Page 67 of His to Love
Because I needed him—and he came.
He waited for me.
“I’ve been calling you like crazy,” he said as the elevator doors opened. “I was starting to freak the hell out when you didn’t answer your phone.”
“It’s in my purse,” I answered. “I think I turned it off.”
I shifted in his hold when we reached my door, signaling that he could put me down. Once on my feet, with his arm still wrapped around my back, I dug through my purse and grabbed my keycard. I inserted it into the lock with minimal problems and opened the door.
I stepped through it, knowing Tyson was following me, and just as I set my purse down on the table next to the door, I was swept back into his arms and once again being carried down a hall. I was too exhausted, too wrung dry to insist I could walk by myself. I didn’t want to. It felt good to be in Tyson’s arms and be cared for by him.
When we reached my bed, his arm at my back tightened as he bent down to pull down the covers. Then he placed me on the bed and I curled to my side, not wanting to take my eyes off him.
“Want to talk about it?” he asked and ran the back of his knuckles down the side of my face. His thumb wiped away my tears.
I shook my head, but murmured, “My mom.”
It was all I could say before I felt his hands at my ankles. He dropped my shoes on the floor, and shifted my body, lifting my hips while he removed my skirt. Then he pulled me to a sitting position so he could remove my top. I let him undress me like a rag doll, too exhausted to move my limbs. As he reached around to my back to remove my bra, my forehead fell to his shoulder. “I can get undressed,” I told him, even though he’d already done most of the work.
His hand grazed my back up to the nape of my neck. His lips pressed against my ear. “I want to take care of you.”
A shudder rolled through me as he laid me back down, disappearing for only a moment before he came back with a tank top I’d slept in before. He quickly slid it on me.
“Do you need to brush your teeth?”
I shook my head, no. “I’m too tired.”
He chuckled, and it made me smile. With another lift, I was in his arms, carried to the bathroom, and then gently set down on the vanity. I did nothing while he put toothpaste on my brush and handed it to me. Then he filled a cup with water and held up an empty one so I could spit in it.
“I feel foolish,” I admitted, once I’d spit and rinsed my mouth.
“Don’t. We all need someone to take care of us, and while you’re there for your mom and your family, I want to be the one you lean on.”
Another warm shiver rolled down my spine as he lifted me again.
Then I was back in my bed, curled to my side, but this time facing his side of the bed. I was too exhausted to open my eyes, but I reached out toward him when he pulled away.
“Don’t leave me.”
“I’m just getting undressed.”
“Okay,” I whispered, already feeling the darkness of sleep and emotional overload pulling me down.
Then he was back, lying down next to me and pulling me to him so my head was on his shoulder, his heartbeat to my ear. He placed my hand on his chest.
“Sleep well, Blue. I’ve got you.”
But I couldn’t respond to tell him thank you because I’d already fallen asleep.
—
I woke up with red, scratchy eyes and a cold bed next to me.
Blinking the haze of sleep away, I wondered briefly if I had dreamt everything that happened last night, but when I rolled over and saw a note propped up by my phone, which had been plugged into the charger, a grin pulled at my lips. With sleepy movements, I reached for the note and flipped it open. It took me a moment to focus my blurry eyes on the confident scratches of Tyson’s writing.
Bluejay—
Early meeting today and a busy week ahead. Sorry I couldn’t be there when you woke up. Call me if you need anything and I’ll be there.
