Your Captivating Love (The Bennett Family 2)

I try to sleep, but it evades me, so I simply lie next to her, her small body nestled against me. If I’m honest, I don’t want to sleep; I have the irrational fear that something will happen to her if I don’t watch over her. I’ve never been more afraid in my entire life, from the moment I saw the smoke until the doctors cleared her. The minutes I waited for Nadine to come out were paralyzing. I wanted to go in and save her, and no one would let me. I was powerless to protect her, and I hated it.

Nadine shifts, draping an arm and half her body over me. I wrap both arms around her, holding her as tight as I can, hoping I won’t wake her up. Some things I can’t control, but I’ll control everything else I can. This woman is mine, and I won’t let anyone or anything harm her again.

***

Nadine

I know something’s off the second I open my eyes. I stink. That’s when I remember: the fire, the hospital, and Logan.

Logan... I bolt upright.

“Morning, gorgeous,” he says from a recliner in front of the bed.

“Not so gorgeous today.” I point to my clothes, then at the disheveled bed. “Oh, my God, I made a mess out of your bed.”

“We’ll wash the sheets.” Rising to his feet, he walks over to me, putting one knee on the bed. Cupping my cheeks, he kisses my forehead. “I’m so glad you’re awake. How are you?”

“Much better now after a full night’s sleep.” To be honest, I still don’t feel completely okay. I have never been more scared in my life than I was yesterday. The fear seems to have seeped into my bones, and I think it’ll remain there for a while.

Inspecting him, I notice he has deep circles under his eyes. “But you’re tired.”

“I couldn’t sleep all night.”

“Why?”

Logan smiles. “I couldn’t let you out of my sight. I just wanted to look at you and be sure you’re okay.”

Speechless, I smile back.

“Come on, let’s clean you up.” Logan takes my hand and leads me to the bathroom, where he proceeds to undress me. He’s done this many times before, taking off my clothes gently or with passion, but now it’s different. He moves as if he’s afraid he might damage my skin by undressing me.

“I'm all right, Logan. I just stink.”

He frowns as he removes my last piece of clothing. “The doctors said you might still be in shock.”

“I’m not,” I argue, even though I suspect that the lingering fear might be related to shock. I step into the shower and Logan watches me while I wash, his eyes never leaving mine. There is nothing sexual in his gaze; it’s raw and powerful, and brings me a sense of safety as I try to wash off the fear.

When we step into the living room a while later, the full impact of what happened last night hits me as Logan shoves a cup of coffee in my hands.

“Was anyone hurt?” I ask in a strangled voice, fighting to keep the panic away. Logan seems to have noticed the shift in my mood. In a fraction of a second, he sits next to me on the couch.

“No. The firemen evacuated everyone before the staircase collapsed, but the building burned down.”

I swallow hard, lowering my eyes to the cup in my hands. “Define ‘burned down.’”

“Everyone will have to relocate, and nothing inside could be salvaged. All your boxes burned up, Nadine.”

“No.” The word comes out in a single strangled whisper. “That was half of my inventory.” The very expensive inventory I paid for upfront. I didn’t have renter’s insurance. I couldn’t afford it. One of the reasons I chose this building was because they didn’t require such an insurance. “This is going to ruin me for good.” Not daring to look up, I try to run the numbers in my head, grasping at straws for how I can make this work.

Logan puts his hand under my chin, trying to lift my head. I stubbornly keep my stance.

“Nadine—”

“I can’t lose everything again. Not this time.” There is no way I can make this work with half the inventory gone. Starting from zero again is unthinkable. Another thought chills the breath in my throat. Last time I lost everything, Thomas bolted. Losing Logan? That would break me for good.

“Nadine—”

“After all this,” I whisper.