His voice comes out like a drill sergeant’s. “Come on! Chop-chop! Get the lead out! We’ve got some packing to do!” He’s already halfway up my staircase.

I look over at the dogs. Both of them are asleep. Neither of them knows that my world just got turned upside down and inside out by a guy who used to have the most horrible beard on the planet but who now looks like he stepped out of my hottest, sexiest, wettest dream ever.

In my next life, I want to come back as a dog. I think everything will be a lot simpler than the stuff going on in this crazy world I’m living in right now.

I sigh and follow in Ozzie’s trail. Before I even reach my room, I can hear him opening up drawers. I feel like I’ve lost control of everything when I see a suitcase open on the bed and it’s already half full of my clothing.

“Are you sure this is the right thing to do?” I ask, leaning on the doorframe. Now that I’m not in his arms, I have a better perspective for what I’m getting into. This could end really badly for both of us. When he kissed me this time, I felt it in my heart. And while Jenny is right—hearts do heal—it sure hurts like hell when they get broken.

“I’m sure. Get whatever you need out of your bathroom. I’ll hit the closet next. We leave after I let the dogs out for a quick run around the yard.”

I wander into the bathroom, hoping The Fates have everything under control, because I know I sure don’t.

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

The port is quiet, or as quiet as the Port of New Orleans can ever be. Even in the dead of night, there’re things going on, with people moving around, shipments arriving or leaving, business to be attended to. We pull into the warehouse, and I don’t get out of my car until the door shuts behind us with a solid boom.

Ozzie sets an alarm at a keypad near the main door before coming over to my car and unloading my suitcases. There are three, including a small bag for Felix’s toys and bowls. My furbaby hops out of my car and joins Sahara. They climb the stairs to Ozzie’s home ahead of us.

“You’ll take my bedroom and I’ll set up the cot for myself in the kitchen.”

I sigh, battling in my head over the whole plan. Having to stay here really complicates an already overly complicated situation. I hate that it’s my fault.

“You should take your bed. I don’t mind the cot.”

“Sorry, no can do. I get my way on this one.”

“On this one? Are we taking turns?” We reach the top of the stairs and I press in the code Ozzie gives me to enter. The door clicks and I pull it open. Felix and Sahara push in first. I hold it in place for Ozzie, who’s loaded down with all my bags. Those muscles really do come in handy sometimes. It’s pretty impressive, actually, to see that they’re not just for show. I think he could bench-press me. I’m kind of fascinated to see if it makes any difference in the bedroom. The last guy I was with weighed almost the same as me. Jenny called him The Twig.

“No, we’re not taking turns,” Ozzie says, moving through the sword room. “You can have your way all the time unless I decide I need to have my way.”

I smile. “I guess I can handle that. As long as you don’t decide you need to have your way more than half the time.”

His response is a grunt.

Moving down the hallway, I feel my steps slowing. This is his domain, not mine. His business, his home, his kitchen, even. What am I doing here? Is he going to hate me when he wakes up with a sore back from that cot? Am I taking advantage of his hospitality, of his need to care for his employees?

He puts my cases down on the floor by the bed. “I can clear a couple drawers out for you here so you don’t have to live out of your suitcases.” He moves over to a bureau. “I know two’s not enough, but I can move a rack in here for your hanging things.”

I walk over and put my hand on his arm. “Ozzie, stop.” I look up at him, pleading with my eyes.

His hands drop to his sides. “Stop what?”

“Stop . . . doing all this. Taking care of me while throwing yourself out of your own room.”

His voice goes very soft, very calm. “I’m not going to stop, May, I’m sorry. It’s not who I am.”

I stomp my foot, frustrated with our situation. “Why?” This is going to doom our relationship or any chance at a relationship that we might have had. It’s so unfair!

He takes one of my hands by the fingers and shakes it a little. “You’re getting really worked up over nothing. I’ve slept more nights on the ground than I care to remember. That cot’s a big step up.” He looks over his shoulder at the bed. “That mattress is way too soft, anyway. You’ll be doing me a favor.”

“You’re just saying that so I’ll sleep there.”

He moves closer and pulls me into a hug, resting his chin on my head. I try to wrap my arms around his upper back, but I can’t. He’s too big. I settle for his waist, which is much narrower. Now I can reach my hands around the other side of him the right way. I squeeze with as much appreciation as I have in me.

“You’re too nice,” I say, sadness tingeing my voice. “I’m afraid it’s going to ruin everything.”

“Nothing’s going to get ruined by me treating you the way you deserve to be treated.” He pulls back and looks down at me. “Are you one of those women who’s been treated bad, told she’s worthless or something?”

I shake my head. “No. I’ve had just a few boyfriends, and they were all nice enough. Just . . .”—I shrug—“not the right one for me.”

He holds me again, like he’s enjoying just standing there in the middle of his room doing nothing but trying to make me feel better. I love the strength of him I can feel, not just through his muscles, but in the way his mind works and his heart is. Ozzie being in charge of security makes all the sense in the world. I can’t feel anything less than totally safe in his arms. Protected. Cared for, even.

“I can’t make you any promises, except to say that I’ll keep you safe,” he says, his voice gruff.

He assumes my only fear is of the man who tried to shoot us back at Frankie’s. He’s right about that partially; I am afraid of that man. But that’s not the only thing worrying me. Jenny calls me tenderhearted, and I wouldn’t disagree with her on that.

“But what if the danger is coming from you?” I whisper back. My heart twists inside my chest as I imagine falling in love with him and then being cast aside. Committing to a real relationship is hard enough, but to take the risk and then get burned for it? I’d have to move in with my sister so she could take care of me for the rest of my life; I’d be that devastated.

“You have nothing to fear from me, I promise.”

“I don’t fear being hurt,” I say in a small voice. “I fear being shattered.”

He lets me go. The pain starts to come from what I assume is his rejection, but then it’s swept away when he picks me up in his arms like a baby.

“How about we go to bed right now and worry about all the things that might never happen, tomorrow?”

He uses his elbow to shut the light off. One lamp remains lit next to the bed, casting a faint glow around the room. It’s the sexy kind of lighting that makes me look really good naked, or as good as I can look without my clothes on. Score.

I reach up to slide my hand over his chest. “That sounds good to me.” My head rises as his falls so we can meet in the middle for a kiss.

It’s over much quicker than I anticipated, though. I have no time to figure out why that is before I’m lost and confused, flying through the air as he launches me right out of his arms and toward the bed.

I’m airborne! Oh my god! Will I die?!

Boof! I land on the mattress on my back and bounce high once before coming to a halt in the middle of the covers. I stare at the ceiling while my brain computes what just happened.