Page 35 of Shadow Burn

Jasper closed the door. He pressed his palm against a small panel beside the frame, tapped through a menu on the tiny screen, and stepped back. “Give me your hand.”

“Why?”

“So you can come and go and lock the door as you please.”

Right. He needed her biometric data. She extended her right hand. He turned it palm-down, and placed it flat against the panel. His fingers were warm as he positioned her hand, and she kept her eyes on the panel rather than his face. He was so close, she could feel the heat coming off his body.

The panel beeped, and she nearly jumped, so lost in thoughts of him and his proximity. He released her hand. “Again, to verify.”

She pressed her palm to the panel on her own. It beeped again.

“That’s it,” he said. “The door opens for me and for you,” Jasper said. “No one else. If you want to remove my access in the morning, I can show you how.”

Katherine studied the panel, then the bookshelves and couch. This was his space. His screens, his books, his quiet, controlled room inside a building built to keep danger out. He’d given her access without hesitation, and now he was offering to lock himself out of it if she asked.

“I won’t be removing your access,” she said. “It’s your office, and you’re helping me with this project.”

“It’s your workspace now, too. I want you to feel comfortable with it.”

She didn’t trust her voice for a second. People had given her desks, assignments, access badges, temporary offices. No one had ever given her space like this—as if what mattered to her mattered to him, too. The thought was too large for how tired she was, and the room blurred for one embarrassing second before she blinked it clear. “Thank you, Jasper.”

He looked at her face, then at her bandaged hand. “You’re about five minutes past done. You need rest”

“I’m not sure I can sleep.”

“I didn’t say sleep.” He nodded toward the couch. “Sit. Just for a minute.”

She should have said no. She should have gone to the guest room, shut the door, and begun the work of being fine. Instead, she sat on the couch that smelled faintly of him and watched while he dimmed the overhead lights and turned on the floor lamp. The room softened around them, boxes stacked safely along the wall, and the biometric lock on the door. For the first time since the bedroom doorknob had rattled, Katherine felt the air reach the bottom of her lungs.

Jasper started to speak but didn’t. He ran a hand around the back of his neck, blew out a breath. “You don’t need to thank me.”

“Why wouldn’t I? You came for me tonight. You saved me. You didn’t make me leave Priss behind.”

“She’s important to you. Of course, I’d let her come.”

“I doubt Dr. Montgomery is thrilled about it. About either of us being here.”

“Vivi has birds, and you’re not the first client with a pet who needed a room.”

”Other clients have stayed here? With their pets?”

He nodded and the smile was back. “We’re a full-service security agency.”

“Impressive.”

“Just keep Priss away from Vivi’s parakeets, okay? Her office is in the west wing.”

“I’ll make sure Priss stays in my room.”

Another nod. “Come on. I’ll show you where it is. You’re welcome to stay in here, though, if it makes you feel more secure. Priss is allowed, too, so long as she keeps her hair off my keyboard.”

“Good luck with that,” Katherine said. She rose and picked up the cat carrier. With one last look back at the boxes, she used the panel to close and lock the door before following Jasper down the hall.

Everything was quiet now, except for some low conversation coming from one of the rooms. The voices were familiar—CB and Sebastian—but she couldn’t make out what they were saying.

The guest room was plain but clean. There was a twin bed, a dresser, and a small window with the curtains drawn. A bathroom was visible through a door on the left.

She set Priss’s carrier on the bed and opened it. The cat stepped out, surveyed the room as though inspecting it to see if it met her standards, and jumped onto the bed. She circled twice, settled into the comforter, and closed her eyes. Whatever crisis the evening had offered, Priss had processed it and moved on.