Molly knew she couldn’t continue this way. When she stopped squeezing Sargie, the dog thumped her tail twice and snuffled Molly’s neck with her nose. But when she didn’t get a reaction, she crawled off her lap, over Dare, and flopped down next to Tai.

Awareness of Dare beside her, mostly undressed, expanded by the heartbeat. Molly glanced at him. His muscled, hairy thigh was right next to hers, pinning down the quilt he’d wrapped around her. She licked her lips, inhaled deeply and breathed in his hot masculine scent.

It was already familiar, comforting, enticing.

Her gaze skimmed up to his throat, his shoulders. He had the most remarkable chest, wide, strong, sculpted with obvious strength. Even relaxed, his abs remained defined. And a very sexy trail of dark brown hair led from his navel down into his snug boxers.

Beneath the soft cotton material she saw the bulge of his sex.

“Want me to lose the boxers for you?”

She jerked her gaze up to his. His slow smile showed more satisfaction than humor.

For Molly, one thought overshadowed the rest. “This should be awkward, but it’s not.”

“No.”

“I mean, the crying and being stupid and weak is awkward, but being here with you is just…nice.”

The smile faded, and his eyes warmed. “You feel better now?”

“Yes.” And she did. That thrumming panic was no longer a part of her, leaving her at a loss. “I don’t know what happened. I swear I felt fine earlier today.”

“I know.” He put a hand on her thigh, over the quilt. “But trust me, that sense of well-being is ephemeral at best. After your ordeal, you can’t expect it to last. Not this soon. You need to cut yourself some slack. We’ll get there eventually, I promise.”

We? Did he mean that?

No, how could he? Dare barely knew her, and what he did know was shaded by extreme circumstance, not the routine, day-in-and-day-out parts of her life; not the mundane parts that made up the real her.

All in all, her mostly solitary life of research and writing equated to a very boring existence. Her life revolved around her desk, in her apartment, in a quiet town in Ohio.

Nothing exciting about that.

Even the few book signings and speaking appearances she did were low-key, attended by die-hard fans only.

With this one exception, she was not a woman who gained real enemies, or got kidnapped or abused, and she was definitely not a woman who crumpled under stress.

What would Dare think of the real Molly Alexander? When she wasn’t so needy, would he still be drawn to her? Or was it his heroic nature that made her seem appealing to him now?

Soon, when she returned to her normal routine, he would continue on with rescuing those in need, facing off with danger, and making a mint in the bargain. He was a high-stakes player…and she was the girl next door.

Dare squeezed her thigh. “Molly?”

“Oh, sorry.” She shook herself. This was no time to go meandering off mentally. “I was just… I’m better now. Thank you.”

“I’m glad to hear it. But the next time you feel that edginess coming on, don’t wait until it’s full-blown, okay? Just come to me. Let me help.”

Whatever tomorrow might bring, or next week or next month, she needed to get through tonight first. “Fine. I accept that I need time.” She would regain herself. Somehow, she would.

“That’s a start.” His hand stilled on her thigh. “What about tonight?”

“It’s almost over.” She tried to sound accepting instead of wretched. “But for what remains, may I sleep with you?”

“Yeah.” He turned a little toward her. “I’d like that.”

Relief robbed her spine of strength. Until he agreed, she hadn’t realized how tense she felt. “Thank you.”

“You don’t mind sharing with two hounds? Because the girls look settled in for the rest of the night.” He reached over to pat the dogs. “They usually favor the kitchen, but they sense you’re upset, I think, and they want to stay close.”

Somehow, Dare always took the most bizarre situations and made them feel…normal. Did nothing disconcert him?

“I don’t mind.” Given how being alone had thrown her, the more the merrier.

“Good.” He stood and reached out a hand to her. Molly let him pull her to her feet, and then she waited as he turned to the covers. “You won’t need this,” he said, and he took the quilt from her and tossed it to the foot of the bed, half over Tai, who didn’t stir.

Molly wore one of the big T-shirts and her panties, nothing else, but Dare paid no attention to that.

“In you go.”

Trying to be discreet, she crawled into the bed and then scooted over as Dare got in next to her. He turned out the bedside lamp, reached an arm around her and pulled her in close. Her head fit nicely into the space between his hard shoulder and his chest. Already his warmth penetrated her. She felt the prickly hair on his legs and the softer chest hair against her cheek.

She felt…at peace.

The soft kiss to her temple offered so much comfort.

“Okay?”

Molly nodded. “I guess if this was somehow…sexual, it’d be different. But I know it’s not, and that makes it—”

“Let’s try for a little more sleep before the sun comes up and the birds start singing. But Molly?”

Her heart pounded so hard, it was a wonder he didn’t mention it. “Yes?”