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murmured, the rough pads of his fingertips gentle on her skin. “You okay?”
    She managed a wobble of a nod. “I’m scared for him, Johnny. Really scared.”
    “I know.” He caressed the side of her face, his thumb tracing over her jaw line, then slowly drifting across her bottom lip. “I’m scared for him, too. But we’re gonna figure this out. We’re gonna get through this together.”
    His reassurance pushed her over the edge. Tears stung the backs of her eyes, started to well. She kept them at bay with furious determination, but damn if one fat drop didn’t spill over to run down the length of her cheek.
    John swept it away, his gaze fastened on hers. “I’m going to keep you safe, Lisa. No matter what. I gave Kyle my word on that a long time ago. Tonight, I’m making that promise to you.”
    She nodded again, stronger this time. But she couldn’t resist the comforting warmth of his palm where it rested against her cheek. She sank into his touch on a soft sigh and could only watch how John’s dark eyes drifted to her mouth and stayed there.
    He groaned low under his breath, and then his touch was gone. The tender protector had retreated, replaced by the rigid warrior.
    “It’s late. We can talk more about all of this tomorrow.” He drew back, putting more than an arm’s length between them. “You take my bed tonight. I’ll bunk on the couch.”
    “You don’t have to—”
    He cut her protest off with a growing scowl. “Take my bed. Close the door. I’m going to be up for a while yet. I never sleep much anyway.”
    She recalled that about him from a long time ago. His trouble sleeping. His restless nature.
    “The warrior in you never could let down his guard,” she remarked quietly, trying to lighten the tension that crackled between them despite the weight of the problems they were facing.
    “I think it’s best if I don’t,” he murmured thickly.
    Even though his words were heavy with meaning, his expression remained controlled. So disciplined. So unreachable. Just like he’d always been, except for that one unforgettable night when she’d glimpsed the man behind his warrior’s mask.
    She missed that man now, but she couldn’t argue that he was wrong.
    It was best that they didn’t complicate the situation with a repeat of their past mistake.
    And while the last thing she wanted to do was walk away from him in that moment—for countless selfish reasons—she stepped aside with a murmured “goodnight” and left him standing in the kitchen behind her.

5
     
    Duarte lay back on the lumpy, too-short-by-half-a-foot couch in his living room. Fully clothed, with one arm bent beneath his head as a pillow, his bare feet hanging over the far end, he didn’t hold much hope of sleeping anytime soon.
    He’d quietly busied himself in the cabin for more than an hour since Lisa had gone to bed. The ceiling leak was stopped up for the time being. The dinner dishes were washed and stowed back in the cabinets. The remains of her cell phone had been disposed of, the SIM card drowned in the toilet and flushed away.
    And yet he was still sporting one bastard of a hard-on despite the time and activity, neither of which had done much to distract him from the fact that she was just across the cabin from him behind that closed door. Asleep in his bedroom.
    In his bed.
    Christ.
    The image sent a fresh wave of lust rolling through him. Hardened his cock even more.
    He meant it when he told her it was best that he not let his guard down. That went double where she was concerned. God knew it was best for her, too, that he kept his head on straight and maintained his distance from her.
    The last thing she needed was to get tangled up in anything related to the Phoenix program.
    Damn her brother for not considering that fact before he risked contacting her. The in-person birthday visit after the program had been betrayed had been reckless enough, but to text her out of the blue several hours ago like he