Chapter 6

Tory

I head to the bedroom after saying goodnight to Ranger, the soft creak of the floorboards beneath my feet the only sound in the quiet house. My body is exhausted, but my mind feels like it’s running a marathon I can’t keep up with.

The room feels larger and emptier than it did earlier, as though the air itself is holding its breath. I change into a pair of soft sleep shorts and an oversized T-shirt, pulling my hair into a messy ponytail before slipping into bed. The sheets are cool against my skin, but even as I sink into the plush mattress, I know sleep won’t come easily.

Ranger is still here, somewhere down the hall, probably reading or checking the locks like he always does. And for some reason, that knowledge is a comfort. I feel him here, even when I can’t see him—this steady, quiet presence that makes everything seem just a little bit safer, calmer.

Reaching for my phone on the nightstand, I dial my father’s number. It rings three times before he picks up, his voice brisk but not unkind. “Tory. How are you, sweetheart?”

I smile faintly, the sound of his voice familiar and grounding. “I’m okay, Dad. How’s everything going with the Summit?”

“It’s fine. We’re finalizing the agenda for tomorrow.” He sounds tired—he always does when he’s this deep into his work—but there’s an edge of worry in his tone, one I recognize instantly. “Are you staying close to your security detail?”

My heart skips a beat at the word security , a dull ache settling in my chest. I hesitate for a second before answering. “Yes, Dad. Ranger’s… really good at his job.”

“That’s good to hear,” he replies with obvious relief. “I trust him to keep you safe.”

Safe. That’s what this is about. That’s all Ranger is here for—keeping me safe. It shouldn’t bother me, but it does. Because Ranger isn’t just a bodyguard to me anymore. He’s something else. Something I can’t quite define.

“Everything’s fine here,” I assure him, forcing lightness into my tone. “You don’t need to worry about me. Focus on your work.”

“You know I’ll always worry about you, Tory,” he says softly. “Call me tomorrow, all right?”

“I will. Goodnight, Dad.”

“Goodnight.”

The line goes dead, and I set my phone back on the nightstand, staring up at the ceiling as the quiet of the room settles around me like a heavy blanket.

I should feel relieved that my father is okay, that everything is going according to plan. Soon, this will all be over, and I’ll be back with him, back to my normal life of research, routine, and solitude.

But the thought leaves me hollow.

Because that means leaving Ranger behind.

The realization hits me like a punch to the gut. I’ll have to say goodbye to him. To the man who’s made me feel more alive in the short time I’ve known him than I’ve felt in years. To the man who kissed me so thoroughly, so completely , I can still feel the ghost of his lips on mine.

No one has ever kissed me like that before. No one has ever looked at me like he does, like I’m more than just a quiet, overprotected science nerd.

I shift beneath the covers, rolling onto my side and hugging the pillow closer to me. The ache in my chest deepens, spreading to every limb like a slow burn. I miss him, and he’s not even far away. He’s just down the hall, but the distance feels like miles.

I close my eyes, willing myself to sleep, but all I see is him—Ranger leaning against the doorway, his arms crossed, watching me with that quiet intensity that makes my pulse stumble. Ranger kissing me, his mouth warm and demanding, like he couldn’t get enough of me.

I want more of that. I crave it in a way I don’t understand, a way that terrifies me.

What am I doing? I’ve spent my whole life grounded in logic, in facts, in certainty . And now, this man—a man who’s only supposed to be a protector—has unraveled me completely. I toss onto my other side, frustration bubbling up in my chest.

He’s so different from anyone I’ve ever known. Where I’m cautious, Ranger is steady. Where I overthink everything, Ranger seems to act on instinct, like he trusts himself without question. He doesn’t hesitate, doesn’t second-guess.

And I envy that. I envy him.

But more than that, I want to be close to him again. I want to feel his warmth, the strength in his touch, the quiet way he makes me feel seen .

My breathing slows as I lay still, my heart thudding softly against the pillow. What if I never feel this again? What if I go back to my life and forget what it’s like to be kissed like that? To be looked at like I matter?

Stop, I scold myself. This can’t be real. It’s not practical. Men like Ranger don’t fall for women like me. He’s here to do a job, and when it’s done, he’ll move on. That’s how this works.

But what if… what if it doesn’t have to end like that?

I groan and press my face into the pillow, feeling utterly ridiculous. I’ve known him for like a day—one full day—and I’m already falling apart over him. That’s not like me. It’s not logical.

And yet, here I am, wide awake at midnight, longing for him like some kind of lovesick teenager.

Maybe it’s the way he sees me, or maybe it’s the fact that I feel safe with him—truly safe—for the first time in forever. Or maybe it’s because when he looks at me, I forget how small I’ve always felt. I forget the shadows, the doubt, the fear.

I squeeze my eyes shut and roll onto my back again, staring up at the ceiling. The silence in the room feels louder now, as though the walls themselves are echoing my thoughts.

I’m tempted to get up, to go find him, just to hear his voice, to know he’s still here. But I don’t. I can’t. I’m not brave enough for that.

Instead, I lay there, tangled in my sheets, my mind a whirlwind of questions I don’t have answers for. What is this all? Is it real?

Don’t be stupid, I tell myself. He kissed you. And it wasn’t just a kiss. It was fire and lightning and everything I never knew I wanted.

I close my eyes, my heart aching in a way I don’t know how to soothe. For now, I’ll let myself hold onto the memory of it—the way his lips felt, the sound of his voice when he murmured my name, the way he made me feel like I wasn’t invisible.

And I wonder—when this is all over, when I go back to my father’s world and Ranger goes back to his—will I ever feel that again?

I don’t know the answer, but the thought leaves me hollow.