Page 58 of Bodyguard By Night

He pushed us forward out the doors onto the wet stone. I tipped my head up to let the rain coat my face. It was probably steaming from my flushed skin.

Ransom kept his arm around me, his long fingers flat against my midsection. “Two quick breaths in through your nose. Don’t exhale. Just twice in then out through your mouth.”

The haze around my vision cleared. The misty rain beaded up on my sweater and on his wide hand then dripped down my cheeks as I rested my head against his chest.

“Again.”

I followed his orders because it was easy.

Because it worked.

I relaxed against him by degrees. Slowly, the sounds of the city cut through the white noise in my head. I was staggeringly thankful for the tiny bit of privacy the patio afforded us.

Panic attack.

I hadn’t had one of them in a damn long time. They’d been a gift that kept on giving after Jason had locked me in that classroom. I hadn’t been able to go back in there. Even if three-hundred people were in the atrium, it didn’t matter. I looked for him at every exit.

When I shuddered, his hold tightened again, his fingers flexing against my belly. I covered his hand. “I’m okay. I guess a panic attack was bound to happen after that meeting.”

His nose bumped against my ear. “I don’t want to scare you, but you have to start thinking.”

I stiffened.

He held me tight. “I know you’re not stupid. Not that kind of thinking, but you have to realize things need to change.”

“I just wanted to share.” I hated how watery my voice sounded. “That’s all I ever wanted my channel to be. Sharing my excitement with people. I won’t let him take that.”

“You don’t have to.” He stepped back and turned me around to face him. He swiped at the rain on my cheeks with his thumb. “You just can’t do it instantaneously.”

“You said that he’d be suspicious if I didn’t share things.”

“And I believe that. But you should be careful like any other woman. You share after you’re out of the area. Even if it was just a fan, what if he or she ambushed you?”

I looked down at his chest. The light rain was turning his gray Henley to a graphite color and the navy T-shirt under it was wet along his neck.

Every muscle was defined under the damp fabric.

Pay attention, Wil.

I didn’t even realize my hands were resting on his belly. Talk about crappy timing with this reaction. God.

He cupped my cheeks, drawing my attention up to his face. “You think I like scaring you?”

“I don’t know. Do you?”

His jaw flexed. His fingers slipped into my hair to grip the back of my head. I was tall enough that we lined up as if we were made for one another. All I had to do was lift my mouth and we’d be kissing.

Did I want that?

Did he?

The doors banged behind him. Instantly, he pushed me back a step so he was blocking me from whatever perceived threat was coming through the door.

“There you are. Aidan’s been texting you.”

I peeked around him to see Poe’s curvy, tattooed body filling the doorway.

She glanced from him to me then back to him as her lips kicked into a smile. “Well, well.”