The red in her cheeks grew darker, but she made his heart sore when she whispered back, “I do, too.”
Rising up onto her tiptoes, Sophie closed her eyes and kissed him again. This one was short and sweet, but somehow even more intimate than the mind-blowing one they’d shared moments before.
“Goodnight, Jason,” she whispered against his lips.
“Goodnight, sweetheart.”
Jason watched while she unlocked her door and went inside. He waited for the telltale snick of the locks being engaged before turning and heading down the sidewalk.
There was a bounce in his step that hadn’t been there in...forever. And a smile on his face that may never go away.
Climbing behind the wheel, he was already thinking of when they could go out again when he heard a loudbangcoming from inside Sophie’s home.
He’d heard the sound many times before. In the field...at the range. Someone had just shot a gun.
And that someone was inside with Sophie.
Fuck, no.
He was not going to lose her. Not now. Not like this.
Jason shot out of his car, pulling the Glock he always carried from his holster as he took off in a dead sprint. Leaping over the short set of concrete steps leading to Sophie’s door, he heard a bloodcurdling scream that sounded a lot like his name.
A fraction of a second later, another gunshot blasted, turning his blood ice cold. A loud thud came from up above, making his fear spike to a nauseating level.
“Sophia!”he yelled as the heel of his dress shoe slammed into the wood just above the top lock. An explosion of splinters flew to the sides, but Jason ignored them and entered Sophie’s home.
Spotting the staircase to his left, he ran as fast as his legs would move. Taking the steps two at a time, Jason made it to the top just in time to hear a set of heavy footfalls followed by the sound of glass shattering.
His stomach dropped. Jesus, had she just been shot and then thrown out a fucking window?
He followed the direction of the noise to the room at the end of the hall. Adrenaline pumped through his body, but he called upon his training as he approached the half-open door with caution.
Damn it, he wanted to barge in but going in blind and getting himself shot would do Sophie no good.
Taking precious seconds to stop and listen, he found the room quiet.Eerilyquiet.
Terror for the woman he’d held in his arms minutes before threatened to take over, but he pushed it back. He pushedeverythingback except the primal need to protect her.
Keeping his weapon trained in front of him, Jason used his right foot to slowly push the door the rest of the way open. With his gaze darting from left to right, he did a quick sweep of what he assumed was Sophie’s bedroom.
He checked behind the door before moving into her private space. It smelled like her, all strawberries and cream, and Sophie.
But there was another scent filling his nostrils...gunpowder.
“Sophie?” He said her name but got no response.
At first glance he didn’t see anyone, but the room was fairly large.
The cool, evening breeze brushed past him, drawing his attention to a small sitting area to his right. A set of sheer curtains framed a large picture window there, one that had recently been broken.
Keeping an eye out for any possible threat, Jason quickly made his way over to the window. With his heart in his throat, he looked through the jagged opening to the dark space below.
Lying in the grass was a cushioned chair matching the one he was currently standing next to. Had the intruder followed the piece of furniture, or had he simply made it look as though he had?
A low groan had Jason spinning on his heels. With his gun pointed out in front of him, he took slow, purposeful steps toward the other side of the room.
He cleared the master bathroom with ease, and then headed for the walk-in closet. The door was slightly ajar, and the light was off, so Jason approached the area with the same caution he’d used earlier.