Free One Night with a Hero by Laura Kaye Page A

it was warm enough, his voice like gravel. “I’ll wash you.”
    With a shy smile he found ridiculously endearing given their history so far, she stepped into the tub. A tattoo of a dozen tiny black birds took flight across her back, as if a flock was suddenly startled and rose into the air one by one, from the middle of her spine and disappearing under the length of her hair.
    He stepped in behind her and traced the line of birds, pushing her hair over her shoulder so he could follow them to the nape of her neck, where they turned into a spray of colorful stars that ended just behind her ear. “This is beautiful.” Something about the appearance of those rising, dark birds ascending to the stars tugged at his gut and felt inexplicably familiar.
    Warm, foreign pressure filled his chest. Goddammit. How could a feeling both ease his soul and trigger his fight-or-flight response?
    “Thank you.”
    He turned her so the shower could wet her hair. “Tilt your head back,” he said. And then he washed her, first her hair, then her body. And against all the lives he’d saved and terrorists he’d helped take out, somehow this moment, this connection, felt just as significant. The realization of what belonging felt like—of what others had but he never could—squeezed his heart in his chest until it was hard to take a deep breath.
    So as he rinsed the suds off her tired, supple body, he allowed himself to be in this moment with her, to be owned by it, to allow himself this one exception to the cardinal rule. Because it could never happen again.
    And, neighbors or not, from now on, he had to stay away from Joss Daniels.

Chapter Six
    When she was dressed again, Joss went downstairs to join Brady, who had gone down a few minutes before to retrieve his clothes from where they’d left them in the kitchen.
    She was nearly high on endorphins and damn happy about it. Geez. Her joints were loose, her muscles were exhausted, and her belly was full. She could probably nap the rest of the day and be entirely content.
    She entered the kitchen and found him fully dressed and stacking dishes in the sink. “You didn’t have to clean up.” Stopping behind him, she wrapped her arms around his stomach. “But thank you.”
    “The least I could do,” he said in a low voice. He twisted in her arms and stared at her a long moment, his features tight.
    Her gut gave a weird little squeeze, but then he leaned down and kissed her, softly, in a way that made her feel adored, and the niggling sensation disappeared.
    “Thanks for everything,” he said.
    She grinned. “Any time.” And boy did she mean it. Any day that started with fantastic waffles and hot sex ranked right up there in her book. And the fact that it was with Brady, this kind, intense, and passionate man, well, that made it all the better.
    He stroked his knuckles over her cheek and brushed his thumb along her bottom lip. His gaze made her think of reluctant good-byes. He dropped his hand and stepped away, clearly intent on leaving.
    You’re overreacting . She walked him to the door and forced cheerfulness into her voice. “So,” she said, “if you need any neighborhood recommendations or help getting your place set up, just let me know.”
    “Yeah.” He reached for the handle and looked over his shoulder at her as he opened the door. “Bye, Joss.” His emotionless gaze scanned her face and he nodded.
    “See ya,” she said, her stomach doing that weird squeezy thing again. She gave a last wave as he stepped off her stoop and closed the door behind him.
    Alarm bells rang in her head. After the incredible morning they’d spent together, followed by the amazing time the night before, she knew she was probably acting ridiculous. Still… Maybe she shouldn’t have hugged him at the sink. She just felt so comfortable with him. It didn’t make any sense, really, but there it was.
    She had no idea what they were—or if they were anything at all. But even if all they ever