Listening to the footsteps of Naomi and Roy leading away from the artifact room, Sawyer was ready to act. He already had a book he had swiped from one of the shelves in his hand, and he dashed toward the closing door, sticking it between it and the doorframe.

Things had worked out better than he had thought when it came to his and Naomi’s mission to get their hands on the statue before Verin got his chance. But that didn’t mean things had gone according to plan…

Logically, Sawyer knew that it was more important to get the statue than it was to save Naomi from a bad date. But that didn’t stop a rumble building in his chest when he thought about the way he had seen Roy place his hand on her back.

Focus, he had to remind himself.

With all his senses on high alert, he waited until he could no longer hear anything from the hallway before he walked away from the door. Naomi’s scent still lingered in the room, mixed in with all the other smells in there – clay, stone, latex… His nose went through all of them.

And even though he had seen the statue firsthand, and knew Verin hadn’t gotten here yet, he couldn’t help but scan for the demon’s distinctive scent. It had become second nature at that point, since his nose was far more reliable at detecting Verin than his eyes.

Making his way over to where he knew the statue was being stored, Sawyer pulled open the metal door in the wall. Cool air washed over him as he reached inside, grabbing the container that the statue was in.

It was just the right size for him to tuck it under his arm. And thanks to the convenient packaging, no one would even look twice when he strolled off with it. He couldn’t help but grin at that.

Verin’s going to be in for a surprise when he comes looking for this.

Sawyer strolled back over to the exit and removed the book holding the door open. He stepped outside, through the other set of double doors, and pulled his cap lower over his eyes as he walked out into the hallway.

Gaze darting around for any witnesses, he casually walked back the way he came, up the stairs, past Naomi’s office, and straight out of the building. He made sure to look down in places he knew he would be caught on camera, but he wasn’t really that worried.

Surveillance video might have come a long way since he started as a cop, but he knew most people still preferred to skimp on that technology. It was more of a deterrent, after all, and Arizona State wasn’t exactly Fort Knox.

He hung back for a moment once he got outside, wanting to make sure Roy and Naomi had gotten far enough away so he wouldn’t be spotted by them. With neither of them in sight, he made his way to his car.

Fishing his keys out of his pocket, he placed the container in the back seat before getting in himself. Once he was behind the wheel, he let out a sigh, rolling his shoulders. Now that the mission was done, and he actually had the statue in his possession, his thoughts drifted back to Naomi.

She had gotten way more involved in this heist than he would have liked, but he also had to admit, at the end of the day, that had been a good thing. And it seemed good girl Naomi had a brash side to her.

A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth at that thought. Even though he didn’t like the idea of her getting in trouble, having someone who challenged him was somewhat exciting. And his wolf definitely agreed.

Starting the car, Sawyer pulled into traffic, setting his sights on the familiar streets that would bring him home. The only thing getting him down was the thought that the apartment would be empty when he got there, and Naomi would be off eating pasta somewhere with Roy of all people.

Fingers squeezing the steering wheel, he focused on the drive, watching the flow of traffic around him. The city was going about its business, blissfully unaware there was a demon lurking around somewhere.

All in all, that was probably a good thing. But it was still odd, knowing that he and Naomi were the only people that were aware of a danger most people dismissed as myth and fantasy.

In no time, Sawyer found himself pulling up to his street, the top of his apartment building already in view. Securing the statue would be his first priority. Luckily, he had a safe already waiting.

He wasn’t sure if a metal box would really do anything to keep out a demon, but he would still feel better once he got the statue in there. Yet, the closer he got to his home, the more clearly Naomi’s face popped up in his mind’s eye.

Combing through every Italian place in town to try and find her would probably be overkill, he thought to himself. And the injured cat story had been pushing it. If neighbor Tom showed up again…

Rationally, he knew there was no reason for him to even be thinking what he was thinking. But it was like his whole body had suddenly turned into a magnet, fine-tuned to hone in on Naomi and Naomi alone.

The reason why that might be niggled in the back of his mind. The answer would have been clear if he had let himself think it. But he wasn’t ready. His past still hung over him, an invisible shield that he had had in place for far too long to just abandon.

Pulling into the parking lot opposite his building, Sawyer got out of his car, taking in a deep breath as he did. There was no sign of Verin. But another familiar scent drifted into his nostrils.

Naomi?

As he got his precious package out of the backseat, his head was on a swivel. Had Naomi really gotten so deep under his skin he was imagining her smell wherever he went? Looking across the street, he almost thought he was seeing what he wanted to see when he caught the sight of blonde hair blowing in the wind.

But there she was, in the flesh. Naomi, sitting on the front steps of his building, face turned up toward the sun. Damn, she was beautiful. Her eyes were closed, but Sawyer could easily imagine their vibrant green color, and the glimmer of things hidden beneath the surface.

He crossed the street, the statue tucked beneath his arm once more, with a sense of urgency in him he couldn’t ignore.

Hearing his footsteps, Naomi opened her eyes, holding her hand to her forehead to block out the sun. She smiled at him, and he couldn’t help but smile back. When her gaze darted to the package he was holding, she jumped to her feet in an instant.

“Oh my god,” she whispered. “You got it.”

Sawyer took a step closer, the damn statue he was carrying the last thing on his mind at that moment.

“You’re here,” he remarked, as if that wasn’t already obvious.

Naomi blinked up at him, seeming to read his face. What she saw there, he couldn’t know. But her expression turned more serious.

“I told Roy I felt sick all of the sudden,” she replied. “He tried arguing that some food might make me feel better, but I insisted I needed to go. He probably thinks I’m a lunatic now, but I don’t really care,” she shrugged.

Acting more on instinct than anything else, Sawyer stepped even closer. His hand reached out, trailing up her arm before resting on her shoulder. Their eyes locked, the world standing still for a moment as something unsaid hung hot and heavy between them.

Naomi’s breath caught, a soft, inviting sound that made his wolf claw at him in anticipation. When she licked her lips, Sawyer couldn’t have helped himself even if he’d wanted to.

Slowly, he bent his head, almost waiting for her to pull away. When she didn’t, he pressed his lips to hers. And that was all it took to change everything forever.