Page 60 of Who's Afraid of the Big, Bad World

All heads snapped toward Noah and Annabelle.

“That didnotcome out the way she intended,” Noah said quickly. “Violet walked in on me hugging Annabelle and, well, reacted likeher.”

“You were cuddling?” Harris leaned forward and rested his elbows on the desk in front of him. “What kind of cuddling are we talking here?”

Noah’s cheeks heated. “It was a comforting hug. Nothing more.”

“Were you fully clothed at the time?” Harris asked.

“Harris!” Rochelle barked.

“What?” He held up his hands. “It’s a reasonable question. Violet makes it sound like she walked in on them doing the special cuddle grown-ups do.”

“That’s it. I’m outta here.” Abasi stood and strode from the room.

Noah wished he could follow him.

“Enough of this.” Rochelle looked weary. “No, Violet, it isn’t part of your job description to touch anyone else except in self-defense.”

“Or to disable them,” Violet clarified.

“Fine, that too.” Rochelle rubbed her temples. “This meeting is over.”

“About time,” Noah muttered as he got to his feet. He glared at Harris, but it was lost on him. “Come on,” he said to Annabelle. “Let’s get you upstairs.”

The triplets all sat up straight, eyes like saucers as they stared at him and Annabelle. They looked like a bunch of meerkats searching for a threat.

“To work!” Noah snapped at them. “We’re going upstairs to work. No hugging of any kind.” He took Annabelle’s arm and led her from the office.

“They know you’re nothing but professional, so don’t let them get to you,” she said once they were in the corridor. “They enjoy it too much.”

“No kidding,” Noah grumbled.

“After all, it was only a hug. It’s not like there was anything else going on.” She fluttered her dark lashes at him. “Was there?”

Noah swallowed hard. “No, no, of course not. It was purely a professional hug.”

“I thought so.” She nodded solemnly.

Chapter Twenty

Annabelle couldn’t concentrate on her work. Not while Noah was in the room with her. She was meant to be drawing new scenes for her latest Jade Justice graphic novel, but all she wanted to do was sketch the brooding man who sat sipping coffee at her kitchen island.

To be fair, it wasn’t entirely Noah’s fault she couldn’t concentrate. Every time she dragged her attention away from him, she’d start thinking about the night before. It felt as though her Gringotts vault had sprung open, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get it shut.

The memories were so clear in her mind that it was as if she were reliving them—the screeching alarm, the acrid smell of smoke, the darkness, and the gunfire. And the pure, unadulterated terror of going outside. Even thinking about it made her heart race and her hands shake. But more than that, it felt like it was happening now, not in the past. It was so real that she found herself scanning the loft to ensure there were no smoldering embers just waiting to reignite. As the urge to run and hide grew almost overwhelming, her breathing became shallow, and she rocked in her seat, unable to stay still.

“It’s called hypervigilance.” Noah’s calm voice was a lifeline, saving her from drowning in her memories. “It’s common with people who’ve suffered trauma, like cops.” He smiled ruefully. “Focus on what’s real around you. The feel of your desk, the pencil in your hand, the sound of cars passing by. Remind yourself that this is now. The present. And you’re here. Not there. Then concentrate on your breathing, counting it in and out, pausing briefly between breaths. That’s it,” he said encouragingly.

Annabelle hadn’t been consciously aware she was following his instructions as he spoke. For a few minutes, he talked her through breathing and reminded her where she was and that she was safe—all in that low, soothing voice of his.

“Better?” he said at last.

She did an internal audit and noted that she was calm, focused, and present.

“Much. Dr. Mallory taught me something similar but sometimes it’s hard to remember what to do.”

He shrugged. “We’ve all been there.”