Seeing as how Hear Me When the Sun Goes Down will likely be out by week’s end, I thought I’d give you a little taste.

He’d said he was seeing to my needs, but I could feel his need there, burning as sharply as mine. Rob pulled me closer, his hands smoothing over my body as if he needed to reassure himself I was still alive and whole. I could relate, I wanted to touch him everywhere, feel the burn of his skin against mine. His heart thumped madly, making me forget everything else but this stolen moment. At least until I wound my leg around his waist to draw him closer and my stupid knee flared in protest.

Rob let go of me at the gasp of pain that came with it, guessing what had happened from our positions. “Is it bad?” he asked, his hand landing gently above my knee.

“Bad enough that I want to get it out even if I have to grab a steak knife and do it myself,” I said, mostly joking.

“What about the rest of you? Anything lingering beyond the knee?” His thumb brushed across the scar on my cheek and I leaned into his hand, pressing a kiss to the base of his thumb.

“I should be asking you the same thing.” My eyes flew to his chest, the ridge of a scar all too present under my light touch. “When he picked up that poker…” I swallowed back a thick lump of emotion. “I was so scared, I really thought he was going to kill us all.” Here I thought I’d run out of tears, but a few more sprang to the corners of my eyes, and Rob caught one with his thumb.

“I know, I’m sorry. I should’ve gotten you out of there. I failed you.”

“It’s not your fault, you tried. I’m the one that wouldn’t let you go without taking Bishop too.”

Rob wasn’t having any of it, his face hung heavy with regret as his hands framed my cheeks. “It’s my job to keep you safe.”

“I’m safe now.”

“No thanks to me.”

I reached up to stroke his jaw, fingers trailing to feather over his lips. “Shh, we don’t have much time. I don’t know where else we can expect to be alone anymore.” The thick stone walls of the lower levels afforded us some privacy, but the instant I’d be able to hear anyone approaching, they’d be sure to hear us as well.

“Not in this bloody house, that’s for sure. As much as it pains me, you know what we have to do. You have to stop looking at me like that, or I won’t be able to do this.”

“I can’t help it. I almost lost you.”

“I told you I’d never leave you again. You calling me a liar?” The corners of his mouth twitched higher.

I didn’t want to cave, but I couldn’t resist one of his rare smiles. “You also said you’d see to my needs,” I reminded him, pulling him close to steal another kiss.

“They’ll be here any minute,” he murmured against my lips, but it didn’t stop him from settling closer between my thighs, hands on my hips.

“Then don’t waste it.” We sank into another soul-searing kiss that had everything to do with healing in a way the doctor’s scalpel could never provide. How could I possibly hope to give this up with Jakob so close at hand?