Once he crossed through the intersection, he pulled up in front of the charming bookstore on the corner. A sign hanging over the door read THE BOOK NOOK. At one time the bookstore had appeared run down, but now with the fresh paint and new store windows it had been rejuvenated. He cut the engine of his truck and exited, locking the doors behind him. To his left he noted that the contractor had finished the work on the tattoo shop next to the bookstore. All of which would lead into a new casino a year from now.
Determined to see the people in the apartment above the bookstore, Sawyer moved forward. The warm breeze of a beautiful Las Vegas night touched him as he approached the building’s side door. It came as no surprise that he needed to ring the bell three times before he heard someone trotting down the stairs.
When the door opened, a sleepy Porter, wearing only black shorts, frowned at Sawyer. “What do you want?”
“Mind if I come in?”
Porter stepped away from the door, allowing Sawyer to enter. The wooden stairs creaked under his footsteps as he followed Porter into the apartment. Once he entered through the narrow doorway, he discovered a small apartment with simple furnishings, but the space had homey touches. Knickknacks layered just about every blank space available. Then Sawyer saw Kenzie standing in the tiny kitchen, wearing her bathrobe.
Hair in disarray, she glanced from Porter to Sawyer. “Is everything all right?”
“It will be.” Sawyer sighed and shut the door behind him. “Can I have a few minutes alone with Porter?”
Her sleepy eyes flicked at Porter, who nodded agreement. Then she smiled at Sawyer. “Of course. Good night.”
Porter waited until the bedroom door closed before moving into the living room and taking a seat on the couch. “Do tell. What needs to be said that couldn’t wait until tomorrow?”
“I’ve come to apologize.” Sawyer dropped down into the recliner near the window, noticing the plants on the antique table next to him. “Tonight might not have been my finest of moments.”
“No shit.” Fire blazed in Porter’s eyes.
Sawyer gave his friend a moment to settle down before continuing. “I’m protective of her.”
“I get that.” A vein showed along Porter’s forehead. “You do know you’re not the only one who cares for Chloe?”
“Yes, I know.” Sawyer gave a small nod.
“I’m glad to hear you say that.” Porter’s hands were fisted on his lap, and his voice was icy. “Because how you acted tonight implied that I don’t give two shits about her welfare.”
Sawyer accepted the tongue-lashing. He deserved it. “I know that’s how it appeared and I’m sorry, but that isn’t what I intended.”
The two men were silent for a moment, staring at each other. Finally Porter said, “Help me understand all this. From where I’m sitting, you should be happy she wants to go there and is curious about your lifestyle. Believe me when I tell you that I never expected Chloe to be so accepting of all this. She seems too…”
“Innocent?” Sawyer offered.
Porter nodded, putting his feet up on the coffee table. “That’s a good way to put it.”
Sawyer clenched his hands, letting the raw feelings course through him instead of fighting them. “Part of me is, of course, pleased Chloe is open to understanding our lifestyle.”
“But the other part of you?”
“Wants to protect her from it.”
Porter’s brows winged up. “Protect her from what?”
Sawyer ran his hands over his face. “Protect her from me.”
During the long pause that followed, Porter stared at him, hard. “I don’t understand. You’d be good for Chloe.”
“Would I?” He stared at Porter in challenge. “Chloe is perfect just the way she is. What will happen if I change that? What will happen if I bring her into an erotic world she wasn’t a part of before? Will she be better because of it? Or will it just make her different? More of what I want, but not truly who she is?”
Porter’s expression told Sawyer that he was giving those questions serious thought.
Sawyer rubbed at the tight muscles in his shoulders. “You saw her tonight. Being there didn’t make her happy. It made her insecure.”
“You’re right, I did see that.” Porter tapped his fingers against his leg. “But I also saw her react with curiosity when she watched a woman being flogged. She asked me questions about it. That’s not a woman who was afraid of what she saw.”
Sawyer bobbed her head. “Yet she chose to leave. When I arrived she seemed…devastated.”