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She wasn’t good at hiding her feelings, and right now she was on edge, tired, and frustrated

A long day, no doubt,up his sheets He knew exactly what he’d do to relax her, but he had to remind himself that she wasn’t his to take care of

His own choice

He was leaving, and soht with someone else Someone ould take care of her, help her unwind at the end of the day Maybe so to kick his ass, just on principle And if it was Josh, Ty’d…Jesus It’d be whoever Mallory chose, and Ty had nothing to say about it, not even if her new Mr Wrong used the guise of showing her how to hold a tool to kiss her Not even if that Mr Wrong bent her over a piece of furniture, taking her in front of ashe really was It was none of his business

But it sucked

"Just trustto a cabinet She pulled a set of keys from her pocket and eyed thea box "Take these One a day"

"What are you poisoning me with now?" the woman asked

"Vitamins," Mallory said

The wo co idiots"

Mallory put the vitamins back into the woman’s hands "Your blood work shows you’re ane out in the bathroo until EMS finds you on the floor with your pants at your ankles again Your choice, Mrs Burland"

There was a long silence during which the wolared at Mallory "You used to be afraid of irl"

"Things change," Mallory said in a ment, no recriminations "Take the vitaht and pinch your nose and shove the to out-mean ed You’ve gotten a tough skin You’ve learned to hold back and keep your emotions off your sleeve for the world to see You are very welcome"

"Oh, it wasn’t all you," Mallory said, and Ty felt an odd tightening in his chest, because he kneho’d changed her

Hi fro there Her surprised smile only added to the ache in Ty’s chest but he nodded to her and stepped back, leaning against the wall in the hall to wait

Mallory looked at her patient "I have so else for you; hold on" She ca the door behind her She flashed Ty another smile and vanished into the next room When she returned, she handed her patient so her from the exam room and out front

A few minutes later Mallory was back "Hey"

"Hey You need a lock on the front door when you’re here alone," he said

"I wasn’t alone until now, and this is Lucky Harbor I’s"

"The meds are locked"

"Flimsy lock," he said "Especially for so aher safety seriously enough for his you here?"

"You owe "

She sputtered, then laughed "I owe you a favor? Since when?"

"Since the night I pretended to be your date at the auction"

"Pretended? You were supposed to be ," she re the date Which e of an injured guy" He tsked "Shaine what people would say if they knew you’d done such a thing"

She narrowed her eyes, clearly a hi shot

"So what exactly is this favor?" she asked "And don’t tell e rooms" She paused "Okay, so we both know I’d hop into another closet with you so fast it’d h, he pushed off the wall and came toward her "It’s not that," he said "I need the saasm?" she asked cheekily

"Only if you ask very nicely But I meant a date"

Her expression went dubious "A date? Now?"

"Yes"

She went from dubious to blank-faced "A last date?"

Well, hell What could he say to that? It was the truth "Actually," he said "I don’t believe we ever had a first date" He took her hand and brought it to his ainst her palers "Say yes, Mallory"

Staring at hi across his jaw "Always"

He felt his heart roll, exposing its underbelly Nothing he could do about that He was equipped to eliminate threats, protect and serve

Not to love

Never to love

Mallory didn’t knohat to expect Ty wouldn’t tell her where they were going, but they were on the highway, heading toward Seattle Once there, he drove to a very swank block lined with designer shops and parked

"Um," she said

He pulled her out of the car and into a dress shop "So for the orchestra," he said to the pretty sales woman who came forward He turned to Mallory "Whatever you want"

She was confused "What?"

"The auction The night on the town package"

Again, she just gaped at him "Was that supposed to be a full explanation?"

"It’s tonight," he said "Tonight’s the last night of the orchestra"

"So you what, kidnapped ht off And you said you never got to date ly baffled "And don’t women like this surprise romantic shit?"