I awoke with a jolt, shot straight up in bed, and then gasped for air as the pain in my ribs made itself known. On instinct, my arm came up to cradle my damaged ribs while my eyes immediately tracked over the dark room, looking for threats. The only thing worse than being injured and vulnerable was to be alone, injured, and vulnerable. Only after I confirmed that I was indeed safe in my bed, did I bother to check the time. It was just a little after one in the morning. Fuck!

Between the pain meds, Bobby gave me and what happened last night, it was obviously enough to spur the return of my nightmares. At this rate, Bobby would be pulling my weapon just based on my level of exhaustion. It was bad enough that he would no doubt insist on restricted duty while my ribs healed. He hadn't said anything last night, but after being friends with him for so long I know how his mind works. However, after seeing the look on Casey's face when she realized I was injured, it was probably for the best. While restricted duty would drive me crazy, I'd do just about anything to prevent seeing that look in her eyes again.

I leaned over and switched on the bedside light. As I pulled back, I noted how my hand was shaking. Until Casey came along, I never experienced such a physical reaction to my nightmares. Usually, they'd wake me up, I'd canvas my apartment for threats, take a shot of whatever I had in the cabinet, and go back to bed. It was a bad habit that took forever for me to break.

I scrubbed my hands over my face, then threw the covers off, and climbed from the bed. After grabbing my pajama pants from atop the chest at the foot of the bed, I headed out of the bedroom. The only way I was going to go back to sleep was to check on Casey. Being in my apartment inside this building meant she was safe, but my paranoid brain insisted on checking anyway.

I stepped out of my bedroom and stopped. The rest of the apartment remained dark and silent, telling me that I was most likely the only one having nightmares. Thank God for small miracles. I'd rather be the one suffering than be forced to watch Casey get dragged under again by her memories.

I've never been one to allow a crying female to get the better of me. That was until Stephanie came alone. Seeing her cry always broke my heart. Which was part of why I thought I was in love with her. It was only when I witnessed Casey cry for the first time did I realize how wrong I was. Watching Casey cry tore a giant hole in my heart every single time.

Careful not to make too much noise, I check the door to her room. It was unlocked, so I opened it just a crack and peeked in. The sound of her soft breathing told me she was sound asleep in her bed. Relief washed through me as I eased her door closed. I crossed to the kitchen and switched on the overhead light, then pulled open the refrigerator and stared at the contents. My thoughts traveled to the cabinet above the refrigerator where I kept the hard liquor. I wanted to pour myself a highball of bourbon or something hard enough to help me take the edge off.

As I stared blankly at the contents of my fridge, I could practically hear Doctor Cochran in my head, telling me all the reasons why turning to alcohol right now was bad and how it would be even worse for someone like me. Someone who suffered from PTSD. I only wanted one drink, but I was smart enough to know that the danger came from not being able to stop once I started. Not to mention I planned to take more of the painkillers Bobby gave me. Alcohol and pain meds wouldn't mix.

While I drank socially quite often, this was different, and I couldn't risk going there. Casey needed me to stay sober and sharp. Though, with the discovery of Izzy's body, I was beginning to worry that even with all of Rangeman at my disposal, I might not be able to keep Casey safe. In just the few weeks she'd been here she'd made such a huge impact on my life. Now, I couldn't imagine my world without her in it.

All those wild orders that my cousin used to issue regarding Stephanie now made so much sense. He's the kind of man who is accustomed to always being in control of any situation. So, keeping Steph safe while still allowing her to live her life must have terrified him in a way I'm sure he wasn't used to feeling. I understood how he might doubt his abilities and why he was willing to burn so much money protecting Beautiful. It was now all so clear to me, and that understanding only terrified me more.

Resisting the urge to reach for the alcohol, I instead pulled out the milk carton from inside the fridge. Then I grabbed a glass from the cabinet and poured myself a highball of milk. I'd just returned the carton to the fridge and closed the door when Casey appeared in the doorway. "Lester?"

Her sleepy eyes contained a concerned quality about them, and instant guilt cut through me at the realization that I'd woke her. "Hey, I'm sorry I woke you," I said.

"Why are you up?" she asked ignoring my apology.

Would it scare her even more if I told her that I was having nightmares about not being able to protect her? After all, I'd promised I would. Instead of answering her, I picked up my glass and took a drink.

Her soft hands slid over my back, instantly loosening some of the tension there. What was it about her touch that it could relax me? "Lester? Please talk to me."

I set the glass down, then rested my hands against the edge of the sink as I stared forward at the tile backsplash and wrestled with my thoughts. It wasn't uncommon for me to push her to talk when she was upset. For me not to do the same would be more than just wrong. While I wasn't one to freely share my emotions, especially when I was feeling so vulnerable, I'm smart enough to know that not doing so could damage this fragile bond we've built.

"I had a nightmare," I murmured as I dropped my head forward and closed my eyes. Shame coursed through me with my admission. Just how would she react to finding out I'm not as strong or confident as I pretended to be?

Her other hand joined the first and began rubbing circles along my back. The motion was gentle, soothing, and more intimate than I could have imagined. "About Izzy?" she asked.

I shook my head. "Not exactly."

Silence followed as I worked up the nerve to tell her the rest, leaving only the ticking of the clock hanging on the wall to fill the space.

Her hands slid around to my waist, and she pressed herself against my back, infusing me with her warmth. Her lips brushed over my bare shoulder before she spoke. "You've helped me so much. Please, let me help you."

No way could I deny her request. So, I did the only thing I could. I dug deep and manned up. "I had a nightmare that the body we found was you," I finally whispered, the words felt like razor blades against my throat as they worked their way out.

Instead of recoiling from my admission, she tightened her hold. "It was just a dream, Lester. I'm here and I'm safe."

I lifted my hands from the edge of the sink to cover hers, where she held tight to me. "You don't understand. I'm afraid that I won't be able to protect you."

"You're doing everything you can, including making sure I can defend myself," she replied. "You can't expect any more of yourself or those around you."

"I know," I said as I slowly turned in her arms so I could face her. "But you still don't understand."

"Then explain it so I can," she said.

I lifted my hands to caress her hair. "If anything happened to you, I'm not sure I would survive the grief."

Careful of my injured ribs, she slid her hands up my chest and rested her palms over my heart. "Nothing is going to happen to me," she said. "And do you know why?"

"Why?"

"Because my boyfriend is this big, bad security expert. He's smart and strong and fast and despite his fear that he can't protect me, I trust him one hundred percent to keep me safe."

I wasn't sure which hit me harder, the unbidden trust she had in me and my abilities or the fact that she'd called me her boyfriend. I slid a hand around the back of her neck, holding her in place as I lowered my head. "I know this is crazy considering how short of time you've been here, but I love you so much."

Her lips tipped into a small wry smile as she stared up at me. "It's not crazy, Les, because at this point, I'm head over heels in love with you."

Taking it slow, I bridged the distance to kiss her. The moment my lips touched hers, I melted, softening the kiss even more. When she opened her mouth and her pretty pink tongue darted out to tease me, something inside my brain snapped.

I was moving before I realized it, turning so I could back her against the fridge. My hands brushed along her sides until I was able to cradle her hips. An impatient and incessant need coursed through me, pushing me to take everything she was willing to give.

With one hand in my hair and the other on my waist, Casey's fingers curled, digging in, urging me on. I angled my head and took the kiss deeper. When she caught my tongue and sucked gently on it, I nearly lost what was left of my control. A low growl tore from deep in my chest. She answered in kind with a soft moan that arrowed into my heart with deadly accuracy.

If I didn't slow this down, I was going to do something I'd regret. With more strength than I thought I had; I tore my mouth away. For a long heated moment, we locked eyes. Only our panting breaths could be heard in the tense silence.

"Precious," I whispered, as I leaned my forehead against hers.

She lifted her hand from my hip and gently ran her fingers along the side of my face. "Come to bed with me, Lester. Let me help keep your nightmares away."

Needing her more than I needed my next breath, I nodded, then allowed her to guide me to her bedroom. Even though my brain was on the verge of shutting down, somehow, I managed to stay mindful of the delicacy of this moment. Giving her complete control would hopefully ease any of her lingering fears.

She turned the covers down and motioned to the bed. "Lay down and wait for me. I just need to take a moment to protect us, okay?"

My brain seemed to be short-circuiting with the knowledge that this was indeed finally going to happen, so all I could do was nod. My eyes tracked her movements until she disappeared out the door on her way to the bathroom. In the silence of the room, I fought to regulate my breathing and keep my hands off my already throbbing dick. I wasn't going to ruin this by giving in to my impulsive nature.

A few minutes later she returned. She stopped at the foot of the bed and looked at me. Even with the hallway light casting the front of her in a shadow, I could make out the hint of reservation in her expression. "You-" My voice cracked, and I stopped, cleared it, and tried again. "You have complete control here, Precious. You guide what happens."

A slow smile tipped her lips. Then like a damn goddess, she eased onto the end of the bed and made her way up to where I remained still. She lowered her head and pressed a kiss to my chest. "You let me know if I do anything to hurt your ribs, okay?"

I seriously doubted I'd even be thinking about my ribs in a few more minutes, but I managed to reply in the affirmative.

She lowered her head and kissed my chest over my heart. Then she moved to my bruised ribs and brushed a gentle kiss across them. The moment her fingers curled into the waistband of my sleep pants; I sucked in a quick breath. This was going to happen. Again, she moved lower, pressing her lips against my abdomen as she worked my sleep pants over my hips.

My anticipation continued to build as my gaze tracked every one of her movements while she worked my pants down and then off my legs. With no regard to where they landed, she tossed them aside, then grazed her nails back up my legs as she moved. "No more nightmares," she whispered as she reached the promised land. "Only good dreams and new memories from this point forward."

It wasn't hard to realize that she was saying the words as much for herself as she was for me. Propping up her courage. I couldn't stop the groan that tore from my throat when she wrapped her fingers around me. "Did you mean it when you said I was in complete control?" she asked.

"Yes," I croaked, the single word feeling thick as it left my throat.

"Good," she replied. "Because after what you did for me last night, I'd like to try and return the favor."

Before I could formulate any semblance of a coherent reply, wet heat engulfed me, and my body jerked with a new rush of pleasure. "Fuck, Casey." My fingers itched to reach down and thread through her hair. Instead, I forced them up, to grip the pillow. Pure delight rushed through me with amazing speed, and I tried not too hard to think about where she'd learned to give the pleasure, she was bestowing on me now.

My low moans and grunts mixed with her soft mewls of desire, creating a melodic soundtrack of our love. I held my breath in anticipation when she finally let go and then shifted to move over me. This was the moment I'd dreamed about. This was the moment when everything would change for us. Instead of the panic I expected to feel with such a huge commitment, all I was experiencing was giddy anticipation and joy. This right here…this was what it felt like to experience true love.

She kept her eyes locked on mine as she eased down, taking me deep inside her and for the first time, making us one. "Oh God, Lester," she cried.

I couldn't hold out any longer. I needed to touch her. "Casey. My love," I murmured as I brought my hands down to gently hold her hips under her sleep gown. She shifted, then pulled the gown over her head and tossed it away. When her gaze met mine again, she smiled. "I don't want anything between us anymore." Then she leaned forward to take my mouth in a soft, but passionate kiss. There was no space between us as our skin touched. My hands slid up her back then returned to cup her gorgeous ass. When she finally began to move, my world exploded in a way I never imagined possible.

Tomorrow would be here soon enough and with it my worries and concerns would return, but for now, in this moment, there was nothing but pleasure. Nothing but me, Casey, and the love we shared, and I was going to enjoy every second of it.