Page 45 of Marrying a Spy

When her breathing grew heavy, he shifted around so that the comforter covered them both. He wrapped his arms around her and leaned into her, inhaling the smell of her coconut shampoo. He closed his eyes, and for the first time in a long time, slipped easily into sleep.

* * *

A loud clang startled Noah awake. His eyes whipped open, and he glanced around Sophia’s dark room. A weight rested on his chest. He tipped his head up to see that it was Sophia. She was snuggled up to him with her head nestled on his shoulder.

He reached out and held onto her as he closed his eyes. He must have been dreaming. Everything was okay. Sophia was with him. She loved him.

As he began to drift back to sleep, the sound came again.

Now awake, Noah’s heart began to pound. Was he freaking out about nothing? He stilled, straining his ears.

He wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep without checking, so he gently rolled Sophia off of him and slid out of bed, setting his feet on the cold ground. He slipped from her room, moving along the walls. He hunched down as he passed windows, until he reached his suitcase and pulled out his gun.

He grabbed it and walked over to the front of the house. With his back pressed to the wall, he peeked around the corner to see a dark figure.

Now on high alert, he clicked the safety off his gun and readied his mind. The figure was moving around the mud room as if they were searching for something. Noah took a deep breath and cleared the corner. With his gun raised, he flipped on the light.

The figure turned, his eyes wide.

Noah’s heart sank. “James?”

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