Page 66 of Under His Guard

I run smack dab into someone and let out a yelp.

“Dr. Stewart! It’s me.”

Candance is right in front of me, my stethoscope smashed between us as I’m frozen in place.

“Oh.” I let out a shaky breath, my shoulders slumping. “Sorry, Candance. I didn’t, um, what now?”

“They need you downstairs.” She furrows her brow at me. “Are you all right?”

I nod, the pounding of my blood slowly receding. “Just startled me. I’ll head there now.”

Leaving Candance a little confused, I hurry toward the elevators and take them downstairs.

You’re losing your mind, Clara. Christ.

* * *

Dread still crawls down my spine, coating me like a wet blanket as I drive home, again a little faster than I should.

All through the rest of my shift, I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching me.

Everywhere I looked, there was too deep a shadow or someone who could be a Cobra.

I even thought I heard my name again.

The entire situation with them is obviously getting to me, and I need some good fucking news right about now.

Getting into the penthouse is a little different this evening as well.

There are at least two more bicycle cops I haven’t seen before, and the guard at the front desk rechecks everything with my swipe card.

“Did Luke ask you guys to do this?” I look at the friendly guard behind the glass partition.

“Yes, ma’am. We’re stepping up everything with security.”

It’s stupid, but my heart warms at the thought. Luke is actually doing something about how scared I’ve been.

He’s helping.

“Thank you.”

I head inside, and when I see Luke set up at the island again, an invisible cord cuts loose in my mind.

It’s the one that’s been saying no to this, to him.

That damned cord—that tether to the overly logical part of my brain that despises risks and demands I stay securely in my own lane—is just gone.

Walking up to him before I can talk myself out of it, I pull him around to face me, kissing him.

The crash of his lips against mine is exactly what I need right now, and to hell with every single rule or propriety that says I can’t have this.

After a moment, Luke pulls back. “Well, hello. Nice to see you, too.”

“I…” I hold Luke’s eyes, and his amused expression dies as he takes in my energy. “I thought I saw one of them at the hospital. A Cobra.”

His hands come to my biceps. “Oh my God, Clara. Are you okay?”

I shake my head, rolling my eyes a little. “Physically, sure. Emotionally…”

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