Emery’s eyes fluttered open. She was on a bed, tangled in the sheets. The room was dimly lit by a glow coming in through the open door. She looked up into the handsome face of Greer Delta. His blue eyes were full of concern.
“You okay?” he asked softly.
“No,” she managed. She wasn’t okay; she was a blubbering mess. A sob ripped from her throat and her body trembled. Travis was dead. His alleged killer being so kind and appealing was messing with her head. She was out of her element in this house and this entire situation. The nightmare disturbed her even more than it had each night she’d had it this past week. It felt like that forest and some outside elements she couldn’t place were dangerous and they were coming for her. Travis was gone and couldn’t watch out for her any longer.
The only thing that seemed real and safe was this man studying her with such concern. The worry in his blue eyes deepened as she blubbered and completely fell apart.
The last person she should trust was the one her heart told her she could. That was seriously messed up.
She’d had a few therapeutic cries since Travis had died, but not like this. Heaving sobs shook her body and she couldn’t get control of herself.
“Don’t cry,” Greer murmured softly.
She tried, but she couldn’t stop. Her lip trembled and the tears ran down her face and she was humiliated that this tough man was watching her cry. She wanted the nightmare she’d just had, but more importantly the nightmare her life had become, to go away. Right now.
Please, right now, she begged heaven above.Let me close my eyes and just disappear. Beam me back to Nevada. I’ll take heat and sagebrush over having Greer Delta see me cry.
Greer sank onto the bed next to her and gently reached out to her, shoving thoughts of disappearing completely from her mind.
He softly patted her shoulder, and the look on his face was priceless. This big, rough cowboy was completely discomfited by a woman crying in his presence. He obviously wanted to comfort and help her but had no idea how. It was so awkwardly endearing.
Emery’s crying calmed, and she stared at him. His presence and warm, musky smell overwhelmed her in a very good way. But it was his inept patting that was oddly comforting and so sweet. Most men as handsome and confident in their own skin as Greer Delta were probably masters at charming a woman. But Greer had absolutely no idea how to charm or comfort her. It made her strangely happy. This cowboy could probably have any woman in the world chasing him, but he didn’t seem to know that. He was definitelynota womanizer, and she doubted he had much experience with women.
Their gazes locked, and his hands settled on her shoulders. The pressure of those large palms filled her with an unfamiliar warmth. He slowly slid his large palms around to her upper back and gently tugged her against his broad chest.
Sighing, she cuddled in against him, laid her head on his muscular shoulder, and wrapped her arms around his back. His T-shirt was soft, but his body was very, very firm.
He didn’t say or do anything; he simply held her. Emery had never felt anything to equal his warm, safe, protective embrace.
She instinctively knew that she needed Greer Delta—his touch, his comfort, his ability to protect her. Against all rational sense, this man seemed to be her shelter amid a lightning and thunderstorm. The storm was pummeling her with stinging wind and rain, terrifying her with loud claps of thunder, and threatening to singe her with lightning bolts. None of that could touch her in Greer’s arms.
This man wouldn’t hurt her. He wouldn’t hurt anyone.
Several beautiful moments passed as he cuddled her close and she clung to him before the lightning bolt hit her right in the middle of her traitorous forehead.
What in the name of the minions of the underworld am I thinking?
She jolted and scurried away from him, her back slamming painfully into the headboard behind her as reality knocked her for a loop.
This man had killed her brother. What was shedoinghugging him? Worse, what was she doing thinking he could be her shelter, comfort, solace, protection, safeguard, possibly her everything? She was insane and she deserved to be hit by lightning. Struck dead so she could join Travis and beg his forgiveness.
They stared at each other in the softly lit room.
His blue eyes were full of compassion and worry. “You okay?”
“No,” she admitted.
He looked like he wanted to reach for her again, but she could not let that happen. He was her shelter from the storm? Had she completely lost it? He’dcausedthe storm.
Unless the Voice was lying to her and using her. Could he have fabricated his information? He couldn’t have fabricated the video from Travis. What agenda would some unknown man have to put her in Greer Delta’s house and life? Obviously he wanted that weapon. Was Emery just a tool for him? Had Travis been the Voice’s pawn?
Oh man, her head hurt.
Greer waited as if she’d talk it out. It almost made her smile; he seemed to be the last person who wanted to talk about anything. If only she could trust Greer enough to beg for some Excedrin and then spill the entire story. She’d love to rely on him, hear his side of things, let him help her sort everything out. Maybe they could help each other.
No! There was no way she was confiding in him. He might claim innocence and kill her in her sleep or tell her yes, he’d killed her brother and now it was her turn to meet her Redeemer. It was a good thing she had faith and believed in a merciful and loving Father above. Even so, she wasn’t quite ready to dash off to the pearly gates.
Right now she needed to sleep and think. She needed time and lots of heavenly help to sort out this mess. She also needed distance from his inviting arms while somehow getting to know him well enough to figure out who she could trust. She was living in a nightmare as bad as the recurring one she’d just had.