Blake stepped carefully into the front room of their suite and wedged the door open. “How about I set up shop here? If we leave this open, I can see the bed and the front door. You’ll be safe, and I won’t have to leave my post to check on you.”
Marissa turned on her socked feet and went back to the bed. Whatever she thought of the offer, she didn’t say, but she didn’t argue either.
He flipped the light switch, casting her room into shadows, and went to drag the chair and table to its new location.
* * *
MARISSA WOKE WITH a start. Her fingers curled deep into the soft fabric of hotel bedsheets. Her limbs were heavy with fatigue and her mind groggy with the effects of a restless night. She pried her stinging eyes open and squinted against the streams of poorly filtered sunlight sneaking through closed hotel blinds. Thank goodness the night was over. She hadn’t remembered falling asleep, but the dreams had come quickly. The rose petals and the lake. Nash and his song. She hadn’t stopped running through the dark forest since the moment she’d closed her eyes.
In the dream, she didn’t get away.
Blake flashed brilliant blue eyes on her in that moment, as if he’d somehow sensed her waking. “Morning.” His easy southern drawl pulled her back to reality. He’d repositioned the table and chairs from the front room, and by the looks of him, sat guard all night.
He swiped a travel mug off the table and pushed onto his feet. He stopped at the doorway. “May I?”
She nodded, pressing her lips together, certain she needed a toothbrush or chewing gum before speaking to anyone.
A few unfamiliar faces turned her way, then back, immediately disinterested. The vibration of quiet voices electrified the air beyond her bedroom door, buoyed by the scent of black coffee and the outdoors.
Blake handed the cup to Marissa. “How are you feeling this side of yesterday?”
She bobbed her head in positivity. “Awful.”
His mouth ticked up on one side. “Coffee helps.”
She pressed the cup to her lips and sucked the steaming hot liquid. The burn on her tongue and scald on her throat were a necessary evil. There was no time to waste on letting the liquid cool. “What have we learned?”
“Not much. We’ve got your phone at the lab, and my men are comparing the prints at the lake with those outside your bedroom window.” His voice drifted slightly off.
Was he recalling the stolen image as she was? The photo of her in his embrace? She could still feel the strength of his arms around her.
Marissa scooted upright in the bed, suddenly guilty for the comfort he’d forgone to keep her safe. “Didn’t you sleep?” The question was rhetorical, its answer evident. The stubble on Blake’s cheeks had darkened, nearly as much as the circles beneath his eyes. He hadn’t changed clothes, and the shiny FBI badge he’d worn proudly around his neck when they met was now missing.
“As much as ever.”
“You don’t normally sleep?”
He flicked his attention to the bustle in the front room. “No.”
“Hazard of the job?” she guessed.
“Something like that.”
“Are you always on a case like this?” she wondered. Surely he wasn’t always on call. “Do you get time off when you’re done? Can you sleep then?”
He pursed his lips and turned piercing blue eyes back on her. “The cases close, but the people stick with me.”
“I see.” A piece of her heart broke for his. She couldn’t imagine the things Blake had seen or how he put them aside when it was time to move on. “Will someone relieve you soon so you can at least try to rest?”
“I’m fine. I’ll step outside and pull the door while you...” he circled one wrist “...do whatever ladies do in the morning.”
Marissa pushed back the comforter and swung her legs over the bed’s edge. “Normally I run, but I guess that’s out of the question.”
“Yep.”
“I use the adrenaline to wake me up. I like the endorphin rush.”
Blake pinned her with a cheeky smile. “Coffee’s going to have to do today.”
Marissa had never had much interest in photographing people, but she wouldn’t mind taking a crack at Blake. His square jawline and brooding brow were more than print-worthy. The slight imperfection of his nose and faded scar above his temple were interesting too, but it was the protective edge, the palpable energy, that fascinated her most. Too many people were out for themselves these days, but Blake spent his life watching over others.
“What?” he rumbled, scanning the room around her.
“I was thinking that what you do is noble,” she said, “and I’m wondering if anyone ever tells you that.”
He snorted. “That’s not one I’ve heard before. No.”
“That’s too bad.” Marissa stretched onto her feet and reached for the ceiling. Her bunched and exhausted muscles complained at the effort. “Well, if I can’t run, what am I doing today?” She dropped her hands together at her waist. “Another trip to the lake? Maybe down to the station?”
“I’m headed to the station to see what the team’s got down there,” he said, pointing a finger at his chest. “You’re going to stay here with your detail. I won’t be long.” He fished a small black cell phone from his pocket and set it on the nightstand. “This is ready for use. We’ll get your personal device back to you as soon as tech’s done with it. They’re going to run a few more diagnostics first.”
“Thank you.” Marissa hurried into the attached bathroom and shut the door. “When are you leaving for the station?” she yelled.
She discarded her pajamas and shoved her legs into the
