He strides out of the room and I can’t look away. He moves with panther-like grace, his muscles shifting and straining. His strong legs leading to the graceful swimmer’s body that he has.
I can’t think straight. I sit there, my mind a muddled mess, caught between the man who scares the hell out of me and the man who draws me in like a moth to a very dangerous flame.
His dark, tousled head pops in the door. “The trashcans got knocked over. Probably an animal. Why don’t you go back to sleep? It’s still early.”
I nod my head and he steps out of the room, closing the door behind him. It feels like I lie there for hours, unable to relax and fall back to sleep. Between the loud crashes from the storm and the constant listening for anything that sounds out of place, I’ve never felt less sleepy.
I jump and scramble out of the bed, dashing for the door after one particularly loud crack shakes my bed.
I tap at Tate’s door and he mumbles, “come in.”
I duck in the room and close the door. “Ruth?” I can see him sitting up in the bed, a darker shape in the dark room. “Did you hear something? Are you alright?” His voice is so deep and husky. Goosebumps rise on my arms and I rub them absently.
“Yeah. I-I just can’t get back to sleep. I’m still…scared I guess.”
“Sure. That’s not a surprise. It’s been a long, frightening day. Unless you’re made of iron, I’d be shocked if you weren’t still scared.”
“Can I sleep in here?” I rush on quickly before he can say no. “I can sleep on the rocking chair in the corner. I just don’t want to be alone tonight.”
He could say something likeI told you to stay at your brother’sor something like that. But he doesn’t. Just slides over in the bed and pats the mattress. “Come on. We’re both adults. You can sleep in here. It’s almost time for me to get up anyway.”
I jump into the bed and drag the covers up to my chin, sighing in exhaustion.
I see the quick slash of his smile in the dim morning light. “Comfy?”
I smile and duck down further. “Yeah, thanks. I really appreciate this. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’m usually a lot stronger than this.”
He leans over and pinches my chin between his fingers. “Hey, look at me.” My eyes lift to his shadowy face. “That’s better. I want you to stop feeling guilty for being upset. There’s nothing wrong with being upset when someone is out to make your life a living hell.” He pauses and I hear a deep breath. “I wish I could get a hold of him and beat the hell out of him. I can’t stand men that treat their women like that. If you can find the right woman, the one out of millions that perfectly fits you, complements you and makes you so fucking happy that you want to sing every damn day, then you better treat her like a god-damn princess. Because that’s no less than what she deserves.”
I can’t breathe. His hand is still on my chin and his thumb brushes my lower lip absently. Fire flares up in my skin wherever he touches. My lower belly clenches and my legs brush his under the covers, making him hiss out a huffed breath.
“Is that what you want? That one woman out of a million?” I ask breathily, leaning closer to him, enthralled, lost in his touch, the scent of him all around me, the gentleness of his voice in the night air.
“It is. I thought I found her once. But then I found out she had been with another man. A man I worked with. A superior.”
“Oh my,” I moan. “That’s awful. Why would she do that to you? Didn’t she love you?”
“I was trying to move up in the ranks of the department and she felt like I was always too busy for her. So she found someone who wasn’t too busy.” I see his broad shoulder shrug. “I can’t really blame her.”
“Well I can!” I huff. “If you love someone then you’re loyal to them through everything. Including being a little busy. She sounds like a real bitch.”
A rough chuckle sounds by my ear and I shiver, deliciously wicked, carnal thoughts dancing through my head. “Well, I might have called her that a time or two. Especially after I kept getting passed over no matter how well I did on the tests.”
“He was tanking you on purpose,” I gasp.
“I couldn’t prove it, but yes, I think so.”
“Wow! That stinks.”
Another snorted laugh by my ear has my legs shifting again. I need…something. No, I need him.
I lift my hand up and cup it around his warm cheek roughed up with a scruffy beard. He stills and I hear his indrawn breath. It goes right to my belly, tugging at my emptiness.
“Ruth? What are you doing?” he asks softly.
“Touching you. Don’t you like it when I touch you?” I whisper.
“I like it entirely too much. But it’s been a really bad night for you and I don’t want you to do something that you aren’t ready for.”