“Candy! What happened? Why are you crying?” He’d seen her come in and drop into her chair. It wouldn’t hurt to give her a few minutes. Then her shoulders started shaking. He cursed himself up one side and down the other but figured he’d man up and take his lumps. But he didn’t want to make a big deal about it in the main office for everyone to see. The next time he looked up there were three guys kneeling at her feet and one of the girls was rubbing her shoulder as she sobbed.

Hell, he hadn’t done anything that bad. The closer he got the more his chest ached. He just about tossed Hank out of his way to get to her. There was about a half a second hesitation before he pulled her out of her chair and into his arms. Fuck it. They could all think what they wanted. Right now Candy was his only concern.

“Babe, is this… about the woman? I’d just left those in the dryer.” She looked up at him with bloodshot eyes that had no comprehension of what he was talking about. Okay, none of this was about him. Which meant who ever had done this was going to be in a world of hurt when he found them.

“The cat.” Those were the only words she managed to get out before she started sobbing again.

“One of your strays?” She nodded though she didn’t stop sobbing. “Did one get hit by a car?”

“Murdered.” What the hell? Everybody in the office was surrounding them now and he wanted to growl and bare his teeth at them, at everyone. He was gonna hurt someone bad. First he needed to find out what the hell was going on. And he needed her alone. It wouldn’t fix anything but he couldn’t hold her the way he needed to, couldn’t soothe her the way she needed here with a goddamned audience.

He rolled the two of them into his office. To everyone’s credit, no one had a smart ass comment. Not even Axel. Once they were alone he wrapped his arms around her pressing her against his chest. Hell, he wanted to lock her up inside him if it would keep her safe. “Tell me what happened? Why do you think the cat was murdered?” He couldn’t keep his hands off her and he had no intention of trying to. Holding her close did what he thought it would and she’d calmed down enough to speak.

“When I came out this morning to go to work—Oh God. Someone had killed one of the cats. The orange tiger, he’d go to anyone he thought would give him food.” He pulled some tissues from the box and stuffed them in her hand. She separated one from the mess and dabbed her eyes. The rest she shredded as she spoke. “Someone sliced open his...” He tucked her under his chin and rubbed her back until she stopped sobbing again.

“Go ahead hon.”

“They cut his throat. And then they used the knife to pin him to the ground in my flower bed.” Jesus. Yeah, that sure as fuck sounded like murder.

“Did you touch anything?”

“What?” Her voice was ragged from crying.

“If you didn’t disturb anything then I’ll send one of the guys over to see if we can get prints.” She looked at him in shock. “And clean it up so you don’t have to see it again.”

“I couldn’t touch it.”

“Okay. Let me take care of it.” He called Axel from his phone while she tucked herself into him. That done, he hugged her closer since they both seemed to need it, her to calm down and him to keep from tearing something apart. He willed himself to relax. In his present state of mind he was as likely to scare the hell out of her as help her. Shit, maybe she needed a different kind of guy but she was stuck with him.

“So she wasn’t someone you’d slept with?” God love a woman.

“No, couldn’t even tell you her name. So you better?” She was still shaking like a leaf.

“I don’t understand. Who would do something like that? It was so pointlessly cruel.”

“Who knows. I want you to keep a gun, Candy.”

“Jameson, I’ve told you before I can’t and I won’t. You can’t make me.” He raised one eyebrow and smirked at her.

“Do you wanna make a bet?” She seemed to shrink before his eyes. There hadn’t been a lot of fight in her since she hit the door but even that little bit fled and she got pale. It killed him but he picked her up and set her on the chair across from his desk. “Okay, talk.”

“About what?” He gave her a good natured glare. She’d buckle under a full frontal assault.

“I can’t do this.” She started to get up.

“Sit your ass down. Can’t talk to me or can’t do this?” He waved his hand between the two of them.

“Us. I swear it’s not you, it’s—”

“Sweetheart, I invented that line. I get it. Some women just can’t deal with all of this.”

“Are you— Do you really think I’m calling it quits because of the damn wheelchair? You are the most ignorant fool God made a man. For your information, that was the best sex I’d had in my entire life and I freaked out. And you think I’d stop seeing you because—“

“Best sex ever, huh?” She growled at him. Goddamn, he wanted to cheer. Watching her get good and pissed at him made it so he could breathe again. Anything was better than her looking so broken and defeated. “I meant that some women just can deal with all this amazingness.”

“Oh! You!” She popped up and yanked open the door. The two of them watched as half the office nearly fell in on them. Jesus, what did he pay these clowns for? Candy pushed her way through the crowd and they all stared at him.

“Get back to work.” He’d be puffed up like a rooster except someone was trying to send Candy a message and when he found out who, he had a message of his own to deliver. In the meantime, that woman wanted to do things slow, he could do slow. It would kill him because now that he’d felt her come apart in his arms he wanted more. And in order to get more he’d have to sneak in under her defenses. He was battle trained and she didn’t stand a chance.

Partial prints that didn’t match anything on file. All those CSI shows made it look so simple. If fingerprints were so traceable his job would be a hell of a lot easier. Thank God warming up one sweet old fashioned girl was. He just didn’t take no for an answer. He also wasn’t taking her to bed again until she came to him which sucked, plain and simple. She still wouldn’t keep a damn gun and when he pushed, she would clam up on herself so fast he’d get road rash. So he’d dropped it. For now.

“Hey simmer down in there.” He rubbed under the little dog’s chin. If it were up to him he’d lock her up in a tower. He never understood that fairytale as a kid but lately it was sounding like a genius plan. The little dog yipped at him. “Yeah, well she isn’t yours yet. But when she is, I want you to bark like your life depends on it if you hear so much as a twig crack.”

He rang the bell and tugged the sweatshirt closed. The tiny little dog turned himself around and snuggled in. Crazy beast. If he’d had any doubts, okay, he’d had tons of doubts but the smile she gave him when she answered the door blew them away. She bent to kiss him and he evaded her. Jesus, it was killing him to ration out how often they could touch but if he kept her wanting something she couldn’t get yet, then maybe she’d get brave or crazy enough to not be afraid anymore. But damn, it was killing him not to kiss her.

“So the place is coming along well.” He could give a damn about decorating but it meant something to her so he played along. He did have to say he really liked her idea of work clothes though, flirty little shorts and a shirt tied at her waist. A men’s shirt. He ignored the urge to strip it off of her. It likely had been her husband’s, still. She could keep her memories of the guy but he wanted his own clothes marking her.

“Thanks. I’m pretty happy with it.” Her eyebrows pulled together and she was staring at his chest. “I’m sorry.” Louder she said “What the heck? Jameson why is your chest moving like that?”

“Guess the cat’s out of the bag, or in this case,” he pulled the little beast out from his shirt. “Dog.” Her squeal startled him and the puppy enough that the tiny thing started barking, loudly. Perfect, he was already good at his job.

“Oh my gosh, that is the cutest little dog. I didn’t see her in your apartment.”

“He, it’s a he.” He pointed to the impossibly small black leather studded collar. “And he isn’t mine.”

“You’re watching him for a friend?”

“No, I got him as a present for someone.”

“Oh. Lucky them.” Her face fell and he couldn’t help smiling.

“I got him for you.” She scooped the little dog out of his hand and clutched him to her chest. That dog was gonna get so spoiled.

“Why would you get me a dog?” Not that she looked like she was giving him back anytime soon.

“I thought he could keep you company. He’s too small to be an attack dog or anything but at least he’ll bark, let you know if someone is prowling around.” He could have been invisible for all she paid attention to what he was saying. She was baby talking to the pip-squeak dog.

“Cutey face, I am going to name you Bitsy.”

“You can’t name him Bitsy, for the love of God woman, he’ll lose all self-respect.” She glared at him and then nuzzled the dog.

“You like the name Bitsy, don’tcha boy.” The dog yipped at her and started licking her face. “I’m taking that as a yes. Oh, I’m going to have to go to the store and get all the stuff I need for him.”

“I’ve got everything in the car, including a crate thing for him to sleep in so you can house break him.” He had a sneaking suspicion the dog’s feet were never going to touch the floor.

“I’m going to have to bring him in to work. I can’t leave him home alone all day.” He hadn’t thought of that.

“I suppose, not like he takes up much space. He’s a—,”

“A tea cup Yorkie, I know. I’ve always wanted one, but getting a dog just seemed so, extravagant.” Then she leaned down and kissed him on the cheek. “I was just about to start on dinner. Would you like to stay? I’m making chicken and dumplings.”

He should leave. Keep her pulling on the line. She had the dog to keep her company and let her know if something was going on. And the alarm system, that was non-negotiable. She was keeping it no matter what. She didn’t have to know he’d had them install the cameras outside so he could check on her now and then. Just to appease his conscience. Yeah, his girl would not like that at all. Except not every part of him got the memo. He didn’t realize he’d even said yes until his stomach rumbled and his mouth was watering.

“I’ll go get the dog crate and stuff.” Outside he could curse himself up one side and down the other. If he chose to ignore the fact that he was smiling the whole time it was no one’s business but his.