Page 41 of Light My Fire

“He gave me an ultimatum. One screw up, and I was out.”

“Which is why you follow the rules.”

He nodded.

“Clearly you haven’t screwed up.”

He moved his leg off the chair and massaged his knee. “He put me in charge of the team, Stevie. And I screwed up.”

“Tucker—”

“The thing is…I changed my life, Stevie. I started going to church and started thinking that maybe I could put my life back on track. That if I just…well, if I did things right…”

“No one would get hurt.”

“But they did.”

“Tucker—”

“Iknowthis wasn’t my fault!” His change in voice shook her. “But it’s still my responsibility to get Skye back. She’s terrified and alone, and I’m not going to leave her behind.”

His eyes filmed then, and so much wrecked emotion from him undid her.

And shoot, she knew it was wrong, but she wanted a guy to feel about her the way Tucker did about Skye. Because she didn’t have to use her investigator skills to hear the affection in his voice.

The guy was probably in love with Skye. Of course, he couldn’t do anything about it—they worked together.

Stevie nodded and got up. “We’ll find her, Tucker.”

“Not sitting here, we won’t.”

She sighed. “Listen. There’s a bed on the other side of this curtain. Your knee is in bad shape. Go lie down, just a couple hours. We’ll leave as soon as it’s light enough.”

He stared at her. Then finally gave a tight nod and got up.

He pulled back the curtain and yes, the bed was made with a flannel blanket and a couple pillows. He untied his boots, worked them off, then eased down on top of it, leaned back on the pillows.

“What about you?”

She frowned.

He scooted over. “I promise to keep my hands to myself.”

Oh. Well, yes. Good. Because she had no room in her life for a man who was in love with someone else.

She sank down next to him, the bed giving under her weight. He lay on his back, his arms folded over his body. His breaths deepened, the darkness cottony, alluring.

She settled back next to him, shoulder to shoulder, his body warm alongside hers.

Figures that she’d finally find a decent guy…who was already taken.

* * *

The minute Steviesettled down beside him, all the fatigue swished out of Tucker’s body. What had been a scum of exhaustion and hurt lifted, every cell suddenly, acutely aware of Stevie’s warmth, from her shoulder to her legs snugged up along his. Not that she was trying to lean into him, but the very nature of the saggy mattress tilted her against him, and he struggled to keep his breathing even, to ignore the smell of her, earthy, yes, but feminine too, enough to rouse a keen awareness that maybe this wasn’t a good idea.

Apparently, he hadn’t thought it all the way through when he’d scooted over and suggested she rest alongside him. Then again, he wasn’t thinking a lot of things through lately.

Like his stupid plan to take down March. He still couldn’t believe that the man had nearly killed Stevie while Tucker lay dazed, trying to stop the world from spinning. He’d seen her struggle, and by the time he got his head put back together, Archer had pulled the murderer away from his daughter, and they’d sprinted into the woods.

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