I open my eyes at the sound of jangling keys and heavy footfall. I hear the officer only seconds before I see her. She has a paperback novel under her arm and a no-nonsense expression on her face. The door buzzes, then she slides it open. I cringe at the sound of heavy steel dragging across the concrete floor.

"Bradford," she deadpans, "You're up." I sit up and swing my legs over the side of the metal bench I've been laying on for hours and rub my hands over my scruffy beard.

She walks me down a narrow hall. We stop in the lobby of the police station, right in front of the desk where I was processed. "You're free to go."

"I don't understand. Did someone post bail?" I look around, hoping to see Blaise. It's a stupid wish. Of course she's not here. I shouldn't even want her to be.

"Nope. Charges dropped." My head is spinning as she hands me my personal belongings and escorts me to the door.

The second I step outside I see a red coat and yellow umbrella across the square. She's sitting on our bench, her back to me. She made this happen. I know immediately. It had to have been her. But how?

I slip into the seat next to her. She grins, wordlessly closes the umbrella and sets it in the ground at our feet. She hands me a steaming paper mug.

"What? How?" I ask, questions and theories still swirling in my mind. "Why?"

"The what is I rescued you. The how is with a lot of help and some slightly unethical persuasion." She turns her head and looks at me, briefly. "And the why is because I love you." She whispers it so quietly I barely hear the words.

"I want to kiss you right now."

Her eyes dart across the bustling square. "You probably shouldn't."

I sit back and take a sip of black coffee. She rescued me. Of course she did. And all before I even stepped foot in front of the Judge.

The Judge. Wyatt's Godfather. His dad's best friend. She rescued me. But at what cost? What kind of deal did she make with which devil?

"Montgomery?" I ask her cautiously.

"Not a concern." She hands me a piece of paper. I look down and glance over the terms of a restraining order entered against him. Signed by Judge Ward.

I fold the paper and put it in the clear plastic bag with the rest of my personal items. Everything except my cellphone, which never got logged or returned. He can't come near her, but that doesn't solve all our problems.

"He has my phone. He knows a lot."

"Also not a problem." She hands me a second piece of paper, this one a non-disclosure agreement. Signed by Wyatt.

"You're -" I'm not even sure how to finish the sentence. I'm still not sure how she pulled this off, but I know without a doubt it's because she's brave and strong and so incredibly smart. I spent the last twenty-four hours sulking in a cell while she was out here breathing fire.

"I'm what?" she asks.

"You're a dragon."

***

Two weeks later

I hear my garage door open and I smile. Even Jack gets excited at her presence. He stretches on the back of the couch and yawns before padding to the basement door. We'll have to adjust our strategy when school starts again, but for the past few weeks she's been able to borrow Martha's car and slip in and out of my place without notice.

Jack rubs against her leg and purrs the second she pushes the door open, leaving a trail of white fur along the edge of what I'm pretty sure are my favorite black leggings. I reach for a lint roller as she reaches down and opens her palm, revealing a pouch of catnip.

"You know he only favors you because you bribe him."

"Of course. Cats are entirely transactional. There is no other way."

She stands patiently as I kneel down and rid her pant leg of the cat hair. I toss the used paper in the trash before pulling her into my arms and leaning in for a deep kiss.

"And what about you? Do you only favor me for the bribes?" she asks.

I kiss her again, sliding my hands down to grasp her ass. These are definitely my favorite leggings. "They're really good bribes."

She laughs and pats me on the chest before plopping down on my couch. I love seeing her in my space, my home, my life, where she belongs. I'm going to miss this when students and faculty return to campus and it's too risky to have her here. But I remind myself it's only temporary. It's only one semester.

"It's the twenty-third now. Can we open them?" She stares at the gifts under the sparkling tree in the corner, the first one I put up in three years, her eyes lighting up like a kid on Christmas morning.

I hate that we're not spending Christmas Eve or Christmas Day together. I thought about whisking her away to the cabin for the holiday, but I don't want her to miss her first Christmas with Eliza and the opportunity to form new family traditions. She's already sacrificed enough for this strange, secret relationship. She never seems to mind the sacrifices, but they bother me regardless. I tried to make this one up to her by planning our own private holiday before I leave town to spend a few days at my sister's.

"I thought we could have dinner first. Maybe watch a classic Christmas movie?" She pouts. So damn impatient.

Her cell phone rings and she answers, giving me a moment to check on the roast. When I return to the living room, she tosses the phone on the couch.

"That was Professor Allouch. I got the externship!" She jumps onto the couch cushion and over the back, right into my arms. I stumble back a step as she wraps her legs around my waist and rains kisses on my temple and down the side of my face.

"My brilliant love." I manage through laughter. I smile at her, so damn happy for her I could burst. And relieved for myself. Both of us thought her stunt with Wyatt and Judge Ward removed her from consideration, especially when weeks went by with no job offer. She swore I didn't cost her the externship, Wyatt did. It was his actions that forced her hand, and forced her into protecting herself as well as me. But I couldn't help but feel responsible.

I place her back on her feet.

"So what did she say? When do you start?"

"Right after New Years. First week of January." She looks down and chews on her cuticle. "She warned me that Judge Ward wasn't thrilled. I wasn't his first choice."

"Well, no surprise there."

"Yeah. She said he thought I was difficult and bossy. But that those words coming from a man like Judge Ward usually means I'm confident and assertive and exactly what she's looking for."

"It sounds like Professor Allouch is wise."

"We should celebrate." She's bouncing on the edge of the couch cushion.

"Absolutely. What did you have in mind?"

She glances at the tree and her smile widens. "Presents."

So impatient.

I put my plans on pause and we exchange gifts. My first gift is a monogramed pen set. 

"Is this so you can steal my pen, isn't it?"

She shrugs, "Nope. It's a replacement for the one I already stole. Again," she teases. I chuckle and open my second gift, a dark green travel mug with the Roasters logo printed across the front. The third gift is a six pack of lint rollers. Smartass.

She opens her gifts next. The first is a new wool coat to replace the red one she still wears, even though half the buttons are missing. This one is royal blue, like the dress she wore the night my whole life changed. The second is a pair of boxing gloves, rose gold ones I saw her eyeing at the sporting goods store last week. The third one makes me a little nervous. It's not something she asked for, but something I hope she'll appreciate. She tears open the envelope and pulls out four tickets for a cruise the week of Spring Break.

"Are we going on a vacation? I don't understand. There are four tickets."

I kiss the wrinkle on her forehead. "No. You know I can't leave the state yet. That's for you and the girls. I owe them a debt of gratitude, too. And I know I'll steal you away for nights and weekends all semester. I just want you to be able to spend quality time with your friends, too. I know they're important."

She throws her arms around my neck again. "Thank you," she mutters into my shoulder. Then she sits back and slaps my chest lightly. "But you are in big trouble. We agreed on a price limit. I even had to use my employee discount to stay under, but you blew it. Big time."

I grin. "Well, then you're really not going to like this." I pull a fourth present from behind my back. A small, velvet box with a bow on top.

Her eyes widen, and I suddenly realize my mistake. She thinks it's a ring, and she's terrified to disappoint me. Or worse, she thinks it's a ring, and she's about to be disappointed.

"It's not a ring," I quickly explain. She exhales, looking relieved.

"Thank God because I love you, but that would be insane." This is coming from the woman who just blackmailed the circuit court judge. Who physically fought off an armed police officer. She is absolutely mad, but that's what makes her absolute magic.

She finally opens the box and pulls out a tiny silver coffee cup dangling from a small clasp.

"For your bracelet. A reminder of where it all started," I explain, and she grins. She picks up the second charm, a small silver heart with a blue sapphire in the middle.

"A reminder of where this is going. That's going to be a ring one day. I have no doubt that I will marry you, Blaise Evans. Eventually. But until then, you have my heart."

She grins again and drops both charms in my hand. She extends her arm, palm up. 

"Would you?" she asks. I lightly grasp her wrist and hold the original charm between my thumb and forefinger. I turn it over and run my thumb over the flame etched into the side. Her eyes bunch together, like she's confused. 

"Are you going to replace that one?" She asks.

"No, of course not. Just add to it." I wink as I clip the new charms onto her old bracelet. 

And that's exactly why, despite all the challenges we face and risks we are taking, I know I'm the better man for her. I'm not trying to replace anyone in her past or change her into anything she's not. I couldn't if I wanted to. She's fire, and if you try to force fire to bend to your will, you're either going to smother it, or you're going to get burned. Because when unappreciated or disrespected, fire has an amazing potential for destruction. But when properly tended, its pure power and warmth. There is so much potential raw power and warmth burning inside her that I'm not even sure really sees it yet. But I do. And I wouldn't dare try to extinguish it. I know that for as long as she'll have me, my obsession, my compulsion, my singular focus will be fanning that blaze.

The end.