Page 49 of Some Like It Hot

She still had a little blood on her shirt from, well, it could be Riley’s blood. And a handprint of blood on her wrist—she hadn’t noticed that until she got in the truck. But she didn’t care. In fact, the sight of it did a strange thing to her emotions.

She expected to be horrified. Or to flash back to the moment in the darkness when Freeman’s body finally sagged onto hers, trapping her in his lifeless embrace.

Instead, as Thorne got up, as he pulled on another donated shirt from Orion, as he thanked her, she felt oddly healed. Knitted, ever so slightly, back together.

Stronger.

She glanced at the outlined imprint of Riley’s bloody hand on her, evidence of how he’d stepped up in front of her, despite his pain.

How, in that moment, they stood as one, a fierceness rippling through him to her, steeling her.

She wasn’t weak.

But maybe she was stronger with Riley beside her.

In fact, with Riley, maybe she could turn the page, find herself back inside the fence.

Start over.

No.What was she thinking?He was reckless and in his own words—he liked fire. And, apparently, especially when it involved protecting her.

But one of these times it would backfire.

He’d find himself bleeding out on top of her.

“No, that’s not a good sign,” Riley said beside her and yanked her away from her thoughts. “Because that smoke means the fire is out of control.”

Indeed. Way out of control. Because as she looked at Riley, the way his golden brown hair curled at the nape of his neck, the thatch of whiskers, the outline of his shirt, his lean body, and the way he could make her feel safe with just a look—yeah, inferno, right here in her chest.

She tore her gaze off him.

Oh boy.

“We’ll get back to the ranch, and I’ll hook up with Tucker.”

She wanted to tell him not to jump back in, but…oh…it might be like trying to tame the wind.

“I’m sure they’re deploying reinforcements,” he said, his jaw tight.

“I can fix up a tight dressing on that, tight enough to keep you together if you…want to…”

He looked at her. “Jump?”

She lifted a shoulder. “I know you.”

He blinked at that, and silence fell between them as he stared at her, those brown eyes on her. She was afraid to glance at him, afraid of what he might see in her eyes.

After all, he had a terrible, unsettling ability to look right through her and find her truths.

“I’m not going to jump in, Larke. You’re right. That would be foolish. Maybe I’m not quite as indestructible as I think I am.”

She took a breath.Really?

“But I will let you strap me up, because I have a feeling I’m not going to sit on the sidelines.”

“Of course not, because—”

“Please don’t call me a hero when I’m just doing my job.”