or me.”

He cracked an eye open. “You?”

I grinned. “I’m very peaceful. When I want to be.”

“Debatable,” he muttered, but he closed his eyes again.

“Okay, let’s start again. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Just focus on your breathing. The cool air coming in and filling your lungs and the warmth of the air as it rushes out of your mouth. Now again. In and out.”

I opened my eyes and looked at him to make sure he was following my instructions. When I saw that he was, I closed my eyes again and continued. “Now, as you continue to breathe, imagine a gentle, warm light resting right above your head. This light begins to spread, slowly moving down, easing away any tension it touches.

“Follow the light as it moves all the way down your body, letting all the tension drain out, leaving you feeling light, calm, and completely at ease. Now, take a moment to simply rest in this feeling. Breathe naturally, without effort, and let yourself just be.”

I opened my eyes and peeked at him. He was still sitting with his eyes closed, slowly breathing in and out, but the tension in his shoulders had eased a bit.

“Okay, now wiggle your fingers and your toes, and slowly open your eyes.”

He did as I said, and when he opened his eyes, I leaned back. “So how do you feel?”

He rolled his eyes, but there was a small, reluctant smile on his lips. “Fine. Maybe it wasn’t the worst idea. I do feel a little less stressed.”

“You hear that?” I said, throwing my hands up like I’d just scored the winning goal. “Samuel Sheridan admits I was right. Meditation isn’t the worst idea. This is a historic moment!”

“Don’t get used to it, Kitten,” he said, pulling me into his arms. “Besides, I’m not so sure it was the meditation as much as it was having you here with me. You’re like a balm to my soul.”

My breath caught. That was maybe the sweetest thing anyone had ever said to me, but I didn’t have time to say so before his lips were on mine, firm and unyielding in a way that made my knees weak—even when I was sitting.

I pulled back and smiled at him. “Now, do you want to tell me what happened to put you in such a bad mood?”

“Yeah, I do. Come help me fix dinner, and I’ll tell you all about it.”

The last thing I expected Tuesday morning was for Samuel to tell me he was going with me to the shop. When he’d told me about what happened with Don and how he felt responsible for the fact that the guy was on the run now, he’d mentioned being extra worried about my safety, but I figured the bodyguard he’d already arranged would have been enough. Apparently not.

“I’ll run by the station, do the morning meeting, and grab my computer. I have plenty of administrative work I can do from your shop. All I’ll need is a table and a chair.”

“You have no idea how noisy it gets up there sometimes.”

“Don’t you worry about that, Kitten. As long as I can see you’re safe, I’ll be fine.”

“Will you send Gator home then?” I asked. He told me what having Gator stand around outside my shop was costing him, but if he was going to be there, I didn’t see any reason for both of them to be there.

“No, Gator will be there again today. If we have a fire or if there’s anything at the station that needs my attention, I’ll have to leave, so I think it’s best he stays.”

A couple of hours later, I was pretty sure Samuel was regretting his current life choice. He’d insisted on staying in the front building with me instead of setting up in the workshop out back. I didn’t have any classes scheduled for today, so the workshop would’ve been empty, and he could have worked in peace.

We’d set him up at the table in the tea room, which was normally the busiest and most noisy place in the shop. So many people who came into the store were there just as much for the community as they were to shop, and today was no exception.

“So you think you get a better outcome if you start in the center and work out?” Millie Tatterson asked.

“I do, Miss Millie.” Samuel gave her a warm smile. “I did the tile in the half bath at my place, and I started on one side. To this day, I can tell the lines aren’t straight like they should be.” Samuel took another drink of the herbal tea, which I never expected him to even consider drinking.

That was thanks to Ronnie Robinson. He’d spent a good twenty minutes at the table this morning. Most of it trying to convince Samuel that if he was going to spend time with a young buck like myself, he needed to stock up on my vital-i-tea blend. I didn’t think Samuel needed any help, and I said so, but in the end—probably just to shut Ronnie up—Samuel caved and accepted a cup.

“Well, I guess you learn something new every day,” Millie said. “I’ll keep that in mind if I ever get around to doing my spare bathroom.”

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