Have You Seen Her?

Steven tilted his head forward. Carefully. "Me?"

Je

Steven didn't answer. He didn't think he was supposed to. He was right.

"Nooo," she said, on an obvious roll. "And why not? Because you woke up my hormones and now all I think about is kissing you! When I'm not worrying about crazy teenagers of course."

"Of course."

She glared at him. "You think this is fu

Steven swallowed. Audibly. "No, I don't think that's fu

She looked slightly mollified. "Well, all right then. Now what'll we do?"

Steven ran his tongue over his teeth. "I'm sure I have no idea."

"I need to walk the dogs," she said wearily. "You can go if you want."

Steven grasped her shoulders firmly. "I'm not going anywhere. I'll walk the dogs. Why don't you get something to eat?"

"Okay," she murmured.

When he came back from walking the dogs, one at a time, he found her sitting at the table, wearing an oversized T-shirt and eating ice cream right out of the container with a big spoon.

"I actually had something more nutritious in mind," he said, patting Jim on the head. Or Jean-Luc.

Je

"Sorry, didn't realize Haagen-Dazs Rocky Road had been elevated to one of the four major food groups." He pulled out a chair and sat down at her table. "Je

She shrugged and looked away. "So talk," she said and shoved another spoonful of ice cream into her mouth. She waved the spoon at him. "Go ahead. I'm waiting."

He cleared his throat. 'Truth of the matter is I'm flattered."

"Oh, God," she groaned. "Not the I'm-flattered speech."

Steven raised his brows. "You've heard this before?"

She shook her head and dug deeper into the ice cream container in disgust. "No, but I read."

Steven wanted to smile. "Well, I doubt you've heard it quite this way."

Je

He took the spoon from her hand and stuck it back in the container. "Look at me. Please."

Je

He closed his eyes and she saw his cheeks heat. He was embarrassed, she thought, as was she. It was bad enough to throw yourself at a man, but to be refused… It was humiliating.

"The truth is, I want you more than I want to breathe," he said quietly.

Her eyes widened. "You do?"

He opened his eyes and glared. "I said I did."

She drew a breath. "Okay, I'm still listening."

"Good, because I don't think I can do this more than once," he said grumpily, which made her smile. He smiled then, too, and took her hand. "I have responsibilities, Je

Je

He shook his head, his brown eyes piercing. "I don't think you do. Je

"You were?"

He studied her soberly and her heart skipped a beat. "I was.

I still am." He squeezed her hand lightly. "I think I could fall in love with you, Je

She couldn't. Because he was right. "No," she whispered.

"I didn't think so. I want you to want me. For me. And I want you to know that if we go on, it's with the understanding that it's got to be very, very serious."

Je

He seemed to relax before her eyes. "Good. Now I think it's your bedtime. I'll tuck you in."

And he did, just like her father used to. Then he turned out the lights and sat in the chair next to her bed. Within seconds her eyelids felt like sixteen-ton weights.

"Steven?" she yawned.

"Yes, Je

"You don't have to stay. I'll be fine."

"I know. I want to stay for me." His hand stroked her hair. "I almost lost you tonight," he murmured. "Before I ever got to have you."

"Umm." His hand on her hair felt wonderful. "Steven, can you call the hospital to see if Casey's all right?" She listened as he called, listened, then hung up.

His hand stroked her hair again. "She's stable, Je

Friday, October 7, 6:00 A.M.

Steven expected to wake with a stiff neck from sleeping in the chair next to Je

His heart caught. She was asleep in the chair. He reached over to shake her awake. "Je

Her eyes opened. "Oh." She blinked hard and scrambled to sit up straight. "You're awake."

"I am. Why am I here and you there?"

Her lips curved. "I woke up in the night to check on Casey and you looked so uncomfortable in the chair. I pulled you onto the bed, thinking you'd just sleep. But, when I woke up again, your hands were… occupied. I didn't mind, but I thought you would so I bunked in the chair." Her eyes smiled as his face heated and she leaned over to trail the backs of her fingers against his cheek. "What time do you have to be to work?"

He captured her fingers and pressed them to his cheek, not wanting to let her go. Protectiveness welled from deep within and he didn't want to let her out of his sight. A group of crazed, angry teenagers had tried to kill her. It was difficult to keep the fury from his voice. "Seven-thirty."