“It made me realize the small gestures, the little comforts we take for granted, can be the difference between falling apart and finding the strength to keep going. Which is why I fell apart when you put together all the clothes and toiletries for me back in Dallas.
"All the million and one other little things you've done since then have made a bigger difference than I ever thought possible. Did I thank you for that?”
Nasa had stopped working and turned to fully face her, a hot, searing look of understanding shining in his eyes.
“You just did. Big time.” He smiled at her in a way that sent her insides into complete meltdown before turning back to his bay of computers with a shake of his head. “I get it now.”
“Get what?”
“The name of your foundation. Monumentally. All the homes you flip and secure, they're the sanctuaries you wish Tally could have found.”
Not one single person in the world, not even Dr. White, knew or had guessed her college roommate was the inspiration behind the foundation's name.
Not one person, until this moment.
“It wasn't just for her,” Dillon admitted softly, feeling exposed all over again. Seen by someone who understood her the way no one else ever had before.
Nasa went from staring at his screens to standing unexpectedly, making Dillon flinch and hunch protectively around Harper. The reflex was instinctual, and Nasa definitely noticed.
A muscle in his jaw ticked, but he moved slowly, intentionally toward her, lifting his hand to curl around the back of Dillon's neck to hold her steady as he bent to touch his forehead to hers.
The fragrance of his soap, the scent of leather, the natural aroma of his skin, and the heat of his body instantly enveloped her. His breath washed across her cheek, sweet from the pear jelly beans he'd eaten.
“I'm sorry for everything you've been through over the past few weeks, and I promise you, Ghost will pay for taking your sanctuary away from you,” he told her quietly. “But I'm not sorry he sent you here to me.”
The muscles in her belly clenched and twisted even as her heart gave a whimsical flutter.
“I don't feel very sorry either.”
“Bas-oh-rexia.” He sighed with deep satisfaction, drawing the word into one long purr.
Just when Dillon thought he might turn his face ever so slightly to kiss her, a beep sounded from the bay of computers and the moment of breathless anticipation was gone. “The footage is ready. Are you good to see this right now?”
There he went again, being careful not to put something in front of her that might trigger a panic attack.
Not one person in her life had ever been so considerate of her feelings, except for the therapist she paid to help her.
“Honestly, I'm not sure, but it's not going to stop me from watching.”
“Why do you want to watch?” Nasa asked with genuine curiosity.
Still, there was hostility in her voice, her anger focused squarely on these assholes who kept breaching her previously impenetrable fortresses.
“Because I built that shelter to help women like me and Tally, and if someone came in there waving their dick around threatening the people under my roof, I want to see it.”
“Fair enough,” Nasa grunted, releasing his hold on her to sit back down, whipping back the armrest closest to her before holding out his arm in welcome.
When Dillon just looked at him in confusion, he patted his lap. “Come sit. We'll watch together.”
Another hard punch of arousal nailed Dillon square in the belly. “You want me to sit on your lap?”
“I do. You can roll another chair over if you want to, but I'd much prefer being able to feel you tense up and shut down the video before you have an attack.”
So reasonable, and yet he was doing that thing with his voice. His Dom voice, as Dr. White had called it. The deeper tone that made Dillon simultaneously light up and melt.
He wasn't commanding her to sit. Nasa was telling her what he wanted and why, giving her the option to get her own chair. Because of his consideration, Dillon opted to carefully settle herself into his lap.
She could feel the solid muscles of his thighs under her butt, and when he curled his arm around her belly to help settle her against his chest, Dillon sank into his embrace with the same sort of pleasure she got from being submerged in a hot bath. Relaxed, and surrounded by warmth.
Once they were situated comfortably, Nasa scooted them up to his desk and hit the space bar.
“I still can't believe how easy it was for you to hack in,” Dillon muttered, feeling morally wrong about watching Patti coming in behind the check-in desk, bustling around, logging onto the computer, taking some notes, doing what Dillon suspected was her usual midday routine.
The touch of Nasa's lips on the spot behind Dillon's ear sent shivers racing through her.
“It's easy for me because this is what I do. The average person wouldn't be able to hack in, or even think to utilize the Wi-Fi the way I did.”
Dillon huffed, irritated yet impressed, already wondering how she could protect the shelter from people like him in the future.
“You said you can tell if someone else has been fucking around in there?”
“Yep, the program is getting a thorough scan while we watch. So far, it’s clean. Here come the assholes, and I'd say it's a good thing you made a point to go with electromagnetic locks on the inner doors.”
She nodded, able to clearly see the faces of the men who pushed through the outer door that was left unlocked during the day, something Dillon had argued with Patti about, but was overruled as Patti pointed out the building was
