by Debra Kayn
Pauly shook his head. "I've tried to help people in the shelter. It never ends well. I don't run a charity case here. Not with summer going into full swing."
"She wasn't at a shelter. Heidi was living on the street. She has one set of clothes she wore to work. That's it. She needs a break." He straightened. "I'm asking you to give her one more chance. She'll be here in the morning if you agree. I'll make sure of it."
"I can't—"
"She's been abused, Pauly." He inhaled deeply. "She was thriving here. Hell, she got me to buy a damn bike, and I don't even have a kid."
Pauly's gaze narrowed. "If I do this, it's on you. I want to know if she leaves again and won't be showing up at work. I can't have my shop suffer because of high-risk employees, no matter how bad I feel for their situation or how nice they seem. And, she's low entry. I'm not handing over the keys to her again."
"I know she'll appreciate it." He nodded. "Thank you."
He rapped his knuckles against the counter and turned to leave, and Pauly called his name. He turned around.
"Is she safe now?" Pauly's mouth softened. "No one is going to hurt her again?"
"At the moment. I'll protect her with my life." He shared an understanding look of concern with Pauly and walked out of the shop.
The other Notus Motorcycle Club members were still parked in front of Vavoom's across the street. Needing to go pick up Heidi's new clothes, he set off for the store without checking in with his MC brothers.
Fifteen minutes later, he walked out of Target with more fucking bags than his motorcycle could carry. Tying the Bungee cord through the handles, he secured the load down with a lot of squishing and stuffing and rode home. Both the errands he had to run were done. He'd set things in motion again for Heidi. It would be up to her whether she stepped forward.
In the driveway, he parked and undid the binding on the back of his seat. He carried the bags to the house, unlocked the front door, and stepped inside. For a split second, as he struggled with the handle and the packages, his chest tightened, second guessing his decision to help Heidi out.
Not because he questioned himself, but Heidi would view his involvement in her life as pushing her too fast.
He walked into the house determined to make her accept his help. She needed someone to lend her a hand, and he could. Even more than getting her some clothes and getting her old job back for her, he could keep her safe.
Heidi sat on the couch, looking beautiful. It wasn't the baggy clothes he'd seen on her yesterday and the day before or the way she curled her legs under her in the corner of the couch and appeared smaller than she was. What grabbed him by the balls and refused to let go were her eyes. With her hair shaved short, her eyes were the main focus, and he could see her delight in having him home.
A man could get used to having a woman look at him that way.
The spicy aroma of Mexican food filled his nostrils. He inhaled through his nose. She'd cooked.
"What's cooking?" he asked.
Her legs came out from under her, and she put her bare feet on the floor. "I found a frozen enchilada dish in the freezer. Mrs. Stouffers. I thought you might want to eat when you got home. It'll be done in about twenty minutes. I hope that's okay."
"More than okay." He sat beside her, dropped the bags at her feet, and then leaned over and kissed her lips before she could stop him. "This stuff is for you."
"What do you mean?" She licked her upper lip and pulled back from him.
"I got you some clothes. I guessed on your size. If they don't fit, don't worry about it. I can get you more, or maybe Clara and Gracie can take you shopping." He picked a bag off the floor and put it on her lap. "Somewhere in the bags, there should be something you can wear to work."
She pushed the bag off her lap and stood. "Excuse me."
Heidi hurried out of the room and ran up the stairs. He let her go and walked into the kitchen as the buzzer on the stove went off. Shutting off the timer, he opened the oven and using the kitchen towel, lifted the foil tray out and put it on the stove. He pushed the control to shut off the oven and removed the foil cover. The enchiladas bubbled in sauce on a layer of rice.
"Dinner's ready," he said, taking off his vest and slipping out of his holster. He put the pistol on top of the fridge before dishing up a heaping serving on each plate and added a fork.
When he set the plates on the table, Heidi still hadn't come down.
Not wanting the food to get cold, he walked to the bottom of the steps. "Heidi?"
No sound or reply came. He took the steps two at a time and approached the spare bedroom. The door was open.
He rapped his knuckles against the doorframe. "Hey, dinner's ready."
Peering inside, he found Heidi kneeling on the floor, zipping up her backpack. She stood and hefted the pack over her shoulder.
"What's going on?" he asked.
"I'm leaving." She walked toward him, and when he refused to step out of the doorway, she said. "Thanks for letting me stay, again."
"Wait a damn minute." He reached for her backpack, and she pulled her shoulder back out of his reach. "What happened now?"
"I know how it works." She lifted her chin. "I'm telling you no, and now I'll move on. I've been in this position before and have had better offers than yours, and I am not now, nor will I ever be, a girl you can sell."
"A girl I can sell?" Anger he wasn't even aware of having exploded in his head. "What the fuck are you talking about? I bought you clothes because you need them. I thought it'd be easier if you didn't have to do laundry every day when you went back to work for Pauly. Tell me how you took what I did and turned it around to selling you? Selling you for what?"
"I don't work for Pauly anymore, and you know that," she snapped.
"Wrong." He reached out again for her backpack, and she jumped out of his reach faster than he could take off her burden. "I talked to Pauly after work, and he'll hire you back on. You're supposed to be there at nine o'clock tomorrow morning. That's why I bought you the clothes."
"I'm..." Her mouth opened and closed. "You went to Pauly?"
"That's what I said."
"Glen, you can't do that." She dropped her backpack and sat on the edge of the bed, bending over until her head practically touched her knees. "This isn't what I want."
"You don't want the job?" He rubbed his upper lip.
"I want a job."
"What's wrong with the bike place?" He stepped into the room and sat on the bed with her. "You liked it before."
She sat up, though her shoulders remained rounded. "I left without any explanation."
"Pauly's giving you another shot."
She looked at him. "Because you asked him for a favor, and now I'll owe you. I don't owe people anymore, Glen. Thank you, but no."
"Haven't you ever had someone do something for you because they wanted to help out?" He picked up her hand and held it in both of his. "I don't want anything from you."
"You want to sleep with me," she whispered.
He chuckled softly. "I do, but only when you're ready and want to sleep with me."
"What if I never am ready?"
He brought her hand up and kissed her knuckles. "Then, nothing will happen. But, I don't believe you'll always be scared of me."
"What am I supposed to do?" she said, her voice wobbling.
"First, you go downstairs with me and eat." He pulled her to her feet. "Afterward, see if any of the clothes I bought you fit and pick out something you want to wear to work tomorrow, and we can throw the outfit in the washing machine."
"Is it that simple?" She walked down the stairs behind him, still holding on to his hand.
"Not always, but today it is." He set her down at the table and moved to the chair opposite of her.
The cat pounced on the sliding door. He glared at the nuisance. Soft laughter came from the other side of the table he hadn't heard before. The sound settled over him and made him ache. The prettiest eyes, full of amusement, shined at him
.
"You've named the cat, haven't you?" he said.
She hid her smile, but her eyes couldn't lie. He set his fork down unable to look away from her. The peek behind her attitude fascinated him as if she performed a strip tease, begging him to know the woman behind the tassels and G-string.
His phone vibrated in his pocket. He cleared his throat and retrieved his cell. It was Wayne.
"Hey," he answered.
"Gomez called me. Sunny Villa Nursing Home has a male patient with Alzheimer missing." Voices came over the phone, interrupting Wayne. "I'm standing in the parking lot. The staff has the patient's family's permission to share the information with the community and has been informed about Notus. We've attained permission to help in the search. Thad and Chuck are on their way over. The man is a danger only to himself."
He scooted his chair away from the table. "Give me fifteen minutes. I'll be there."
"See you then."
He disconnected the call. "I need to leave."
"Someone's missing?" Heidi picked up the napkin by her plate and wiped her mouth. "Sorry, the voice came over loud on the phone. I heard a little."
"Yeah." He walked into the kitchen. "An Alzheimer patient wandered off from the nursing home. It happens more often than people think. The legal steps are often ignored for the safety of the individual. Everyone in the community is called to help. Hopefully, we'll find him, and then I'll be home shortly."
He reached up on top of the fridge and removed his holster. The biggest concern, like it was with all missing person cases, was time. He pulled the straps and patted the Velcro bindings.
"Use the phone I gave you if you need me." He walked back to the table, put on his vest, and stepped toward a startled Heidi. "What's wrong?"
She barely shook her head. He kissed her forehead and felt her pull back. Needing to leave, he couldn't take the time to find out what was going through her head. It seemed every time he turned around, she assumed the worst.
"Be here when I get back." He lifted her face. "You're safe."
She only looked at him, promising nothing. He kissed her lips. "Please."
Still, no acknowledgment from her. He stepped back. He couldn't live with the worry that she'd run every time he left her alone. She needed to realize on her own that he kept his word and would return. That she was safe. That he would take care of her. That he'd allow no one to take advantage of her.
He walked out of the house, locking the door behind him, and got on his bike. He only wished he had the security of knowing she'd be where he left her when he returned.
Chapter 16
Covered up to her neck with the blanket, Heidi stared into the darkness listening for the roar of Glen's motorcycle to return home. It'd taken her cleaning the kitchen, a long bath until the water cooled, and a serious chat with Jewel—yes, she'd named the cat, for her to decide that Glen owning a pistol had nothing to do with her or her safety.
Glen was not Evan.
More importantly, if she could trust Glen, he was everything she'd hoped for since the first time Evan hurt her. How many times had she dreamed of someone, anyone, she could tell everything to?
Unable to risk her parents and Stewart's safety, she'd kept everything to herself and ran. But, there'd been times that she was tempted to tell her story. Occasionally, there were volunteers at the shelters who came across concerned and willing to help. The other homeless people who shared their horror stories or their sad stories and always wanted to know why she was living on the streets. Even Pauly with his quiet acceptance while hiring her and not asking the questions most people would've had if they figured out she wore the same clothes for one full week had tempted her to confide in him.
But, she never talked.
Her gaze fell on her backpack beside her bed. There was no room inside for her new clothes she'd tried on earlier. She'd hung them all in the closet instead, and that's what made her feel good. She'd accepted Glen's help, not because he made life easier for her, but because he never asked for anything in return.
"I like him, Jewel," she whispered. "And, I'm the wrong woman for him."
The cat stretched against her back. The hardest part of the whole situation was she understood how Glen felt about her. She wanted him, too. But, did she have a right to explore those feelings in her situation?
It was unfair of her to believe she could get closer to Glen. She'd be using his feelings and not giving him everything in return.
The rumble of a motorcycle grabbed her attention. Her body flashed cold, then hot, and she moved her arm out from underneath the blanket.
Meow.
Even the cat recognized the sound and looked forward to Glen coming home. Though she suspected, only her stomach fluttered in arousal at knowing Glen was near. Jewel had been fed, petted, and put to bed, needing nothing else than a safe place to lay her head.
Heidi wanted more. No amount of overthinking seemed to douse her desire to have more with Glen.
The door opened and closed downstairs. She'd left the hallway light on for him.
Glen's heavy boots thunked up the stairs, and she partially closed her eyes until she could only see through the slits when his shadow paused outside her unlatched door. She'd left it open one inch and had placed her shoes behind the door in case the cat got out of bed and tried to escape. She couldn't let Jewel wander the house and ruin Heidi's chance of sleeping inside.
Several minutes later, the shower in the bathroom started. Her nipples peaked, and she closed her eyes on a silent groan. It'd been a long time since she'd felt desire and lately, even the signs were different.
With Evan, her excitement came from the romance he'd given her. That thrill of dating and receiving attention for the first time from the opposite sex, something she'd desperately craved, had blinded her to the obvious. She'd been in love with the idea of love. Something she had never experienced until him, and now she recognized the emotion as a mistake.
The nerves in her tightly wound body crawled. She stretched her legs trying to soothe the need to touch herself. The movement only aroused her more. Glen was naked, wet, and twenty feet away.
She had nothing to offer him, but sex. Maybe that's all he wanted, and she was overthinking the situation. She owed him. For the shelter, the food, the support. Not to mention, the clothes, and getting her job back.
God, she was expected to be at Pauly's Peddler's tomorrow at nine o'clock. Glen was due in at his work at six o'clock. There was no clock in the bedroom, but it had to be after three in the morning, and here she was trying to rationalize her life.
The water shut off. She held her breath. Calling herself all kinds of ridiculous, she let the air out of her lungs and laid perfectly still trying to hear the rustle of Glen's mattress compressing under his weight. A doorway in the hallway clicked open. Unable to hear his bare feet pad down the hallway, her heart raced.
The spare bedroom door creaked. She sat up in bed. Silhouetted in the doorway with the light at his back, Glen peeked his head inside, and his exhale palpitated the room. And, her.
"Did you find the missing man?" she whispered.
He swung the door open and leaned against the frame. She couldn't tell if he was dressed or naked. Only the outline of his body filled the doorway.
"Yeah, Thad spotted him wandering outside Safeway, three blocks from the nursing home. The police gave him a ride back," he whispered. "Why aren't you sleeping?"
She shrugged, and then realizing he probably couldn't see her either, she said, "I was waiting for you to come home."
"It's quarter to three. I'll wake you up when I leave for work, and you can get ready to go to Pauly's." He straightened, and the door swung, erasing his silhouette.
Her pulse throbbed. "Glen?"
He returned to her view. "Yeah?"
"Can you...?" She swallowed, her face burning with warmth. "Will you...?"
"Blue, just say what you want," he said.
Heidi went up on her knees atop the bed. "W
ill you let me be with you?"
"You're going to have to explain what that means to you because I'm hearing one thing and thinking another." His low voice rolled over her leaving goosebumps when only a minute before, she'd been hot.
"Can you just sleep with me?" She panted, sinking down onto the mattress. "I don't want to be alone."
Her heartbeat filled her ears waiting for his rejection. She shook her head. None of what she asked came out right.
"I want to sleep beside you. Only you," she said, breathless.
"Come here."
She scrambled out of bed and approached him. "If you don't want—"
"Not in here. I want my own bed." He took her hand and walked her across the hall to his room.
The bedside lamp was on. Glen pulled back the covers of a king-size bed. "Hop in."
Still wearing her clean pair of old sweat pants and T-shirt, she crawled across the mattress and slipped between the sheets. She looked back at Glen right before he turned off the light and caught a glimpse of a hard, male body. His skintight black boxers showcased how big Glen was with his clothes stripped away.
The mattress dipped. On her back, she stared up into the darkness. She'd expected to relax knowing he was near and instead she was coiled inside, reading to spring.
Glen whistled, stopped, and said, "Did you imagine yourself sleeping clear over there?"
"No." She closed her eyes even though the room was dark.
"Come here." His hand touched her belly through the blanket, then her leg, then her breast before patting the mattress beside him. "I can't see a damn thing in here."
She smiled behind the safety of the darkness and grabbed his hand. He turned, scooped her by the hip, and turned her, pulling her against her body. His front against her back, he wrapped his arm around her, snuggling his hand between her breasts. The heat of his palm, flat against her chest, warmed her. The hardness of him pressed against her butt a reminder of how close he was to her.
There was no one who could hurt or sneak up on her with him shielding her.
With that comfort, she fell asleep listening to Glen breathe, and eventually, his soft snores tickled the short hair on the top of her head.
