“Shit… here.” He reaches out his hand and supports me the last few steps, then wraps one of my arms around his neck as we slowly walk down a long, dark hallway.

“I’ve got you,” he murmurs, peeling my arm off his body and opening a bedroom door, then flicking on the light so we can see inside.

The room is airy, with lavender walls and crisp, white bedding. There’s a queen-size bed on one side, and a little sitting area across the way. My attention is immediately drawn to the French doors on the far end of the room that open onto a balcony. Even in the dark and from across the room, the view is spectacular.

“I’ll get you some clean clothes,” Dempsey says, back to business like I’m just another item on his to-do list. I’m honestly too exhausted to tease him about it.

If my head is spinning, he must be drowning in the stress of it all.

“I’ll drive you home in the morning,” he continues. “It’ll have to be early… ideally before anyone else is up. Is that okay?”

“Mm-hmm,” I murmur my assent.

“I’ll leave some clothes in here for you while you shower. Lock your door when you turn in for the night.”

That gets my attention. I’ve spent plenty of time with Fielding over the last few years. He’s not harmless or innocent, but he’s no threat to me.

I cock one eyebrow and open my mouth to tell Dempsey as much, but he stops me with a frustrated sigh.

“Can you just do what you’re told for once?” he snaps.

He’s teetering on the edge, and the thinness of his request proves it. He doesn’t need to be pushed; he needs to be pulled in and wrapped in an embrace. I refuse to be the cause of any more stress for him tonight.

I nod instead of pushing back, then run my hand down the barely there stubble of his jawline. He stills under my touch, then closes his eyes and inhales what I’m sure is the deepest breath he’s taken all day.

“Goodnight, Dempsey,” I whisper, shifting past him to the bathroom down the hall.

19. Maddie

Chapter 19

Maddie

Showering in the guest bathroom is like being at the spa. It’s just as big as Fielding’s, and it’s filled with all sorts of expensive soaps, shampoos, and moisturizers. A selection of robes and clean towels was waiting for me, and if I didn’t know better, I’d have sworn the tile floor was heated under my feet.