Katie watched Kaiden's boss leave the room without so much as a glance in her direction which was odd since a moment ago he'd looked at her like he knew exactly what she and Kaiden had been doing when he pounded on the door. He worked as an investigator for one of the country's most secretive agencies. Heck, the man probably had x-ray vision and had seen right through the steel door.

"Are you in some kind of trouble?" Katie asked.

"What? Oh, no. Hunter likes to throw his weight around a little. Makes him feel good about himself." Kaiden laughed but it didn't make Katie feel any better about the situation.

"I'm sorry."

Kaiden stopped rummaging in his bag and turned to look at her. "Sorry? For what?"

"For—I don't know—everything, I guess."

He went over to where she sat and took her hand. Katie let him pull her to her feet and wrap his arms around her. "My job is demanding and there are rules, yes, but I didn't do anything I didn't want to—still want to do—and as soon as this case is over, you and I are going to go about things the proper way. I never should have left that hospital without taking your number and I hate that we found each other again under such awful circumstances."

"I don't."

"Don't what?" Kaiden leaned back and looked down at her.

"I don't hate that we found each other again, despite the circumstances."

Kaiden's blue eyes smoldered as he studied her. Her body warmed as she felt the pure strength radiating from the arms that held her. She wanted nothing more than to explore the fantasies she herself had created, not to mention find out what exactly Kaiden had been dreaming about, but she knew she had to wait now. The run in with Hunter had been like a neon sign reminding her that they needed to focus on clearing her name and stopping Nathan from whatever he had planned.

He leaned down and kissed her softly on the forehead and then stepped back, letting her go. "What do you say we get out of here and go see the powers that be over at the hospital?"

"Okay. As long as we can grab something to eat on the way. My stomach is trying to digest itself, I'm so hungry."

Kaiden laughed. "I know what you mean."

As he turned away to grab a long-sleeved tee from the back of a chair, Katie admired the lean, hard muscle of his back and shoulders. A few minutes ago, all of that would have been hers if Kaiden's boss hadn't shown up.

"Damn it," she muttered, the frustration radiating to parts of her body that had been left alone for far too long.

Kaiden turned to look at her, concern in his ethereal blue eyes. She really loved his eyes. Nathan's had been blue too but his had been dull and lifeless compared to Kaiden's. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing," she replied, offering up a small smile. "I was just thinking I forgot to brush my teeth." It wasn't true, but it was the best she could do without blurting out the truth.

He obviously didn't believe her but he grinned anyway. "You want to go ahead and I will get dressed out here?"

"Yeah, okay. Thanks."

As she brushed her teeth for the second time that morning, Katie thought about the last twenty four hours. One minute she was carrying around a broken heart and a bruised ego, the next her home was trashed, her job probably lost forever, and Kaiden James had walked back into her life.

Just like when they met in the hospital, her body experienced a whirlwind of sensations whenever he touched her. Katie found it harder and harder to trust herself with Kaiden nearby and as much as she longed to run back into that bedroom and throw him down on the bed, she had to get her head on straight. There could be no more of anything between them, not if she valued her sanity. When all of this was over, even if she didn't land herself in federal prison somewhere for letting Nathan ruin her life, Kaiden would ride off into the sunset again. She got the feeling a man like that only stayed attached to one thing and that was his job.

With a deep sigh and heavy heart, Katie rinsed her toothbrush. Some women weren't meant to find love.