Page 54 of Tempt Me-

I love her.

I blink.Glance at her delicate profile, the serious expression on her face an indicator of the way she’d withdrawn from me because I let her.

“Austin?I asked if you’re ready to get out of the car,” she says, concern in her voice.

I blink again.“Yeah.”I’m not.Inside I am trembling.

I want nothing more than to take her into my arms and put her out of her misery.Whether she knows, suspects, or not, she needs me.But there is something she has to get through first, and it needs her focus.However, when this mess that is screwing with her life ends, we are going to have a serious talk about our future.

Because her beingaroundisn’t enough for me.Not when she’s become as essential to me as breathing.

I climb out and stride around to her side, helping her stand.“Are you feeling okay?”I ask.She seems fine this morning, but I have the sense she is hiding as much as she can from him… and now I understand why.

“Yes.Better today,” she says, ducking her head, not meeting my gaze.

She obviously doesn’t want me to know.Because I made it clear I don’t want to start over with marriage, a family.I damn myself for being so clueless.

“You ready to do this?”I ask.

She nods.“I don’t think I’ll be in with Kate for long.An hour, tops.”

“I’ll be waiting when you get out.I’m not leaving you alone.”

“I appreciate that.”

I deal with the parking lot attendant and lead Mia out to the street.On the walk to the office, I keep an eye on everything going on around me.The city is busy, people rushing to work on a normal morning, but I have an arm around Mia, holding her close, ready to protect her if need be.

We approach the building, which has five steps up and a set of double doors through which to enter.Before we reach the first step, Mia looks down and her sunglasses fall from her head to the ground.

She pauses, bending down to retrieve them at the same time that I catch sight of a man with a gun.Everything happens at once.The man fires as I shove her to the ground, doing my best to take the brunt of the fall even as I keep her beneath the protection of my body.

Mia screams.People around them shout, in a panic.And I have to let the shooter go to concentrate on Mia.

He turned her onto her back.“Hey, baby.”He looked into her eyes, his heart pounding with the thought that he could have lost her.“Are you okay?”

She shakes her head, and I glance down, seeing flecks of blood staining through her clothes.Jesus Christ, she’s been shot.Nausea rushes through me.

I pull her into my arms, covering her body with my own.“Fuck.”Anger and fury pulse inside me, both at myself and the bastard who was so brazen as to shoot in a crowd.

I glance around, but we are surrounded by onlookers, and the assailant is long gone.“Someone call 911!”I shout to the people around us, then refocus on Mia.“I’ll get you out of here, just hang on.I’ve got you.”

Tears pool in her eyes.“I’m fine.My shoulder burns but… I’m okay,” she says, as if I am the one who needs reassuring.“But—”

“Give me a second.”I rip off my jacket and press it against the wound, applying pressure.

She winces at the pain.

“I’m sorry, but I have to staunch the bleeding.”

“Ambulance is on its way,” someone yells to him.

I breathe out a harsh breath.

Suddenly Mia grabs my arm with her good hand.“Austin, I’m scared.”

I lean closer, my lips near her cheek.“It’s going to be okay.”

“But…” She draws a shuddering breath, her gaze hesitant.“I’m pregnant.What about the baby?”