Outside the night air washed over me, and I was able to breathe easy again. Inside the building, her scent had wreaked havoc on my senses, and though it wasn’t much better now with me holding her this close, at least the cool air was giving me a break.

The SUV slid to a stop in front of me just as I made it to the sidewalk. Creed got out and opened the backdoor, and I slid in, still holding her safely in my arms. I was trying hard not to breathe her in and ...