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without even thinking about it, he put his body in front of mine and saved me from being shot.”
    Apparently that sort of thing was a habit with Ben. “Sounds familiar.”
    Lara’s smile came back, more subtle this time but definitely there. The kind that said she was about to go on an information-fishing expedition. “So, he started asking you out?”
    “I made him work for it.” Jocelyn ran her fingers over the outline of the flower print on the comforter.
    “Good for you. When it’s easy for them, their egos are unbearable.” Lara got up and went to the dresser. She turned around with shampoo and other bathroom essentials in each hand. “Since I’m a bit of a bath-gel collector, we have a lot of choices, but you might like a few of these.”
    Figuring out which fragrance to use seemed so mundane after seeing a dead man on her floor. Jocelyn didn’t know how to switch the fear off and go back to regular conversations. The idea of sleeping in a strange bed already had her insides jumping around.
    She rubbed her hands together but stopped when she felt a burn on her skin and saw how red they were turning. “So, at some point I’ll go back to not being terrified of being attacked again?”
    Lara’s arms dropped. “I won’t lie to you. It will creep up on you now and then, but you’ll get through it. And you’re safe here.”
    “I can’t exactly live in your guest room.” Though Jocelyn had to admit she didn’t hate the thought.
    She winced at the idea of returning to her apartment. She’d considered it a safe place, her sanctuary. An easy walk to the water and a few miles from the heavy traffic of the touristy historic district and the Naval Academy. But no way could she stay there now.
    “You’re welcome to live here as long as you need.” Lara handed her two bottles.
    Jocelyn took them without reading the labels. “Aren’t you guys newlyweds?”
    “Almost three months, but we’ve known each other a long time. We were engaged before.” Lara held up a hand as she rolled her eyes. “Long story.”
    That sounded better than talking about murder. “Apparently I’ve got time.”
    “Right now you need sleep.”
    She made it sound so easy. Jocelyn knew from experience it wouldn’t be. “I’ll never be able to drift off.”
    “I’ll bet you a doughnut tomorrow morning that you will.”
    * * *
    B EN SAT AT Davis’s dining-room table and spun a water bottle around, watching it tip and using his palms to make sure it didn’t fall over. The edges thudded until it came to a stop. Then he started again.
    Davis reached over Ben’s shoulder and snagged the bottle-turned-toy. “So you and the nurse are dating, huh? A guy goes on his honeymoon, misses one case and comes back to all sorts of changes.”
    Skipping the groan, Ben wiped his hands over his face then let his arms fall against the table with a slap. “You held that in longer than I expected.”
    “You know, if you had convinced her to let you into her apartment for some after-date time, the guy may have taken you out before you could have saved her.” Davis shrugged as he sat down sideways in the chair across from Ben and stretched his long legs out in front of him. “So it’s good she had no trouble resisting you.”
    There were times Ben hated the lack of privacy in this group. They were connected by the intercoms in their watches and phones. Joel tracked their movements and each had cameras in their houses that reported back to Corcoran headquarters and could be turned on in the event of an emergency call. It reminded him of his time in the navy—all structure and little alone time. Having been out for years, it was taking time to get used to the intrusions again.
    “Are you doubting my abilities?” Because by the fifth time Jocelyn said no to coffee, Ben had started to.
    Davis shrugged. “Just pointing out that Dating Ben might not be as on top of things as Agent Ben.”
    “Feel free to go to bed. I don’t need