Probably slept.

Together?

No. No, deep down she had a thing for him, he was certain of it. He’d cultivated the hero worship in her, had carefully honed it. No, his Abby hadn’t slept with Hawk. She was too cautious-as he knew all too well. How many months had he put into trying to get into her pants? He’d wined and dined the hell out of her, managing only a whole lot of restless nights.

Until the raid. Of course he’d been behind it. Mostly because she’d come damn close to exposing him, more by accident than design, but still. She was a smart cookie, and with a little more time she’d have figured it out.

He’d had to throw her off, at any cost. So he’d finagled a way to scare her and indebt her to him at the same time. Ingenious, if he said so himself. And yet he’d played the goddamn hero for her and she’d still not given it up for him.

Had she given it up for Hawk?

If so, it was only one more damn good reason to kill the son of a bitch. And then, unfortunately, her as well. It was going to disappoint him as much as it hurt her, but some things just had to be done…

Abby’s condo complex

ABBY STOOD ON HER BACK PATIO, hidden behind a tall potted ficus, staring at the glass slider, but unable to see more than her own reflection.

The ficus needed watering.

Story of her life. Oh, she’d been a big talker back there in the SUV, telling Hawk that she was living her life.

Liar.

She was still hiding. Still keeping herself closed off to feelings. But she hadn’t kept herself closed off to him, had she? Nope, she’d let him inside both her body and her heart. Come on in, steal the china. Sighing, she pressed her forehead to the potted tree and closed her eyes. What was she doing? Did she have any idea at all…?

No. No, she did not.

Lifting her head, she eyed the glass door again. Hawk had been gone just long enough to get up the stairs. Hawk, who’d put her life ahead of his.

Several times last night alone.

Last night…God, last night. It’d been the wildest night of her entire life. A shuddering sigh went through her. There’d been a moment, several of them, when she’d wanted to stay in his arms forever, as implausible as that wish had seemed.

Implausible and very, very unlikely.

It had just been one night. She was positive there’d been no more to it than fear and adrenaline and need, creating a desire she hadn’t been able to ignore. Very soon now things would go back to the way they’d been.

And yet, some things would most certainly change. Her, for one. She’d forever be different for the experience, for discovering that she was every bit as strong as she’d hoped, that she could absolutely be a woman in every sense of the word. That maybe, just maybe, she could even learn to trust her heart again.

Had he entered her bedroom yet?

Had she made her bed?

Why was she standing out here wondering? Clearly, there was no trouble, she’d have heard something by now. Abby let herself inside. In the past, where she’d slept at night had never really been a home. She’d never had the time, nor the inclination to make one. But when she’d come here, she’d tried hard to create a haven, using warm colors, soft, cushy furniture and landscape photos of her favorite places on the walls.

She headed for the stairs, and in the doorway of her bedroom came face to face with the man who could both stop and kickstart her heart.

“Hey,” Hawk said. “I heard you coming. I thought we decided you’d wait outside.”

“No, you decided.”

“Abby.”

“Hawk.” She repeated his tone, which made him laugh a little and reach for her.

She stepped right into his arms, and felt…amazing. Like she wasn’t just standing in her home, she’d come home. Tilting her head back, she looked into his eyes, thinking she’d never had a man here, in this bedroom.

She’d never even given it a thought.

And yet this man, this quick-witted, smart, funny, sexy man, looked utterly and completely at home in her space.

It was a good fit.

“What?” he asked softly. “What is it?”

So damn much…“Later,” she said.

Nodding slowly, he dipped his head and kissed her. Just a short, sweet kiss but their lips clung, and then opened, and then tongues got involved, and then…and then they were both panting and sort of arching into each other.

“The laptop,” he murmured, his breath ragged, his hands beneath her shirt. “We’re here for the laptop.”

Right. With a steadying breath, she backed out of his arms and pointed to it on the small table by her bed. “And get the locked box out of the drawer underneath it.”

“What’s in it?” He grinned at her. “Condoms?”

Abby rolled her eyes. “Something even better for protection-my backup gun and ammo.”

Hawk looked impressed. “A woman after my own heart.”

He headed for the nightstand while she did her best to get her racing pulse back under control-but whew. The guy’s kiss packed a punch. Past him, on the floor, she could see the clothes she’d tried on yesterday and discarded, and then tried on again before deciding what to wear to a raid with the man she’d been secretly lusting over, as if it had been a date. Which was a joke, because she hadn’t dated since…

Since Gaines. And their last date hadn’t exactly been a rousing success-

Oh, God.

It all came back to her. He’d taken her to his second home, a luxurious ranch outside of Cheyenne, a “secret haven” he’d called it.

Secret haven.

“Abby?” Hawk put his hands on her arm. “What is it?”

What was it? Suddenly, she knew where to find Gaines.

19

Cheyenne Memorial Hospital

LOGAN OPENED HIS EYES WITH some trepidation, but to his relief the blazing pain in his head had faded to a dull throbbing.

He could live with that.

Another thing he could live with? The woman curled up at his side.

Callen had stayed. Well, mostly because she hadn’t wanted him to leave the hospital, but he knew it was more than that. Any woman who held his head while he tossed his cookies on a helicopter, risked her job to hide him, then played strip poker just to make him listen to her, was interested in more than just a patient/nurse relationship.

Or so he hoped. He stroked a hand down her side and she jerked straight up, eyes clear. “You hurting?” she asked.

“Yes.”

Leaning in, frown in place, she put a hand to his forehead, but he took it in his and brought it to his chest.

There. That felt slightly better. But he wanted to pull her entirely inside him. “Here. I hurt here.”

Still frowning, she yanked his hospital gown down to stare at his chest, her fingers running softly over his skin. “I don’t see anything. Let me call the doctor-”

“No, it’s not that kind of injury. Listen, Hawk’s going to call-”

“He already did. He’s coming for you. But-”

“No buts. We won’t have time for this once he gets here, and before I go-”

“If you’re in pain, we should rethink you going at all.”

“Before I go,” he repeated, “and make a really big fool out of myself here, I just want to ask you something. About last night.” He met her gaze. “It was different, right? I mean, for you, too-”

“I’ve never been with a patient like this before, if that’s what you’re asking.” Callen looked down at their clasped hands. “Never. In fact, I haven’t…with anyone…in a long time. I haven’t met anyone that I wanted-I’ve been working a lot, and-” She bit her lip and shook her head. “No, those are lies. A year ago I got out of a long relationship, and I haven’t wanted to risk my heart again.”

“Makes perfect sense, since I feel the same way. Or did, until about twelve hours ago.”

“Logan-”

“Look, I know this is ridiculously fast, but I’ve just got to tell you, before today goes straight to hell-”

“No. No going straight to hell. No going anywhere.”

“Actually, yes, I am. With Hawk, but-” He blinked, as he realized something. “I’m not in the same room as before.”

“No.”

His old room had been white, stark and smelled sterile. This one had soft pastel painted walls and different equipment-very different. Stirrups, for one. Huh. “Where am I, Callen?”

“I moved you. You’re under a different name, on a different floor. Hawk’s idea.”

Good. It didn’t matter where he was, as long as he got out to help Hawk. “I’ll need clothes.”

“Logan, this is crazy. You’re crazy.”

“Crazy. Yes. Crazy for you. You should know, I have no idea where this thing is going between us. I only know that I don’t want it to end when I leave here.”

“Oh.” She breathed this softly, with no hint of whether that was a good or bad oh. So he swallowed hard and did the only thing he could, which was lay it all out for her.

“I want to see you again after this is over.”

“You want to see me again.”

“Tonight, if possible.”

“Tonight.”

“And tomorrow. And the next day. And-”

“I…get the idea.”

“But do you like the idea?”

Her smile warmed his heart. “Okay, but Logan? I’m coming with you-”

“No. No way.”

“You’ll need a nurse. Especially one with access to stimulants that can keep you on your feet long enough to get somewhere safe, and take care of you when you collapse after they wear off.”

“No, Callen. I’m not risking you.”

She let it go while she brought him clothes. And when he saw what she brought him, he shook his head. “Hell, no.”

“If the entrances and exits are being watched…” She smiled cajolingly. “A brand new momma is the perfect disguise to get you out of here undetected.”

Logan stared at the huge tent dress, wig and bag of makeup. “Fuck me.”