The touch stopped completely. The absence of it was startling after the steady contact.

“Myla…” Hayden muttered. 

“Oh God,” she whispered with regret. “This is why I didn’t want to say anything.”

A warm hand settled on her shoulder from behind. 

She knew it was Jared’s because of the particular roughness of them, the calluses earned over years of physical work and military life. 

“Did she just say what I think she said?” Beck’s voice said from the doorway. Then ...