He didn't like having his back exposed to whatever element had frightened her, but he'd never in his life been held with such force and need by a woman-a woman intent on either using him as diversionary tactic, or a shield to protect her from harm. He swore he'd keep her safe even as he fought the drugging pleasure of having her so willing and eager in his arms.

Christ. Her feverish kiss and their intimate embrace sent conflicting signals through his brain and body. His muscles were tensed and braced for action, yet he was hard and aching where his erection pressed against her belly. He groaned low in his throat as desire mingled with arousal, and he struggled with wanting this, wanting her, but knowing the circumstances were all wrong.

It seemed an eternity had passed, though in reality only a few seconds had ticked by, when Noah finally gained the upper hand and pried her lips from his, then pulled her arms from his neck. She whimpered at the loss of contact, her entire body shaking uncontrollably. She was breathing hard, and tears of despair shone in her bright, wide eyes as she looked up at him.

He pressed two fingers to her still-damp lips to keep her quiet until he got a better feel for their predicament. "I won't let anything hurt you," he promised in a low, gravelly voice.

Keeping her covered with his body, he leaned back and peered around the alcove to see if there was anyone waiting for them. He saw a few pedestrians strolling along the sidewalk, but not the guy in the baseball cap who had seemingly set her off.

He returned his attention to Natalie, needing to know what she'd seen and what had threatened her so badly. But first he had to calm her, and he tried to do so by rubbing his hands along her arms. "Nobody's there, Natalie. You're safe with me."

"I'll never be safe." Her voice caught on a hysterical sob as she shook her head wildly. "He won't go away!"

She pushed at his chest, shoving him away, and the unexpected assault took him off guard and he stumbled back a step. This time she alluded his grasp, and before he could intercept her she was dashing back across the street toward Murphy's. The signal at the corner was red, and he yelled at her to stop. She didn't listen, just kept running to escape.

From what, he still didn't know.

He started after her, cursing at his inability to control the bizarre situation and her rash actions. Before he could reach the street, an oncoming car slammed on its brakes to avoid hitting her. But the driver was going too fast, and Natalie wasn't paying attention.

He watched in horror, shouting a hoarse warning as the vehicle skidded long and hard, striking Natalie just before the car came to a jarring stop. The impact sent her flying, and she landed on her side a few feet away, her golden blond hair tousled around her head, her arms at an awkward angle, and her body completely lifeless.

Stunned, Noah raced furiously toward her, yelling at the people pouring out of nearby shops and eateries to dial 911 and get an ambulance there immediately. He dropped to the ground beside her, mindless of the sharp pain that shot through his knees. Mindless of anything except the churning in his gut and the metallic taste of fear in his mouth. He pressed two fingers to the pulse point at her neck, and exhaled a sigh of relief when he felt a thready but noticeable beat. She was alive, and that's all he cared about.

A crowd gathered around him, and the driver made his way to Noah's side, babbling about not seeing her in the street until it was too late. Ignoring him, he gently eased Natalie to her back and began a check for injuries, running his hands from her shoulders, down her arms, and along her thighs and legs. Opening her jacket, he skimmed his fingers over her collarbone, ribs and hips, and found nothing broken.

Her jacket had protected her from getting any scrapes along her arms, but she had a nasty cut on her cheek oozing blood that hopefully wouldn't leave a scar. Her face was drained of color, her lips were white and cool to the touch, and she looked so damn vulnerable.

"The paramedics are on their way," someone called from behind him.

Grateful for that bit of news, he held Natalie's slender, cold hand in his bigger, warmer one and silently urged the ambulance to hurry.

"Police coining through," a deep, distinct voice ordered. "Please step back from the injured party."

Bobby's authoritative tone reached Noah, and he glanced up to see his friend flashing his badge and doing his best to make the throng of curious onlookers back away to give them breathing room. When Bobby saw that it was him, he immediately hunkered down beside Noah.

"Oh, shit, it's Natalie," he said, sounding as shocked as Noah felt. "I had no idea. We heard the accident from inside Murphy's and I came out to see what happened. Is she okay?"

"I'm not sure," Noah said, hating that he didn't know more. "She's out cold and hasn't regained consciousness yet."

Automatically, Bobby tested the arteries in her wrist. "Her pulse is steady, so that's a good sign."

Noah nodded in agreement but knew there could be more damage that they couldn't see. "Do me a favor? Take care of the driver for me. He's really shaken up. It wasn't his fault. She ran out in front of his car when he had the right of way."

Bobby's dark brows lifted in surprise at that bit of news. "She was with you, wasn't she?" he asked, confused. "How did this happen, anyway?"

A weary sigh escaped Noah. "Long story, and I'll fill you in on the details as soon as Natalie is taken care of."

"Fair enough," his friend said, respecting Noah's wishes and knowing he'd get the full blow-by-blow later.

Bobby went to do his bidding, and Noah remained beside Natalie, refusing to leave her for any reason. He smoothed her hair away from her face and whispered encouraging words to her, along with the plea for her to open her eyes, all to no avail.

He pressed his lips to the tips of her ringers, wishing he could breath life and energy back into her body. He couldn't remember a time when he'd ever felt so helpless, so filled with dread, not even when his parents divorced or when his father was killed in the line of duty. The latter had been a tragic experience for him and his brother and sister, but he'd managed to compartmentalize his pain with a carefree, easygoing facade. It was a strategy that had served him well in life up until this moment.

It hit him hard that this woman had the ability to cripple him emotionally. Over the course of the months he'd been pursuing her, she'd somehow worked her way into his heart, in a way he'd never, ever anticipated. The thought of losing her tore at his insides and made him physically ill.

Finally, he heard the sound of sirens, and within a minute the ambulance was parked and the paramedics were ushering him away from Natalie and taking over. One of the EMTs asked him what had happen, and Noah told them what they needed to know so they'd have better insight to possible injuries.

Still unconscious, Natalie was transferred to a cot, covered with blankets and wheeled to the ambulance for transport to the nearest hospital. Noah followed, refusing to let her out of his sight. They hefted her into the back of the unit, and Noah flashed his P.I. badge to avoid any flack and said, "I'm going with her."

Nobody argued as he climbed inside and settled on the bench seat opposite Natalie's cot. One EMT went to work hooking her up to an IV, then taking her blood pressure, while another man checked to see if her pupils dilated when he flashed a spot of light in her eyes.

Bobby came up to the back of the ambulance, his gaze showing compassion and concern. "I'm going to take some eyewitness reports, then I'll met you at the hospital."

"Thanks," Noah said with a nod. "I'll call Cole on the way and let him know what happened."

The dual doors closed, and the ambulance took off, lights flashing and sirens wailing as they sped through the city to the hospital.

It was the longest ride of Noah's life.


Noah paced restlessly in the hospital waiting room, surrounded by Cole, Melodie and Bobby. It had been three hours since Natalie had been admitted, and other than a few vague updates that didn't satisfy Noah, they still didn't know her final prognosis. The wait was excruciating, and he was eternally grateful that he had the support of his friend and family to keep him company.

Scrubbing a hand along his tense jaw, he exhaled in frustration. The last time he, Cole and Melodie had been in a hospital had been five months ago when their sister, Joelle, had gone into labor. Back then their presence in a medical facility had been a happy, joyful event as they'd welcomed an eight-pound, three-ounce baby girl Jo and Dean had named Jennifer. But today, the mood was somber and grim as the four of them waited for the doctor to give them an update on Natalie's condition.

He took a drink of the dark coffee Melodie had purchased down at the cafeteria for them, the bitter taste adding to the regrets and guilt swirling within him. "If only I'd tried harder to stop her," he muttered, speaking his thoughts out loud.

"Quit blaming yourself for something that was out of your control, Noah," Cole said, his tone understanding. He was the same old voice of reason he'd been since their father died. "It won't change what happened."

Regardless, he felt partially responsible for the accident. Hadn't he told Natalie that she was safe with him? He'd done a crummy job of protecting her.

He transferred his gaze to Bobby, who sat on a tweed chair, his dark hair as mussed as Noah's. "Are you sure nobody at the scene saw anything out of the ordinary?"

"I'm positive." Bobby took a swallow from his own cup of coffee, wincing at the strong taste that even a dose of sugar hadn't been able to tone down. "Everyone I spoke with either witnessed her running without paying attention to the light signal, or they didn't catch the accident until after it happened."