Page 11 of Stryker
This time she sat across the coffee table from me in a rocking chair that she seemed to sink into.
“We don’t really talk about that.”
Her expression dropped. “So tell me about you. You met my parents. Tell me about your parents. Do you have brothers or sisters?”
Pain twisted like a knife in my gut as Declan’s face filled my mind’s eye. “A brother. He’s gone now. And so are they.” I’d lost everything. Everyone. Not to anything incredible. My parents were hit by a drunk driver and died instantly. My brother, though, he’d taken his own life two years ago.
I should have been there to save him. But I hadn’t been there when he needed me most. Lost in the agony of the past and the thoughts that I was totally alone in the world, I didn’t notice she’d moved until her arms closed around me.
“I’m sorry,” she said softly against my chest.
Her sweet gesture warmed me like a balm for my wounded soul. “This is super uncomfortable. One second.” She shifted, trying to get comfortable with her arms wound around my shoulders.
I smiled as she snuggled into me and buried her face in the curve of my shoulder. If I was being honest with myself, I would admit I liked her company. I loved her attitude, her kindness, the gentleness of her. She was one of those all-around good girls that had always appealed to me. Though I had no doubt she’d stand up for herself and fight like hell if she needed to. Which only added to her appeal.
“I like this.” Her softly spoken words stoked the fire in me.
“I like it too.” I ran my hands up her back and held onto her as she relaxed in my arms. “Tell me about you,” I said.
She stiffened in my arms. “There’s not much to tell,” she whispered.
I chuckled and she lifted her head to look me in the eye. “Are you… laughing at me?” She sounded betrayed.
“Of course not.”
She narrowed her eyes, that playful look not disappearing. “Youarelaughing.” With a shake of her head and an adorable little snort, she tucked her head back into my shoulder. Her breath warmed my skin.
I couldn’t like her. I couldn’t want her.It’s a bad idea to mix business and pleasure. And oh, damn does she look and feel like pleasure personified.
And it didn’t help one bit that she wasn’t an actual paying customer. It was easier for me to compartmentalize work and play when the lines were clearly defined. But this reminded me more of a lover’s retreat than a client and employee situation. It was harder to separate when I could smell her arousal. Worse yet, that I knew she was untouched.
Though I’d had my fair share of women turned on, this wasn’t the same. Her interest wasn’t another notch in her belt, another experience to cross off some list only she knew about. I could taste that slight edge of fear and confusion radiating off her. This was about as pure as lust could get.
She finally let me go and backed off a little bit. “I guess I should get to bed, huh? It’s getting late.”
Startled, I glanced out the window. The sun had sunk over the edge of the horizon and the moon sparkled in the sky. She was right. Where had the time gone?
“Goodnight,” I said, not making a move. I didn’t trust myself to get up. Correction, I didn’t trust myself to get up and not follow her into the room she’d chosen to sleep in. Instead, I sat and stared out the window, searching for scents that didn’t belong, sounds I didn’t recognize, or lights that shouldn’t be there.
Of course there was nothing.
Still, I waited. I waited until she should be asleep. I waited until I talked myself out of going into her bedroom. I waited until there was no chance she would still be awake.
And finally, I got up and headed into the room next to hers. I didn’t want too much more than a wall between us in case I needed to act fast. If life had taught me anything, it’s that when shit hits the fan, it happens fast, and you have to be ready to get the fuck out.
I undressed to my boxers and hesitated as a soft sound caught my attention. Tilting my head, I listened for it and heard it again. A delicate sniff. A soft whine like a weak puppy’s.
She was crying.
I walked to the wall that separated us and placed a hand on it, wishing I could lend her strength and help her through this. Everything would be okay. She’d make it through this.
As if she felt my presence, she quieted down and my heart throbbed in my chest.
I wanted nothing more than to break down her door and crush her in my arms. I wanted to hold her close and tell her that everything would be okay.
But I didn’t.
I couldn’t.
