I have her address because she left it in case she left anything behind that I might need to ship back to her. It took about 12 hours of driving straight through the night to get here and by the time I decipher the way the buildings are numbered in this complex and pull into a parking spot in front of what I think is hers, I'm exhausted.

Not to mention starving.

Lucky Ninja's been able to nap on the way. She's wide awake and ready to hunt Jordan down as soon as the truck stops moving.

"Hang on, kid," I tell her, "you keep an eye out and let me know if you see her."

I slip out of the driver's seat and close the door behind me, leaving the black tail wagging furiously at the steering wheel as Ninja watches me start my hunt for Jo's apartment.

This place is like a maze and the numbers don't seem to be in the right order. I'm headed in one direction when I hear Ninja start barking like crazy.

When I turn around to see what the hell the mutt is so excited about, I notice she's standing on the driver's seat of the truck with her front paws up on the door and her attention is focused on something upstairs at the building next to the one I'm aiming for.

"Is it a c-a-t?" I ask, not sure what's got her so wound up.

Stepping out from under the eaves of the garage I'm standing next to so I can look up at the balcony that has Ninja's attention, I see what the fuss is about.

Jordan is standing at the edge of the upstairs railing, staring down at my truck-- and Ninja-- with a look on her face that I'm not sure is entirely thrilled.

Shit. What if she really doesn't want to see me again? We did spend some of our time together actually having conversations, she was pretty adamant that she was done with relationships after the last guy ran out on her.

She said all she wants is fun. No more obligations. No more expectations. No more broken hearts.

Sounded like music to my ears at the time.

Of course, that was before my dog fell in love with her. Before she left us to realize just how alone we really are up there by ourselves.

If I can't convince her to come back with us, well hell, I'm not sure Ninja's going to be OK with that.

She doesn't seem to see me staring up at her. She's so pretty. I remember the first time I saw her, thinking she looked like a fucking wet dream sitting in my parking lot by the gas pumps with Ninja in her arms like they'd known each other their whole lives.

Maybe I was a goner from right then, I don't know.

I remember the way she looked in my old pajamas, fresh out of the shower that first night when I finally broke through her ice queen facade and discovered just how hot she could be.

It's amazing I didn't see this coming. This whole thing. Me, Ninja, a thousand miles of driving all night to get her back. Like some love struck fool. But here I am, and right now, there's no getting around the fact that I'm in love with the woman standing up there looking at my dog like she's never seen one before.

I'm in love with that woman and I have to do whatever it takes to get her to agree to come home with me.

I call her name as soon as I can see her over the top of the stairs that I'm taking 2 at a time and then I call out to let Ninja know I found her.

Jordan looks at me with a confused expression and I hope against hope that it's just because she's not expecting me and not because she doesn't want to see me.

I should have called her, texted her once I got into a place where the damn cell works. I should have let her know I was on my way, warned her, given her a chance to tell me not to bother before I was standing in front of her.

Because I swear, if she shoots me down now, I'm going to fall apart. Right here at her feet in front of anyone who might come out to see what's going on when they hear me cry like a baby.

With a deep breath and a hard swallow, I close the distance from the top of the stairs till I'm standing in front of one very nervous-looking Jordan.

Did I close the goddamn store? That's all she has to say? What the fuck? Seriously? Maybe I really am about to get my ass handed to me.

My hand moves across my hair, I must look like some crazy mountain man with my hair sticking up all over the place and I haven't bothered to clean up the beard in days either. My fingers comb through my hair, making a too late effort to make myself presentable. It's all tangled and I give up hope, but a faint little smirk curls Jo's lips and she reaches up to help me out.

I relax just a little-- just a little-- and catch her hand in mine, pressing her palm to my cheek. Her hand is so cool against my skin, making me feel feverish by comparison.

Fever is probably exactly what I have too. Must be, to make me do something as crazy as this.

"We missed you, Jo." It's the scariest thing I've ever done, admitting that to her, but she needs to know. Even if she tells me to go home, that it was just a couple of nights that didn't mean anything to her afterward, I have to tell her how much more it was for me.

Jordan's green eyes are a stormy combination of of grays and greens as she watches me kiss her fingertips. Her mouth opens in a small "o" as her brows knit together over her nose.

Her expression has a hint of worry in it and I close my eyes while I hold her hand against the side of my face.

What the hell was I thinking? I prepare for hard, cold, reality to come crashing down on me any second but I'm going to stand here and pretend there's still hope in the time it takes before she breaks my heart.

"I missed you too."

It's not what I expected to hear and it probably takes a full minute of me standing there like an idiot before I blink my eyes open and see her staring at me. A shy smile curls her lips.

"Really?" I drop her hand from my cheek but she catches my fingertips and we stand hand in hand. "Because you know, Ninja," I jerk my head toward the truck in the parking lot, "she's been giving me a lot of shit since you left. I finally had to give in and come get you."

"Come get me?" Jordan looks down at the shiny black eyes watching us from the truck.

"Yeah, Jo," I take a step toward her and rest my hands on her shoulders. Damn, she feels good. It's all I can do to stop myself from pulling her to me, holding her tight and never letting her go, but I'm too damn nervous to press my luck, "we came to bring you home."