You. I just need you.

When she said I didn’t understand what she’s going through, I should’ve spilled my guts and told her about the part I played in her father’s death. If that experience alone doesn’t show her I know what she’s feeling, then I don’t know what will. But I couldn’t get the words out. She was already a complete mess, and I didn’t want to make things worse. And I can’t tell her now because now an entirely different set of words is rattling around in my head.

You. I just need you.

No one has ever said something like that to me with so much conviction and so much heart. In this moment, she’s not a victim holding on to her hero; she’s a friend holding on to a friend, a woman holding on to a man, and I believe her. No one has ever needed me like this, and it’s left me more than a little speechless.

I lean back on the couch and bring Claire with me. She burrows her face against my chest as I reach over and pull the afghan across our bodies.

Her tears soak through my shirt, but I don’t care. She can cry as much as she wants for as long as she needs, and I’ll stay right here, acting as her human Kleenex. Threading my fingers through her hair, I stroke the strands, letting them fall before repeating the process. Eventually, Claire’s cries soften, her breathing evens out, and when I look down and see her asleep on top of me, my heart flips over inside my chest.

I don’t know how long I sit and watch her sleep, but eventually I must pass out because when I wake up, the darkness has given way to the light of a new day. Bright sunlight filters through the blinds, and even though my back is killing me, I’ve never been more comfortable, and it’s because of the precious woman lying on me.

Sometime during the night, Claire must’ve moved. Her body is now cradled between my legs, her head resting in the crook of my neck, and the only thing that hasn’t changed are her arms. They’re still wrapped tight around my body as though she was afraid if she let go I’d disappear.

Not a chance in hell.

The afghan fell off the couch, but we didn’t need it because our bodies pressed together created more than enough heat to keep us warm. Claire rustles around in her sleep and accidentally knees me in the balls.

“Ooomph.” I jerk on instinct, and Claire’s head pops up.

She blinks heavily against the bright light. Her red hair is plastered to the side of her head, and I’ve never seen her look so beautiful.

“What’s wrong?” She rustles around, adjusting herself against me, and my dick decides to sit up and take notice.

“You kneed me in the junk. Again.”

“Oh my God,” she says, trying not to laugh.

She tries to lift herself up to look down, but I hold her in place—mostly because I’m not ready to let her go.

“That’s twice now,” I tell her. “I’m starting to think you have it out for me.”

“I swear I don’t.”

“I could let you rub it and make it all better.” It’s probably wrong of me to flirt with her after everything she’s been through, but I can’t help myself. I don’t want to help myself. Not anymore.

“Oh, I bet you’d like that wouldn’t you?”

“A little too much, probably.”

She laughs and buries her face in my chest, and I decide it’s the best sound in the entire world. If I could, I would bottle it up and save it.

Eventually, she looks up. A shy smile pulls at the corner of her mouth. “Good morning.”

“It’s always a good morning when I wake up with a beautiful woman sprawled out across my chest.”

Her smile widens, and I lied. This, right here. The way she looked moments ago doesn’t hold a candle to how perfect she looks right now. Her eyes look lighter than they did last night, as if clouds have finally parted to make way for the sun.

“You shouldn’t say those things to me.”

“Why not?” I say, brushing the hair from the side of her cheek. “It’s the truth.”

“Because it makes me happy.”

I draw in a slow breath, choosing my words wisely, because this might be the loophole—the brief moment in time when I have the opportunity to get us back on the right track. And by the right track I mean on the track of getting together.

If there’s one thing I learned by staying with Claire last night, it’s that waking up with her in my arms is the best damn feeling in the entire world, and I’m ready for it.

I’m ready to have this day in and day out.

And I want it with Claire.

I see now that letting her walk away that night in the bathroom at Animal Haven was a colossal mistake, one I refuse to make again. That doesn’t mean things will be easy, or that they’ll even work at all—I still have a massive secret that could rock us to our core—but I’m finally willing to take that chance if it means a shot at a future with Claire.

But first, I need to take things slow and figure out if she’s ready to toss her rules aside for someone like me—for a firefighter and a rancher and a reformed player.

“Maybe I like making you happy.”

She smiles, but as she watches me, that smile fades.

“What is it?” I ask, brushing my thumb along the apple of her cheek.

“I just don’t know where we stand,” she says, her eyes dropping to my chest before meeting mine again. “That night in the bathroom was…”

“Was what, Claire?”

“Perfect,” she sighs. “And I know we agreed to walk away, and I know that us being together goes against my rules, but I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you—about that kiss and the way your hands felt on my body. I finally decided to toss my rules out the window, but then the fire happened, and in the hospital room you seemed so angry at me. I just spiraled out of control after that and—”

I don’t know what else to do to get her to stop rambling, so I kiss her.

Claire’s eyes widen, but I coax her into submission with my lips, and within seconds her body is melting against mine.

“I wasn’t angry, Claire, far from it,” I whisper against her lips.

“Then what were you?”

“Scared, frustrated, sad, you name it. I’ll never be able to tell you what it was like for me when I heard you were in that fire. I was trying desperately to keep my emotions in check, because I knew I had to get you out of there. I was frustrated that you put your life in danger by running back in, but I got it. I got it, Claire. I understood why you did it. Doesn’t mean I liked it, because I don’t know what I would’ve done if something had happened to you that day. I was scared—scared of the feelings I had for you, scared that you didn’t feel the same way. And then I freaked out because I have a rule that I don’t date victims, and suddenly you were a victim. That frustrated the hell out of me, and I lashed out.”

She grins. “Us and our damn rules.”

“I hate our rules.”

“Me too. And I don’t want to be your victim, Trevor, any more than you want to be my test dummy.”

I smile. “You’re not my victim. Far from it. I’m just sorry it took so long for us to get to this point. I shouldn’t have kept you at arm’s length for so many years, and I should’ve told you sooner that I think you’re amazing and I want a chance to be with you. I’m sorry I got angry with you in the hospital. I didn’t know how else to process everything. Lashing out at you was easier than facing all those emotions, and honestly, I wasn’t sure if you were ready to hear everything I have to say.”

“I probably wasn’t. But I am now.”

“I know, sweetheart, and we’re going to talk about it, I promise. But it’s going to have to wait because I’ve got to work today. Speaking of which, what time is it?”

Claire reaches for her phone on the coffee table. “Six o’clock.”

“Shit.” As much as I hate to do it, I extricate myself from under Claire. “I’ve got to be at work in an hour, and I’ve still got to go home and shower.”

“Sorry, I should’ve set an alarm.”

“It’s not your fault. We both got sucked up in our conversation last night. Speaking of which, how are you feeling this morning?”

She shrugs. “Lighter.”

“That’s a start. The feelings are still there, I’m sure. It’ll take time to move on, but you’ll get there, and I’m going to be with you every step of the way.”

“Thank you for talking to me and staying with me. I really appreciate it.”

Resting my hand on hers, I squeeze. “Anytime, Claire. I’m always here for you.”

Claire looks at my hand on top of hers. “I slept better last night than I have in weeks.”

“Me too.”

“You know, you could always come back tonight, if you wanted.”

Oh shit. This woman is going to be the death of me. “I can’t. I’m on for a forty-eight-hour shift.”

“Right,” she sighs. “I forgot you work those crazy hours.”

“But we’ll talk soon, okay?”

She nods. I squeeze her hand one last time and stand up. Making sure my wallet is still tucked in my back pocket, pick up my hat, which somehow ended up on the floor, put it on, and grab my keys. My hand hits the knob, and Claire’s voice stops me.

“Trevor?”

I turn around. Claire walks toward me. Her clothes are a wrinkly mess, her bare feet sticking out from her jeans, and I wonder when she ditched her socks. She stops in front of me and looks up. Sliding her hands up my chest, she wraps her arms around my neck and pulls me down for another kiss, and this time I let her take the lead.

She angles my face over hers in a way that pulls me in deep, and when she moans, I snap and drag her against me. We fall against the door as Claire practically climbs my body. We’re a mess of arms and hands and tongues, and I’ll be damned if she didn’t just make leaving that much harder.

We’re panting and breathless when she breaks the kiss. Her eyes are glossy. I’m sure mine are the same.

“I don’t care what excuses you come up with over the next few days,” she says. “You’ll never convince me we shouldn’t give this a try. Life is short. There’s only one thing more precious than our time, and that’s who we spend it with. And I’d really like to spend my time with you.”

“Claire.”

I can’t believe I have to go to work when all I want to do is drag her back to her room and make sweet, sweet love to her. I want to worship her body and promise all of the shit I swore I’d never promise a woman.

Since that isn’t an option, I tug her in for another kiss.

When I pull back, we’re both panting for air.

With a coy smile, she reaches around me and pushes the front door open. “Don’t want you to be late for work. Just wanted to give you something to think about while you’re there.”

You did a damn good job of that, sweetheart. Now I’m wondering how the hell I can tell her my secrets and keep her at the same time.

“This conversation isn’t over,” I say.

“That’s what I’m counting on.”