Page 36 of Tough Justice

He ran his hands down the sides of her vest then knelt, sliding his hands next along the outside of her legs.

“What are you doing?” Again, not that him touching her was a bad thing. Pleasant goose bumps shot across her skin as his hands continued stroking her body over her clothes. “Deck?”

He straightened then stripped off her vest, lifting the hem of her shirt and exposing her midriff.

She swatted his hands away. “Stop it!”

Ignoring her, he spun her so that her back was facing him then tugged up the hem of her shirt again, skimming his hands over her bare skin. Why, she had no clue.

“Are you going to tell me what in the world you’re doing?” she asked over her shoulder. This was ridiculous, and their conversation was attracting attention. Evan and his blue-eyed German shepherd were striding over. Others on Deck’s team were staring in their direction.

He closed the SUV’s door then clicked on his flashlight, shining it on the door. “Look.” The tone of his voice was filled with tension.

At first, she didn’t understand what she was looking at—a hole about the size of a dime in the metal just above the door handle. Oh my god. “Oh my god!” Those pops she’d heard… They were gunshots. “I could have been killed,” she whispered, still not fully comprehending what had nearly just happened.

She turned to find him watching her intently again, brows lowered, lips compressed into a tight line. “Fuck, I’m sorry.”

I could have been killed.

“This never should have happened. I’m definitely not taking you on another warrant. It’s too dangerous.”

I could have been killed.

A wave of dizziness hit her, and she reached out blindly. Deck’s hands gripped her shoulders. She wrapped her arms around her stomach to ward off the sudden chill. Her body began shaking. For a doctor, she should have recognized the signs for what they were. Shock. I’m going into shock.

Deck pulled her against his chest, holding her tightly. “Jesus, I’m sorry.” Then he uttered a string of expletives, snugging her more into his warm embrace, and wow, did it feel good.

Tori melted against him, wrapping her arms around his back and wishing he wasn’t wearing his vest, so she could dig her fingers into his bare skin and absorb his heat into her chilled body.

“You guys okay?” Evan asked.

Without turning around, Deck answered, “Yeah, we’re good.”

Was his voice trembling?

She breathed in his fresh, citrusy scent and tried not to think too deeply about the fact that she could have been shot. The metal and inside of the doorframe must have stopped the bullet. A few inches higher, and it would have shattered the window and embedded itself in her chest or her skull.

Tori shuddered, and Deck adjusted his hands, slipping one of them to her nape, and she could swear she felt his lips on the top of her head.

She’d really gone and done it. She’d stepped outside her comfort zone and look what it had almost gotten her. Dead. Something Deck did every day of his life, ramming home just how incredibly dangerous his job really was. She couldn’t imagine being his girlfriend or wife and living with the fear every day that he wouldn’t come home.

Tori took another shaky breath, resting her cheek against the chest portion of Deck’s vest.

Ironically, as she stood there wrapped in his arms, she’d never felt warmer, safer, or more comfortable in her entire life.

…

Deck took the keys from Tori’s shaking fingers and opened her front door. She went inside, continuing into the kitchen then turning on the tap and splashing cold water on her face.

After Thor scooted past, Deck closed the door. She was still in shock, and it was his damned fault. Christ, she could have been killed. This was exactly why he shouldn’t have let her talk him into going on another warrant.

He’d gone on more high-risk drug warrants than he could count. Faced down some of the most dangerous criminals in the state. But when he’d seen that hole in the Interceptor’s side panel, he’d never been more scared in his entire life.

Thor sat in the middle of the kitchen, watching Tori with a sympathetic expression on his furry face. Even Thor understood that something bad had happened.

Deck shoved his hands into his pockets. He couldn’t think of anything to say. What could he say? Sorry I almost got you killed?

Thor whined then held up his paw to Tori, keeping it in the air until she knelt and took it in her hands. Thor nuzzled her face, and she wrapped her arms around his dog.