She sat across from him. “I would if I wanted to.” She frowned, and he sighed, but there was a smile bubbling up. She took his hands. “I’m sorry for taking for granted that you were just fine. You’re freaked too. I hate that I’ve brought this into your life.”

He growled and she found herself on her back. “You didn’t bring this. This was just beneath the surface all that time. All those years your father did time he didn’t deserve, all the time you’ve been apart from your hometown and your brother and sister. This piece of garbage needs to be caught and put in jail, yes. I just hate that it makes you unsafe. Hate it. But this is not your fault except when you think you can act as bait. Not going to be okay with that, Caro. Not at all.”

“Okay, can we just negotiate here a little? I can’t be inside your house all the time I’m not working. It just isn’t feasible, or even really a life I want to live. Plus, it’s been my job all along to put the person who killed my mother in jail. I have an intense job so being socially active helps me burn that off. So how about for the time being I go to things if you’ll be there? Otherwise I’m at work or here.”

“What’s the situation with your brother and movie night? I’m obviously not down with you going back to your place. But if you do, I want to come along. I won’t interfere with your time with him or anything.”

“He’s coming here instead. That way you can do your own thing or hang out with us, he’s fine with that too. He likes you. He was told not to come over here, but he’s too old for that sort of control.”

Royal had such a goofy look on his face she didn’t know how to take it. “Are you mad? I’m sorry I didn’t run it by you. I figured it would be a good solution for everyone involved. I can meet him somewhere else too.”

Royal shook his head and kissed her quickly to reassure her. “Not mad at all. Just the opposite. That you just did something that indicated you were comfortable enough to invite your brother here? It means a lot to me.”

“Oh. Well, carry on then.”

“Shep coming over is totally fine with me. I think your proposal is a good one. Not that I like the idea of you out and about at all, but I get it. Thanks for giving in a little. I know it’s hard.”

“Not like this is something I’m an expert on. I’m feeling my way along here.”

Thursday started out on such a high note. There was excellent morning sex, which was just a ruse to get her up afterward and make her run. Running sucked. You’d think a man like Royal would stick with the backbreaking physical nature of his job but no. He exercised too, and he liked to watch her run so who was she to refuse him? Even if she got all sweaty and it was running. She liked to think it was excellent training for the zombie apocalypse.

Then after a nice hot shower, she’d had a great hair day, her skirt made her look taller and they’d had some breakfast and she got to simply watch Royal being Royal.

Royal was a complicated man. The thing was, you first started off thinking he’s one thing because he was all slow southern charm. He seemed mellow and laid-back. But that ease only covered the foundations of a very strong and in-charge man. A man who had no hesitation in claiming her, or protecting her. He had opinions, yes, but Royal was a magnetic force. He pulled all sorts of stuff around him like an orbit. He was steady and smart, and he had a certainty she saw in herself.

He moved around his kitchen, handling multiple tasks without breaking a sweat. Pouring this, flipping that. Caroline sighed at the flex and play of the muscles in his forearms, the stretch of denim at his thighs as he knelt.

All the while he knew she watched. And sometimes he gave her a show, left her breathless.

So she’d ogled his ass and eaten with him, and he’d insisted on driving her to work, which he did, also insisting on coming up and into the office with her.

“Dude,” she told him as he came around to her door, “you don’t need to come in with me. It’s seven so Peter will definitely be here already. Our paralegal comes in early Thursday and Friday so she’s there. Secretaries. Holly the goddess. I’m good. You have a farm to run.”

He walked next to her. Because this was now part of her workday, he didn’t hold her hand. He respected her space and her need to keep her work life and romantic life separate. Which was another thing about him she loved.

He pushed open the outer doors and Holly was at the front desk. Before Caroline could shoo Royal back to work, Holly stood up, and by the look on her face, the news wasn’t good.

“I just left a message on your phone.”

Caroline dug the phone from her bag. “It wasn’t on yet. What’s going on?”

Edward Chase came into the reception area. “Ah, you’re here. Come on back. I’ve called the police.”

“About what? What’s going on?” Caroline followed him, and Royal walked next to her, lending her all that strength. It made her feel better.

Edward indicated a legal-sized envelope on the table in the conference room. “When Holly showed up about ten minutes ago, this envelope had been left.”

“She touched it?” Royal asked.

“We get stuff left all the time. Clients leaving papers, that sort of thing. Sometimes the legal messenger service we use will leave end-of-day reports if we’re not here when they finish up,” Caroline explained. But that meant there was something about the envelope that upon closer examination meant a call to the cops.