Shelby left a short time later, and Sam trudged upstairs, going directly to the shower where she nearly fell asleep standing up. As she was combing her hair, she caught her first glimpse of her injured neck. “Holy shit,” she whispered as she took in the vivid blue marks. She was glad to know her nemesis had gotten the worst of it, but Nick would flip when he saw her latest collection of bruises.

And how had he known about the altercation with Stahl anyway?

“Secret Service,” she whispered to her reflection. Of course they had a direct pipeline to Air Force One and would’ve informed him of what happened in his absence. It had probably upset him to hear that she’d been hurt when he was too far away to do anything for her, which in turn upset her. She didn’t like being the cause of his distress.

Sam dried her hair, secured it into a loose ponytail and wandered naked into the bedroom, eyeing the big bed with lust in her heart. Then she thought of the loft and decided that’s where she wanted to be when he got home.

Still naked, she went upstairs, landed facedown on the comfortable double lounge chair and pulled a soft blanket over her. Sleep swooped down on her immediately. She fell asleep smiling, knowing she’d wake up to her husband’s handsome face and get to spend an entire day completely alone with him. She couldn’t wait to see him and to tell him all about what’d happened while he was gone.

* * *

Nick dropped his duffel bag inside the front door and laid his garment bag over the sofa to deal with later. He kicked off his shoes and took the stairs in stocking feet, anxious to lay eyes on his wife, even if she was sound asleep. He’d take what he could get. In the bedroom, he was surprised to find the bed empty and the blinds open to the late morning sunshine.

“Where the heck is she?”

And then he knew. Smiling, he took the stairs to the loft two at a time. She was curled up on her side, and the dip of the blanket revealed a bare shoulder, the graceful curve of her back and a tantalizing view of her gorgeous ass.

Nick licked lips gone dry and quickly shed his own clothes into a pile on the floor that was most unlike him. He’d showered and shaved on the plane before they landed so he wouldn’t have to do anything when he got home but snuggle up to his beautiful wife in bed.

He’d talked to Scotty on the way home, so he knew she’d worked all night and managed to close the Vasquez and Lind cases. His Secret Service detail had filled him in on the arrest of Elle Jestings and her bodyguards.