Truly Madly Deeply Boxed Set

He muttered something that sounded suspiciously like “We’ll see about that.”

“It isn’t your place to see or not,” She took two steps and her knees buckled.

Kevin saved her from falling by wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her close. “Apparently it is. You’re overworked, exhausted and...”

“Just a little nauseous, dizzy. I’m fine or I will be after a good night’s sleep.”

His eyes narrowed as his dark gaze focused in on her. “Has this happened before?”

“Yes. No.” She could barely think, let alone answer. Maybe if his strength weren’t so potent, his scent so seductive, she wouldn’t feel as dizzy and overwhelmed.

All her strength went into remaining upright and focused. Once she got rid of Kevin, she could collapse in a taxi and pull herself together.

“Well, which is it?” he asked.

Nikki shook her head, but the rapid movement only made things worse. The last thing she felt before blackness claimed her was his strong arms beneath her knees and his softly muttered curse in her ear.

* * *

The sound of oil splattering in a frying pan woke her. It wasn’t the first time Nikki had opened her eyes since falling into the uncharacteristic faint.

She’d awakened earlier to find herself in Kevin’s car, his hand stroking her cheek as he drove. Because she’d been so exhausted, she hadn’t fought him. Lulled by the motion of the vehicle and the illusion of security she’d desperately needed, she’d allowed herself to drift back to sleep.

She swung her legs over the side of what she now realized was an unfamiliar couch and sat up. Her stomach rebelled at the sudden upward movement. Breathe deep. Nikki obeyed her silent command, but the odor of frying eggs worked against her.

“Bathroom’s over there.”

Nikki heard him and ran, making it just in time. How an empty stomach could cause so much trouble, she had no idea. When the shaking stopped and she felt steady enough to rise, she splashed cold water on her face and prepared to approach Kevin.

“You okay?”

She glanced up to find him standing in the doorway, his brow furrowed in concern, “Yeah.” She pushed her hair out of her eyes, barely able to meet his gaze. Throwing up wasn’t an everyday occurrence. Having an audience, especially having Kevin as an audience, made the situation even worse.

“Here, let me help you to the table.” He took a step toward her, but embarrassment forced her retreat. The back of her legs hit the toilet and he laughed. “I think I’ve already witnessed your worst,” he said. “Shutting me out now won’t make things better. Let me help.” His voice dropped an octave as he held out a hand.

She nodded and placed her palm inside his. Heat shot through her arm, setting off a warm tingling in her chest and stomach. One which she’d prefer to attribute to dizziness and exhaustion, not to Kevin’s potent touch.

She glanced at her watch. Only an hour since she’d left the bar. “Why didn’t you just take me home?” she asked.

“I figured you needed someone to keep an eye on you and Janine needs her sleep.”

“So you volunteered for the job?”

“I didn’t see anyone else around to catch you when you fell.”

“Thank you for that,” she murmured, realizing that she sounded like an ungrateful shrew.

“You’re welcome.” He pulled an old wooden chair from beneath the bleached oak table. The set was obviously piecemeal, an old rectangular table, two matching chairs and an odd assortment of others.

“Yours?” she asked, remembering a plain white table in his old apartment.

He followed her line of vision. “Came with the house,” he explained.

“House.” Nikki lowered herself into the chair before she had another wave of dizziness to contend with. “I thought you rented an apartment?” She kept her gaze glued to the scarred table, refusing to let the memories of that night, that place, resurface.

“It was a month-to-month lease, furniture and all. The morning I left...” He cleared his throat, obviously as uncomfortable with the memories as she. “When I left, I dropped a check with the landlord for an extra month’s rent along with a note asking him to store my things.”

He’d given the landlord more consideration than he’d given her, she thought. “And this house?”