Page 20 of Shadow Redemption

Ruth wanted to stay in his gentle hold for hours, soaking up the warmth and safety he offered. She was in so much trouble. This man was addictive and he viewed himself as a loner. What chance did she have of convincing him to give them a real chance at a relationship? He needed someone strong to stand with him, not a woman who was still piecing herself back together.

Minutes or hours later, Ben lifted his head without initiating the deeper kiss that Ruth craved, his dark eyes glittering with a strong emotion she couldn’t identify. “If you can’t sleep, come to me. I’ll be downstairs. You’re safe here. No one will get to you on my watch. You have my word.” He lifted her hand, pressed a kiss to her palm, and nudged her inside her room. “Dream of me,” he whispered, and shut her door.

She listened to his retreating footsteps, turned and pressed her back against the door. Holy cow. Ben Martin went straight to her head and her heart. How would she survive until Ben found the stalker? She might lose her heart to a man capable of breaking it into a million pieces.

Ruth got ready for bed. In case she had to run in the middle of the night, she opted to wear her yoga gear and left her running shoes beside her bed.

She turned out the light and prayed for sleep. An hour later, she threw off the covers and sat up, shoving her hands through her hair. This was hopeless. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw that horrid picture on her windshield and memories of her captivity plagued her.

Ruth slid her feet into her shoes. Maybe a cup of herbal tea would help. If she didn’t sleep, Scott would have to retouch her photos, something that would tick him off. Listening to him rail against her for not taking better care with her appearance was difficult to take.

She went downstairs as quietly as possible but she shouldn’t have bothered because both operatives heard her coming. Cal turned from the window, his eyebrow raised. Ben sat up on the couch where he’d been sprawled.

He met her at the bottom of the stairs. “Can’t sleep?”

Ruth shook her head.

“Come sit with me.”

“I was going to make herbal tea.”

He grimaced. “I’ve heard it helps, but I can’t stand to drink the stuff. Go make your tea.”

She rummaged through the kitchen cabinet to find the stash of chamomile tea Bridget had left behind. She dropped a tea bag into the mug and nuked the water. When the heating cycle ended, Ruth carried the mug into the living room.

Ben patted the cushion beside him. When she sat, he wrapped his hand around her free one and grabbed the television remote. Scanning through the channels, he chose one airing episodes of people building cabins.

“Are you interested in building your own cabin?”

“Not a chance. I couldn’t build a bird house much less a cabin. I like to watch how the cabins come together, though.”

“Is this what you watch when you can’t sleep?”

“Sometimes. Other times I choose a sports channel. I didn’t think you would appreciate a baseball game.”

She squeezed his hand, glad she had something else in common with him. “Actually, I love baseball.”

His head whipped around. “Seriously?”

Ruth smiled. “Why is that so surprising? My dad is the one who got me hooked on baseball. We used to go to the Nashville Sounds games. Whenever we traveled at night, Dad would listen to a baseball game to keep himself awake. Those are some of my favorite memories of him.” Her smile faded as her heart ached anew at the loss of her parents. “I haven’t been to a game since he and Mom died.”

“Would you like to?”

She nodded. “I think it would be fun.”

“Good. We’ll plan on attending a game when we return from Mexico.”

“What if we haven’t uncovered the stalker by then? Will it be safe to attend a game?”

“I’ll work something out.” With that cryptic comment, Ben channel surfed until he found a baseball game to watch. Setting aside the remote, he released her hand to wrap his arm around her shoulders. “If you get tired, lay your head on my shoulder and close your eyes.”

“You won’t be comfortable.”

“Who says?”

“Promise you’ll send me to bed if I conk out and you need to stretch out for a while.”

“Watch the game, Monihan.”