“I won’t go.” Darcy clamped her lips together and crossed her arms.

“Darcy, you have to go. It’s the only way to protect you.”

“You want to drag me off to some lost-in-the-wilderness cabin and keep me there for God knows how long? I don’t think so.”

A frustrated scowl marred Nick’s handsome features. “Look, do you want to die?”

His blunt statement was like a punch in the gut, and her cheeks paled.

“Because that’s exactly what could happen if you stay here. And not just you. You’re putting Nora and Natalie in danger, too. They’re cops. They’d die trying to protect you, you know.”

Darcy did know. The twins had sworn to keep her safe, but she knew she was hazardous to their health. She swallowed a big fat lump that had risen in her throat.

Nick knelt down before her and laid his hands on her knees. “Darcy, it won’t be forever. Just until we arrest Pasquale. The cabin’s only a few hours north of here. Nobody will know where you’re at. Only my captain and my family.”

Darcy didn’t want to endanger the twins. She didn’t have a job, so there really was no reason not to go. But the thought of being alone with Nick for days…and nights…just the two of them…well, the very thought made her breath catch in her throat. He was too handsome, too macho.

And she was too sex deprived to resist, she admitted to herself. She’d been without a man too long.

Of course, Nick hadn’t even shown an interest in her other than professionally. What made her think he was even attracted to her sexually?

Darcy had never considered herself a coward, but she was beginning to realize she had a broad yellow stripe down her back. It was natural to be worried about Pasquale, she figured, but why was she so frightened to be alone with a man who had treated her with nothing but respect? A man who was a police detective.

“You can’t be away from work, can you?”

“I’ve got some vacation time coming. I was going to the cabin anyway. I’ve already talked it over with my captain. There’s no problem.”

Darcy closed her eyes and fought a silent battle. She didn’t want to leave Chicago; she had never spent much time in the woods. She liked being able to pop out for coffee or to get her nails done. She liked shopping and eating out and going dancing. She adored her house, she loved her closeness with Sophie, and she loved her life, at least when she had an income besides unemployment. Could she stand to leave it all behind?

Even more pressing, however…could she stand to be responsible for the life of Nora or Natalie? The two women had been nothing but kind to her. They’d made her welcome in their home, laughed and cried with her as they watched movies together, they’d offered to protect her. Regardless of her own selfish reasons for avoiding Pasquale, did she have the right to endanger the lives of the two sisters?

No. She couldn’t put them in that position. She really didn’t have a choice. She had to get away to keep Nora and Natalie safe.

Her shoulders lowered, and a look of defeat came over her face. “Okay. I’ll go.”

 

They were on their way before four that afternoon. Once the decision had been made, they didn’t waste time. Once again Darcy packed up to hit the road. They made a quick swing past her place, checked out the repaired window, and she repacked. Next, they made a stop by Nick’s place. She noted the minimalist atmosphere as she waited in his simply decorated black and white living room while he packed. It was as different from her own, cozy home as it could be. His only decorations were a few black and white prints on the walls, whereas she had rooms full of eclectic, colorful pieces.

Yet there was something sexy about the sleek, clean lines Nick had chosen. It was cold but sophisticated. Even if his kitchen did look as if it had never been used. It reminded her of him, dressed in his tailored black suits and crisp white shirts.

“Help yourself to a drink out of the fridge,” he called from the bedroom.

Darcy walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. There wasn’t much food, basically just ketchup, mustard and a suspicious looking half-gallon of milk, but there were plenty of drinks to choose from. Soda, water, beer were all there. Darcy grabbed a soda and flipped it open.

“I’ll take one of those, too,” Nick spoke from behind her, and she whirled to face him.

She wasn’t prepared for the transformation. Gone was the buttoned-up, serious detective. No suit, no tie, no white shirt. Instead, she gazed at a handsome hunk dressed in tight, faded jeans, a snug-fitting blue tee-shirt, and a blue and black plaid flannel shirt hanging open over the tee. His feet were no longer clad in black dress shoes, but instead, he wore black leather hiking boots.

He looked like a model who had just stepped out of an LL Bean catalogue. He looked somehow younger, more carefree and natural. He’d been amazingly sexy in his suit, but somehow, he looked even more appealing in casual clothing. She felt her breath catch in her throat, a trill running along her spine.

He turned a curious gaze on her, and she tried to cover up her hungry hormones. She let her hand fly to her chest and said, “You startled me.”

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to.” His voice was gruff, but his smile softened his tone. “I’m ready to hit the road if you are.”

 

Two and a half hours later Nick pulled into a grocery store in a small town in northwest Wisconsin. They were about a half hour from Eau Claire, in a heavily wooded, hilly area. The sun was slipping behind the hills, a pale twilight filtering through the air.

Darcy was surprised by how pleasant the trip had been. They’d driven quietly, soft country music playing on the radio. She was amazed they liked the same station. Nick talked about the cabin, which really belonged to the family, but he was the one who actually used it the most. From what he told her the cabin had been in his family for three generations. It was isolated and located up in the hills above a small lake. According to Nick, it was one of the most beautiful places in the world.

His voice warmed as he spoke of the cabin. He loved the place, she could tell.

“It is pretty far from the store, though,” he admitted. “That’s why we need to stock up on the basics before we get there.”

Darcy stepped out of the SUV and stretched. They’d only stopped once on the way to get gas and use the restroom.

It felt odd to be in the grocery picking out food with Nick. They definitely had different tastes. They hadn’t been there long before Darcy decided to grab her own cart and start filling it with her choices.

For every frozen pizza he put in his cart, she selected a fresh meat. Each time he added a bag of chips she added fresh produce. By the time she placed a loaf of French bread in her cart, he was openly grinning.

“I hope you like to cook,” he said.

“I like to eat; therefore I cook.” She cocked her head at him, a twinkle in her eyes.

“Well, I like to eat, but I don’t like to cook. Therefore,” he grinned wickedly, “I microwave.”

“We’ll see whose food gets eaten the most.”

“You’re on.” He reached out to shake her hand and when their palms met Darcy felt a chill zip through her then a flash of heat that built swiftly. It started in her fingertips and blazed through her arm straight to her cheeks, detouring through her feminine parts. She gave his hand a brief shake and tried to pull hers back, but he clamped it in his and held on.

Darcy raised her gaze, and it locked with his. For a long, frozen moment in time, they stood there, hands clasped, her heart skipping erratically. Her breath fluttered in her throat, not reaching her lungs.

She finally managed to remove her hand from his and turned quickly to her shopping cart. What had just happened? She hadn’t felt a surge like that in…well, she couldn’t remember the last time.

“I don’t know how many days we need to shop for,” she muttered, scanning the contents of her cart.

“We’ll get plenty. Better safe than sorry.”

Better safe than sorry, she silently repeated his words. Good advice in more ways than one.