Page 154 of The Storm

“Oh, fuck, fuck, fuck,” I say while I try to unsuccessfully untangle myself from him. “Nick!” I snap when he still isn’t letting go. “I lost the puppy!”

“Unless that puppy learned how to operate an elevator in the last thirty seconds, we’re probably okay,” he says dryly.

And now that he’s said it and some much-needed oxygen has finally reached my brain for the first time since Nova made her escape, I realize I can still hear barking somewhere directly behind Nick. I peer over his shoulder. Nova is jumping up and down, ears flopping around her head, tail wagging madly.

Nick turns his head. “Sit.”

The puppy plants her butt on the floor immediately and observes us, her head tilted to the side.

I stare at her and then at Nick. “How did you do that? She didn’t listen to a word I said just before. In there.” I even indicate with my hand just so we’ll both be clear on where “in there” is.

He rolls his eyes. “You have to be firm, or she’ll think she outranks you.”

“But…” I’ve got nothing.

Instead, I let out a deep exhale and slump against Nick.

“Holy fucking Christ,” I say. “I’m never having children.”

Nick huffs out a laugh. He’s so close that I feel it reverberate through his chest.

“You lost sight of her for about three seconds.”

“I know! It was fucking terrifying.”

He laughs again, and somehow my palm ends up right in the middle of his chest, where his heart is beating steadily. I suck in a breath and we both freeze.

It hits me all at once.

The warmth of him beneath my hand. The solid weight of his body so close to mine. The faint smell of soap and clean skin and fresh clothes and something unmistakably Nick underneath it all. I can feel the slow rise and fall of his breathing beneath my palm. The strength of the arm still wrapped around me. The soft fabric of his shirt against my fingertips.

Being so close to him is like muscle memory. Like every nerve ending recognizes him immediately and lights up.

It’s terrifying how familiar it feels.

How good.

Like coming home.

My stomach twists, and my pulse stutters, and then Nick’s gaze drops briefly to my mouth.

My heart goes haywire in a snap, and heat rushes through my skin.

Nova barks, and my brain finally comes back online. I’m in Nick’s boyfriend’s apartment. I’m babysitting his dog. I work for him. What the hell am I thinking?

I rush backward until I’m away from him. As far as I can get. I clear my throat.

“Sorry,” I manage. “I…”

I don’t know what I want to say. I just want to break this tense silence, so that we can pretend none of it happened.

“Callum’s not here,” I say. “He’s in Seattle.”

Nick nods, looks around, and scoops Nova up off the floor, and the sight of him with that puppy in his arms almost makes me whimper.

What the fuck?

I look away and tell my body to calm down, because what the hell are we doing here?