Chapter 3

The door clicked shut behind them, sealing them in darkness.

It was a maintenance alcove, barely six feet square. The air was thick with the smell of dust and industrial cleaner. The only light came from the faint green glow of an exit sign, casting long, distorted shadows across the walls.

Jordyn's back pressed against the cold, rough concrete. There was nowhere else to go. The space was so narrow that Hoyt had to stand inches from her. He filled the tiny room, his broad shoulders blocking out the faint light, his presence an overwhelming physical force.

She could hear everything. The ragged, uneven rhythm of her own breathing. The blood roaring in her ears. And beneath it all, the slow, steady thump of his heart.

It was too close. Way too close. She could feel the heat radiating from his body through the fine wool of his suit. It brushed against her chilled skin, a stark contrast to the cold wall at her back.

Jordyn held her breath. The scent of him was everywhere-that clean, sharp cedarwood, now mixed with a hint of something darker, something warm and distinctly male. It filled her lungs, crowding out the stale air of the closet.

She shifted uncomfortably, trying to press herself further into the wall, to create even a millimeter of space between them. But the wall was unyielding, and so was he.

That's it, Hoyt thought, his eyes adjusting to the gloom until he could make out the delicate line of her jaw, the rapid flutter of the pulse in her throat. Breathe me in. Let me fill your senses until there's no room for anything else.

He watched her throat work as she swallowed hard. He felt an answering pull low in his gut, a primal urge to lean in and taste the skin right there.

Patience, he reminded himself, his hands curling into fists inside his pockets. You don't trap a wild bird by grabbing it. You let it get comfortable in the cage.

"Are they... are they going to see us?" Jordyn whispered. The silence was too heavy; she had to fill it with something.

Hoyt didn't answer right away. He let his gaze travel over her face, lingering on her lips, the tip of her nose, the furrow between her brows. He took his time, making sure she felt the weight of his attention.

Then he leaned in. It was a slow, deliberate movement. He brought his head down until his lips were a fraction of an inch from her ear.

"I'm not sure," he murmured. His breath was warm against her skin, stirring the loose hairs at her temple. "Gus is thorough. He'll check every corner."

His voice was a low vibration in the dark. It resonated in the small space, vibrating against her eardrum and sending a shiver down her spine that had nothing to do with fear.

Jordyn's ears burned. A flush crept up her neck, heating her skin. This was wrong. This was Carleigh's uncle. This was a man twice her age. But her body was betraying her, reacting to the proximity, the heat, the scent of him in ways she couldn't control.

Look at you, Hoyt thought, feeling the sudden wave of heat radiating from her. He couldn't see the color in the dark, but he could feel it, a tangible rise in temperature against the cool air. Your skin is flushing. Your breathing is changing. You're far more sensitive than you realize, little bird.

He straightened up, pulling back just a few inches. It was a small retreat, a gesture of restraint. But to Jordyn, it felt like a sudden, cold void.

She immediately felt ashamed. What was wrong with her? He was just trying to keep his voice down. He was being practical. She was the one reading into it, the one having inappropriate thoughts about a man who had just saved her.

"I think they're still looking," Hoyt said, his voice returning to a normal volume, though still quiet. He raised a hand and pointed toward the crack of light under the door. "See that shadow? It's moving."

Jordyn looked. He was right. A dark shape passed by the gap, pausing for a moment before moving on.

Her heart leaped into her throat again. The fear came rushing back, instantly washing away the strange, confusing heat from a moment ago. She looked at Hoyt with renewed terror.

He nodded slowly, his expression grave. "We have to stay quiet."

As he lowered his hand, his fingers grazed the bare skin of her forearm. It was a whisper of contact, light as a feather.

Jordyn jerked her arm back, a reflexive flinch. But then she stopped. She didn't pull away entirely. She let her arm hang there, just millimeters from his hand.

She didn't realize it, but in that tiny, dark space, she was already getting used to him. Used to his heat. Used to his touch. Used to the cage he was building around her.