Free Reid's Deliverance by Nina Crespo Page A

She spread the blankets over him.
    He exhaled. “Just need to rest.” His eyes fluttered closed. “Lauren…I found you.”
    She jerked back on her heels. He knew her name?
    Blind or drunk off her ass. They qualified as the only reasons she wouldn’t remember him, but they didn’t fit. Her eyesight was fine, and she hadn’t gone over the limit with alcohol since college.
    Could he be a setup for a date or maybe a strippergram gone wrong? No way. Not even her craziest friends would send her some random guy without a warning. Was he someone interested in buying the cabin? That didn’t fit either. She’d talked to her Realtor, Jan, that morning. Prospective buyers wouldn’t view the cabin until after she’d left. Who was he and why had he come to find her? Stalker scenarios emerged, but her instincts brushed them off.
    Thunder boomed. Rain fell in sheets on the windows. Dark roads didn’t mix well with storms, so driving to town wouldn’t happen tonight, and emergency crews probably had their hands full. He’d have to spend the night. She picked up his jeans and searched the pockets. No keys or ID, just a piece of blue paper with numbers. Wetness had washed away the last two digits. A phone number? Lauren set it aside.
    In the master bedroom, she changed into sweats and a fitted tee. As she searched through her suitcase, her hand brushed against a small weapons case. For snakes or human intruders, the semiautomatic gave a boost of confidence. Thankfully, she’d never had to fire it in self-defense. Lauren listened for movement. She tucked the gun in the nightstand. For some reason, she felt even safer with him in the cabin. If anything changed, she had a stun gun holstered to her purse.
    She threw their clothes in the wash and cleaned up the living room.
    He slept.
    Her stomach demanded food. She made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and devoured it. If he woke up hungry, she didn’t have much to offer. She’d planned to shop in town. Is that where he’d come from? Who was he? Where had they met? Careful not to wake him, she pressed her hand to his face. A light tan had replaced paleness, and he felt warmer.
    He released a low groan, and his legs tangled in the blanket. Lines etched into his forehead.
    “Shh. You’re okay.” She smoothed his brow.
    He calmed.
    She started to head back to the kitchen.
    Half-awake, he frowned and clutched her hand. Lauren tilted forward. She planted her hand near his shoulder and flattened the other on his chest.
    “No.” He rasped out. “Don’t go.”
    “It’s all right. I’m here.” She eased back.
    His grip tightened, and he wouldn’t let go.
    Now what? She stretched out beside him and rested her head on the crook of her arm. The steady rhythm of his heart beat into her palm. His breathing slowed. In a few minutes, he’d relax. She’d move to the sofa and keep an eye on him.
    She’d envisioned spending the night looking through boxes. The loft would have to wait. Not a bad idea. All the excitement had left her drained. Waking up to a new day would energize her for the task. Before getting started, she’d sit on the porch with a cup of coffee. A childhood recollection from the cabin curled into the present. She used to sit on the kitchen counter and watch her father set up the coffeemaker. When it finished brewing, he’d pour straight coffee in a mug for him. The next had coffee with cream for her mother. The last he’d prepare for her, warm milk with a touch of coffee and sugar. She’d felt like a grown-up. Her mother would halfheartedly admonish him for giving it to her. A kiss would lighten her mother’s mood. Love, happiness, her parents’ smiles, the warmth of the mug in her hand. It was if she could feel it again.
    Lauren drifted awake snuggled against heated skin. Her cheek and palm rested on his chest. Her leg covered both of his on top of the blanket. His hand curved to her hip, holding her in place. He snored softly. Reality slapped her fully