Free The Promise of Surrender by Liliana Hart

that might ruin the life she’d built for herself.
    As if reading her mind, Zeke turned his head and looked at her intently. “I’m bunking with you,” he said. “And don’t even think about arguing. I’ll sleep on the couch if I have to, but it’s too dangerous. You need someone to watch your back.”
    Or he needed to be right in the thick of things and she was the easiest access point, she thought.
     

Chapter Six
    A week later, the first frost glittered across the top of the ground like tiny diamonds. And to Mia’s surprise and supreme gratitude, her shop was cleaned up, the door repaired, and she’d managed to restock some of her inventory.
    She’d never expected the outpouring of support from the community, and she never would’ve thought to ask for it. But almost as soon as she’d gotten back into town people were stopping her on the street, asking what they could do to help. And then the next morning, a group of people showed up at her shop unannounced with brooms and vacuums and cleaning supplies, and they all got to work.
    She still didn’t know how to respond. A thank you seemed inadequate. In her line of work she’d never expected the best from people, so their generosity astounded her. People donated items they were getting rid of, so by the end of the week everything looked almost as it had before, though the shelves were still a little bare.
    Zeke had been true to his word and had stayed at her place. She hated to admit it, but having him there did ease her mind a bit. She’d been annoyed at his high-handedness and had given him an extra pillow and a blanket for the couch that first night after the break-in. He’d taken it with a smirk and a wicked glint in his eyes.
    And then she’d been woken up sometime in the middle of the night, her shirt pushed up around her waist and his head between her thighs. She’d been dreaming of him, and then she’d woken to find her dream a reality. He hadn’t slept on the couch since, and her muscles were sore in all the right places. Zeke had always been a thorough and athletic lover.
    They also hadn’t spoken of the past or his work. He still hadn’t told her why he’d really come. But he’d continued to say he was retiring from undercover work, to the point that she wanted to believe him. He had to give the mayor an answer about the chief’s job in Carson by the end of the month, and she’d be lying if it hadn’t sneaked into her mind that Carson wasn’t all that far of a commute from Surrender.
    She’d forgotten how comfortable they’d always been with each other—the easy conversations, the things they had in common, the sports teams they argued over. Remembering the arguments had been the easiest thing to do. But there’d been more good times than bad.
    They’d fallen into an easy rhythm. He’d leave sometime after midnight and go into work, or he’d disappear for an hour or so at random times throughout the day. Then he’d show up randomly at her shop, pitch in to help, and leave again. She remembered how it was. The erratic schedules. The missed sleep, anniversaries, holidays, and birthdays. The only difference was he no longer talked to her about work. It was the albatross in the room.
    “You ready to call it a night?” he asked as she looked over the shop one final time to make sure everything was in place. She’d be back open for business on Monday.
    “More than ready. I need a hot bath and pizza. Maybe a pizza while sitting in the hot bath.”
    “How about a trip to Duffey’s instead? We can play a game of pool, eat hot wings, and drink half-price beer.”
    “Well, hell, that sounds way better than soaking my aching feet.”
    He grinned and tossed an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close. “I’ll spot you a couple of balls since you’re so tired.”
    “The hell you will,” she said, her spine straightening.
    He chuckled and they headed to Duffey’s. It was the after-work crowd for the most part, but a lot of them