by Erin Bevan
By her taking the pills, they were breaking barriers. He swallowed his relief. “Okay, well, it’s late, and you’re probably tired. You can take my room, and I’ll sleep here on the couch. I would offer to change the sheets for you, but I don’t have any extras. If you want to stay up another hour or two, I could wash them real quick.”
“You don’t have a spare bedroom?”
“Yeah, I do, but that’s my weight room. No bed in there.”
“Then, I’ll take the couch. You can have your room.”
“Not happening. Besides, I want to be by the front door.” Sure she understood his reasoning, he didn’t need to elaborate. “Alfred can sleep with you if you’d like.”
“Yeah, I think I would like that.”
“Okay, so want to stay up, watch a movie? The cable went out, but I have a large movie collection. You can pick while I start the sheets.”
“No, don’t do that. I’m sure the sheets are fine, and I’m pretty tired. Rain check?”
His heart shrank, and he lowered his head. “Yeah, sure.” He shrugged and glanced back at her. “But before you go to bed, I think we need to move your car to the shed. I’ll park my truck in the grass, and I’ll lock the garage door so no one can get in.”
If she was skeptical about taking his pills, there was a slim chance she would let him lock up her way of escape. But if someone came to his house, they would have no way of knowing she was inside if her car was hidden and secure. Concealing her vehicle was his best option in helping to keep her safe.
“I’ll even leave the key to the garage on the counter top in the kitchen. You can get your car out anytime you want, okay?”
The same concerning look from moments ago spread across her face again.
“Or we don’t have to lock the garage at all. I just thought—”
“No, you’re right. You should lock it up. I’ll fetch my keys.” She glanced around. “Where’s my bag?”
“I put it on the bed in my room.” He pointed to the hallway. “Right past the bathroom.”
He left her in peace as she walked into his room to get her keys. Her mind had to be spinning right now. His size alone intimated most people. He waited by the front door, giving her plenty of space.
“Here you go.” She handed him her keys.
“Thanks.” He couldn’t fight the small smile that tilted his lips. She’d taken another small step toward trusting him. “I’ll be right back.”
Rain pelted his back as he ran from his house to the shed. He threw the creaky door open and hopped in his grandpa’s old truck. Shoving the key in the ignition, he turned, and the motor rumbled to life. Backing out onto the grass, he quickly parked and switched to her car. The rain poured down faster as lighting flashed all around. He glanced around, but didn’t see evidence of anyone. The only thing he could see: trees. Lots and lots of trees.
And about a million places for someone to hide.
He put one leg inside her car; his knee knocked the steering wheel. Reaching for the lever, he pushed the seat back as far as he could in order to fit behind the wheel. Even still, the space was tight.
He cranked the ignition and glanced around her car. Though the interior appeared clean, a slight aura of sausage and grease lingered. How many hours a week did she work at that diner?
Tyler whipped her small car into the shed next to his bike, locked up, and then ran back inside. Alfred howled like
mad when he crossed the threshold.
“Calm down, buddy. It’s just me.” The dog thumped his tail and bumped his booty against the floor as he scooted closer to their guest. “He’s already taking his job of protecting you seriously.” He handed her the keys to her car.
“I can see that. I’m glad I came.” She ran a palm down Al’s slick fur.
“We are, too, Annie.”
She stopped and stared. The green iris of her good eye penetrated him deep and long. Instinctively, he took a step closer. “You’re going to be safe. I promise.”
“I know,” she whispered. “I trust you.” Her eye glazed over before she shifted her gaze downward. “I think I’ll go to bed now.” Gripping the armrest of the couch, she stood and glanced at him again. A drop of moisture hit her cheek, and he fought the desire to wipe it away. “Thank you, for everything. Really.” She reached for his hand and squeezed.
He glanced down at their embrace. His chest tightened like her grip on his hand as he squeezed back. “Good night, Annie.”
“Good night, Tyler.” She let go and eased down the hall, Alfred following close behind.
With every step she took, the constriction in his chest eased. Annie turned and flashed him a smile before she shut herself and Alfred in his room. He heard the click of his bedroom door then plopped on the couch.
Mercy.
A pounding in his heart and head replaced the clenching in his chest. Even with her bruises, and the ice pack protruding from her side, and all the anger and hurt she’d been through that evening, she trusted him. Pride swam through him, honored she’d put her faith in him with her safety. Problem was, he wasn’t sure he trusted his self-control.
She’d always been beautiful to him. A few bruises couldn’t change that.
He punched a pillow on the couch a few times, giving it a fluff, dreading the night ahead. His legs hung off the side of the sofa. Bending his knees, he curled up, and grabbed a throw blanket off the back of the couch to toss over himself. While he lay curled in a tight ball, or tight for him, all he could think about was how she lay wrapped up in his bed, in his sheets, without him. He wasn’t going to get a lick of sleep. Not. One. Damn. Bit.
And if he were lucky enough to fall asleep, he prayed he didn’t wake her with one of his nightmares.
Please, Lord, not tonight.
Tank tossed and turned all night, dreaming of crescent moons, red toes, and freckles. Thankfully, his regular nightmares stayed at bay. However, dreaming of Annie turned out to be more pleasurable than he would’ve like. The bulge in his boxers proved as much.
His urge to be with a woman had never been so intense, and he desired the absolute one woman on earth he couldn’t have. He promised to protect her. Mixing his desire with his duty was a bad idea. Besides, there was no way she was ready for anything with anyone else right now.
I’m such a dumbass.
The creaking of his bedroom door alerted him Annie was coming. He tossed the blanket over his lap and placed his hands in front of him.
Her hair framed wild around her face, as she wiped sleep from her one good eye. His shirt she wore pulled a little to the right, exposing her shoulder, and her toes peeked out from the bottom of his pants.
Holy shit. He was in trouble.
“Good morning,” he squeaked like a pubescent teen. Trying again, he cleared his throat first. “I mean, good morning. Did you sleep okay?” He leaned his torso over his lap to cover up the bulge.
“Yeah,” she said through a yawn. “But Alfred snores.”
Think about Alfred. Think about Alfred.
His not so little problem started to control itself.
“Sorry about that. Did he disturb you too much?”
“No. Actually, it was the best sleep I’ve had in months. Even with his little paws kicking me in my arm.”
If her having the best sleep in months included a snoring dog kicking her, there was more wrong with the picture than he had imagined. What all had this Duke guy done to her?
“You want some breakfast? I can make bacon and eggs.”
“I don’t eat pork, but eggs would be great.”
“You don’t eat pork?”
“No, it tastes weird to me.”
“Tastes weird? But you work in a diner, where almost every dish comes with a slab of bacon.”
“Yeah, I know. Sandi’s been working on me since I started, but I just don’t like it.” A look of frustration crossed her features.
Shit. Did she see his problem? He glanced down. Little Tank was finally under cont
rol.
“What’s wrong? Did I pry too much about the bacon?”
“No, no.” She shook her head. “It’s not that. It’s just, I’m supposed to go in to work this morning, and there is no way I can. Not looking like this, and if I do, Duke will be sure to know. I won’t be able to escape him.”
“Yeah, I thought about some of that last night.” One of the ways he tried to get his mind off her crescent moon. Needless to say, it didn’t work—completely.
“And?”
“And what?” What had he said? His mind was back on her stars.
“You said you were thinking about me going to work. What did you come up with?”
“Oh, that.” Come on, man. Get it together. “I agree. Safe to say you shouldn’t be going in to work for a while. You need to heal, Annie, and we need to figure out a game plan before you make any moves.”
“You’re right.” Wrapping her arms around herself, she crossed the room and gently sat on the couch. Al followed and sat on the floor beside her. “I honestly hadn’t given much thought to any of this last night. I just ran. I was so scared.” Her gaze tilted to the clock on the wall. “Duke should be home from work any minute, and he’ll notice I’m not there. Once he realizes I’m not at the diner, either, he’ll be so angry.” She squeezed herself tighter.
“Your phone.” He shot up, his veins pulsing with adrenaline. Little Tank was no longer his concern, but the Big Bad Wolf was. “Annie, where is it?”
“In your room, why?”
“If Duke is as horrible as I think, I’m sure he’s got you tracked.” Damn it, why didn’t he think about this before?
“Oh my. I didn’t even think of that.”
Heart pounding, he ran into his room. The scent of her perfume had invaded his personal space, and damn if he didn’t like it. He pretended like the floral smell of Beauty didn’t excite him as he grabbed her cell from his nightstand and rushed back to her.
“You’re going to have to turn it off.” Another look of concern crossed her features. This was harder than he thought. Everything he did and said seemed to push her boundaries. “Here.” He took his own phone off the counter. “You can have mine if it’ll make you feel better. At least until we can get you a new one, or figure everything out.
“But you won’t have one.”
“It’s okay. I won’t need it. Take it. Really. Besides, most of the time cell service doesn’t work all that great out here.”
“Well, why do I have to turn mine off then?” She accepted his phone.
“Because, if the satellites or the towers are having a good day out here today, we don’t want to take the chance of Duke tracking you.”
“Okay, you’re right.” She powered hers down. “I’ll need the code for yours.”
“One-nine-eight-nine.” He turned toward the kitchen, and reached in the refrigerator for the eggs.
“Your birth year?”
“No, the year the best ever Batman movie came out.”
“I wouldn’t figure you for one of those superhero kind of guys.” She placed his phone on the coffee table.
“I’m not.” Something else he wasn’t ready to talk about—his appreciation for Batman. Not yet.
He set the eggs on the counter and stared at his pup on the floor. Annie’s own vigilante standing guard. Alfred’s allegiance to him had been totally abandoned the minute the hot blonde walked in the door. Hell, he couldn’t blame his four-legged friend, but even vigilante’s had to pee. “Come on, Alfred. Go outside.” He opened the back sliding glass doors. Al cocked his head sideways then looked back at Annie.
“Go on, boy.” She nudged him with her foot. He gave them each a passing glance, then trotted outside, and ran for the water.
“Disloyal dog,” he mumbled, then shut the door. “How many eggs do you want?” He stepped back into the kitchen and grabbed a bowl.
“Two.” She walked around the counter and took the bowl from him. “I can do that.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I know, but you didn’t have to take me in and you did.” She gave him another sultry smile and his pulse quickened. He took a few steps back.
“Okay, well, then, I’m going to go and get dressed. I’ll be out in a few minutes.”
“Is scrambled fine?”
“Scrambled?”
“Eggs.” She pointed to the carton. “Will you eat your eggs scrambled?”
“Oh, yeah. Sure.” He scratched his head and turned down the hall. His brain was scrambled standing next to her. Good God, what had he gotten himself into? He needed a cold shower. Quick.
He glanced at her again. His shirt fell lower down her shoulder as she cracked the eggs.
Little Tank throbbed under his boxers.
Damn.
This was going to be a long, cold shower.
Chapter Seven
Tank towel dried his hair as he entered the living room. Alfred wagged his tail in greeting.
“You didn’t stay out long,” he said to his dog.
“He was waiting by the back door,” Annie explained. “So I let him in. That’s okay, isn’t it?”
“Of course. Usually he stays out for hours. He’s taking his guard dog duties seriously.” He glanced at the table. She had set their plates and poured each of them a cup of coffee. “Wow, this looks great.”
“Black, just like you like it.” She pointed to the coffee cup and stood beside the table. “I just didn’t know where you sat, so I decided I’d wait until you came out. I cleaned the table off and moved the sales papers over to the counter top. I hope that’s okay. And I can move the plates if mine is in the wrong spot.”
Wrong spot? He glanced at the table and into his kitchen. Tidy. Clean. He could get used to this—but not for the reason she obviously believed. He never wanted her to think she had to cook and clean for him.
“No, it’s fine.” He motioned to the plates. “I don’t have a spot. You can sit wherever you want.” He walked up to the table. “Thank you for making breakfast, but you should be taking it easy. Not cleaning my kitchen.”
“It’s nothing.” She blushed. He gathered she wasn’t used to getting many compliments.
“Are you sure I can sit here?” She pointed to the chair.
He pulled it out for her. “I don’t say things I don’t mean, remember.” He gave her a slight smile and motioned for her to take her seat.
“Yeah.” She turned her head down. “I remember.” Her blush grew.
He’d embarrassed her. Good job, jackass.
He pushed her chair in and took the seat opposite of her. Alfred lay on the floor beside him. “Annie, I’ve thought about your situation more and what the best plan for you is.”
“Please.” She held up her hand. “Don’t say anymore. I know I’ve overstayed my welcome already. I’ll leave after breakfast.”
Leave?
That’s not at all what he was getting at.
“No, that’s not what I mean. Staying here is no problem. I meant plan for your safety for the long term. We need to get the police involved.”
She stopped her coffee cup short of her mouth as her shoulders tensed. “No.” With trembling hands, she placed her mug back down. Coffee sloshed over the rim. “Absolutely not. I know Duke. He’ll charm his way out of trouble, and if he can’t talk his way out of it, his dad will for him, or pay his way out of trouble. Telling on him won’t do me any good.” Her voice grew louder. “Why do you think I didn’t go to the police before I came here?”
There was her passion again, but for the wrong reasons.
“Okay. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. We’ll do this your way, but at least, please, let’s get the Blue Guardians involved.”
“The Blue Guardians?” Wariness grew in her voice.
“You’ve seen biker guys around town wearing their leathers with a patch of an angel, right?”
“Yeah. Sandi even mentioned she’d started dating one. I’ve waited on a few of them, but I tried to
steer clear of them as much as possible. Duke always got upset when I tended their tables. Said they were thugs, and he always accused me of flirting. To avoid his wrath, I would avoid the Guardians.”
Of course. Duke would scare her away of the one group that could help her.
“They’re not thugs, but bikers, who help protect women and children from abuse. JoJo, the girl with me last night, she’s a Guardian.”
Funny. His first impression of JoJo seemed far more devil than guardian angel, but the little woman pulled through when he needed help.
“She’s a Guardian? Not your girlfriend?”
His girlfriend?
“No. Lord no. JoJo is a friend, an acquaintance really. Nothing more.”
“Oh.” She sat up a bit straighter.
“They can help you, Annie. We should get them involved.”
“No.” She pushed her chair away from the table and stood. Her face grimaced at the movement. “I’ll figure this out on my own. The more people I tell, the more of a chance it’ll get back to Duke.”
“Annie.” He reached for her shaky hand and gave it a gentle caress. This wasn’t exactly the way he wanted to touch her, but he would take what he could get. “Please.” He stood next to her. “I know I’ve just met this group, but I don’t think you have anything to worry about. Their job, their mission, is to protect abused woman and children. If you can trust anyone in this town, it would be them. All you have to do is ask.”
She glanced up at him, her eyes pleading for some sort of truth, safety in his words. “You really think it’s a good idea?” she whispered.
“I do.”
The group could give her some guidance on how to handle her situation. Better than he could. The more she looked at him with those frightened green eyes, and the lower his shirt inched on her shoulder, the more he found it hard to concentrate.
Shit. This really was a bad idea after all.
“Okay,” she said, her voice still low, and her gaze never left his.
His body moved closer to hers as her stare passed between his eyes and his lips. She lifted her head faintly, her lips opening in the slightest part, still and ready to be kissed.
