He stripped down to his boxers. Now she knew he wore boxers and not the tight, white kind. She wanted to smile but held it in. He was a golden tan color and his body was sculpted like a work of art. It reminded her of one of those museum statues. A loud boom of thunder sounded in the sky. He pulled her into his arms after he got in. “I got you, sweetheart. Tonight you can rest.”
She snuggled close to his warm body. She laid her arm on his stomach and was glad when he didn’t protest or push her away. She’d had sex with John, but it had been quick and in the dark. He’d always gotten up afterward. He didn’t stay and talk to her. She should have seen that as a sign, but she had been so naïve. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“Did you sleep with Dee?” she whispered, blinking back some tears. Jealousy hit her hard. Dee was skinny and pretty.
She felt his lips on her hair.
“No. I regret the kiss we shared. It was quick,” he promised, his voice deep and firm. “I shouldn’t have done that to you or her.”
She yawned and fell asleep, feeling relieved. Maybe there was hope for her and Tony.
* * * *
Tony stared up at the ceiling, trying to think of something to count. Alicia was snuggled next to him like a small kitten. He could hear her breathing and was glad she could rest. If only he could, too. He liked the feel of her snuggled against him. He’d never felt comfortable sleeping with women once the sex was over, but he felt good having her here. He knew he had a lot of ground to make up because of his stupid mistake with Dee. He had just been so confused, but now he was sure he wanted Alicia in his life. He just had to be patient.
He wasn’t sure how long he lay still, afraid to move and wake her up. The hard rain helped to relax him. The thunder had moved out of the area. She started moaning and moving, and he caressed her hair softly, hoping to calm her down.
“How could you, Janice?” she cried. He could hear the pain in her voice. He wanted to ask her what Janice had done. He tried to soothe her but his mind was racing. What had Janice done? Had Janice been involved with Novak? He wanted to wake her and ask, but it would be dangerous. She moved again, making more noises. Suddenly she sat up sobbing. “Oh god, no.”
“Alicia, you’re dreaming again.” He soothed her, rubbing her back softly with his hand.
“No. I remember something.” She looked sad and scared at the same time. He could see her face since he left the lam
p on. “Janice and I were arguing before we left the club.”
Tony let her talk. He held her and could feel her body trembling. He pulled the cover tighter around her. She lay back down on his chest and he liked the feel of her there. He tried to be patient and let her talk.
“She was so drunk. She came up to me and told me she was scared of this man she had hooked up with a couple of times. She thought he was out of town, but he showed up.” She paused for a second to catch her breath and gather her memories, and then stared off into the distance as if thinking of that night. “She said the last time she stayed at his house with him, she stole some drugs. She didn’t think he’d notice. He did.”
“Shit. Did you see him?” He could see where this was going. He wanted to jump out of bed. Instead, he stayed still and let her finish. His heart was pumping and filling his body with adrenaline.
Alicia nodded. “That night I did for the first time. She never introduced us to him before, but he came to ask her to dance a few times. Janice was crying that night in the bathroom. She said he was a cruel man who ran drugs through all the small towns around here, and she admitted to doing them. I got angry and yelled at her. I was so focused on my depression that I didn’t notice her behavior was due to drugs. I was mad at her and myself. After all that shit Holly went through, I was worried it might be the same guy. I was terrified. I wanted to call you.”
She sobbed into his shoulder and he rocked her back and forth.
“I would have come for you,” he swore, and he would have. He admitted he was weak enough that any sign of her wanting anything to do with him again and he would have been there like a flash.
“I was hurting over the thought of you being with Dee.” She sobbed. “I figured you’d just tell me to call Noah and leave you alone.”
“Never.” He swore, kissing her head. Damn, he wished she had called him. He would have prevented Novak from hurting her and Janice.
When she had calmed down some, he asked her what happened next.
“I told Janice to act like she could barely walk. My legs were shaking and I was so terrified. I had the bouncer help us out the door so he couldn’t follow. He was sitting at the bar under a light and we locked eyes. I got a good view of him. We got in the car and headed for home,” Alicia continued. “I made her promise to go with me to see Noah. I told her he would protect us both.”
“That’s when the car behind you hit you?” He guessed.
She nodded. “I still can’t remember anything after that.”
“It’s a start. We can draw up a picture of this guy and see if he is Novak or not.” His mind was racing with so many thoughts. He knew he would not be able to sleep, but she needed to sleep. “Get some rest, baby girl. You are safe. No one will get past my alarms.”
She gave him a shaky smile. She leaned over and kissed his lips lightly. He knew she meant for it to be a small, light kiss, but he was not one to let opportunity escape. He put his hand behind her neck to hold her in place. He heard her gasp of surprise as he opened her lips with his tongue. His cock was as hard as steel and he didn’t want to scare her. Her small hands caressed his chest. She looked dazed and he couldn’t help but feel smug. She desired him and he felt hopeful. They had a chance to work things out.
“Wow, that was worth the wait,” she whispered. She smiled at him and he caressed her back with his hand.
“It was amazing, but I knew we had chemistry from the moment our eyes locked that night we met,” he admitted. “I should have kissed you that night.”