“I’m no gentleman,” I remind her and her eyes widen. “And you didn’t seem to mind by the fence.”
“Because my mind goes b...blank when you touch me like t...that,” she stutters and I’ll make sure to remember to touch her in that way more. My brows rise in surprise when she shrugs herself, then takes my hand and leads me into my new bedroom and she murmurs something about needing emotional support and that she hasn’t been in here in a long time.
There’s a bed by the wall and a clothes chest and Addie opens it up, rummaging through it on her knees. “You goan need something to sleep in,” she murmurs, taking out a pair of pajama pants and she hands them to me.
When I ask for a nightshirt too, she looks disappointed before curiously glancing at me and I know why. She wants to see the runes on my body, not that she’ll know what they stand for but I’m still cagey of showing her. I have our symbol inked and that shemayrecognize.
“Need to give you an extra blanket,” Addie mutters, “it goan be cold cause of the thunder tonight.” She shivers. “I doan like thunder. Do you?”
I was born during a thunderstorm and have always found it serene.
A knot forms between her brows. “I’m grateful you’re here,” she says in a low voice before giving a soft smile. “You a lot safer here than out there. You aint need to be afraid no more, Rev,” she says gently.
“Of what?” I grit and she tilts her pretty head to the side.
“Of the world,” she whispers, sitting down on the edge of my bed. “There must’ve been so many times when you found it darn scary.”
“Not really.”
She throws me a feminine glance as if she’s convinced I’m lying. “You aint need to pretend in front of me. You and I are a little bit the same, aint we? Both vulnerable and defenseless, both threatened.
Oh but lamb, you couldn’t be more wrong.
“I’m not defenseless and I’m not vulnerable, Addie,” I tell her gently and she rolls her eyes.
“Men,” she sighs, almost urging me to bark out who I really am, “always needing to act tough.” With another sigh, she rises. “Doan you worry,” she purrs. “I’ll let you keep your fantasies. My mom always told me stroking a man’s ego is a woman’s most important job.”
Not more important than stroking other parts of him and it’s a more suitable job for Addie than working on the farm. With a final look my way, she walks out, leaving my door open and I sit down on the edge of my bed. Addie walks into her own room, closing the door but it pops open just as fast, leaving a visible crack. Unaware of this, Addie proceeds with taking off her clothes and I groan, putting a fist in front of my mouth when she unbuttons her dress, standing only in white underwear.
I can’t breathe when she unclasps her bra but she doesn’t turn around and I only catch the slightest hint of a plump breast. When she hooks her fingers through the strings of her panties, a low growl rises in my chest and I stand, about to barge into her room, throw her on the bed and make crazy love to her when my phone rings.
Fuck!
Snarling, I answer and Dolph, the underboss barks, “Where the fuck are you, Fenrir? Been trying to reach you for hours now.”
“Been distracted,” I snarl, “stay out of my business.”
“Too late. I’m already on the Bowen’s porch and you got some explaining to do.”
My grip around my phone tightens when there’s a knock on the front door and I freeze. Hopefully, Addie didn’t hear...
“Rev, d’you hear that?” she says with a choked cry from inside her room and I hang up, walking into the hallway and to my surprise Addie is on all fours. Looking up at me, she pleads, “Get down, now!” She tugs at my pants. “You can’t let them see you.”
My heart squeezes in my chest. “Lamb, it’s just a friend of mine,” I say and the panicked redness in her face disappears.
“A f...friend?” she stutters. “Not one of the Crows?”
I nod, though Dolph does share some resemblance to a scarecrow.
Addie lets out a sigh of relief, letting me pull her to her feet and I try not to stare at the floor-length nightgown she’s wearing. I can barely see her body underneath, but the memory of her in only her underwear is still fresh in my mind and my hands itch to free her from the unnecessary garment.
“If it’s your friend then I’d like to invite him in,” she says, “I’ll go put a robe on...” She stops in her tracks when I clasp her elbow.
“Addie you stay up here,” I tell her, “I’m the one who’ll be talking to him.” Easing, I stroke her over the hair. “You wait for me and I’ll be up in couple of minutes.”
She doesn’t look convinced but she doesn’t follow me when I walk downstairs and I get out on the porch and Dolph turns around. His meaty face is fuming.
“The hell are you doing? You were supposed to be back hours ago. We got work to do with the Italians.”