She nodded, closed her eyes, and slid back into sleep.
Chapter Seven
Nate watched her sleep for a long time, and it was next to impossible to stop. He couldn’t get over the strength of his feelings for her. Never in his life had he felt this way about anyone, and he would do whatever it took to protect her.
He had lied about someone breaking in. There had been a guy trying to get in the back door. He had a black ski mask on, so it was impossible to see who it was for sure. His money had been on Gary because the guy was so inept. He had no idea Nate was watching him out a side window with a gun in his hand.
The guy finally gave up and stomped off.
He wished he could teach the little bastard a lesson, but he didn’t want to disturb Tessa.
After he got into bed and had her cuddled against him, it took him a bit to fall asleep because of staring at her and planning. There was a lot to be done to get her into his apartment, and he wouldn’t feel whole until she was there.
The light coming into the window woke him the next morning. He slid out of bed, careful not to disturb Tessa, got dressed, and then walked into the kitchen to start the coffee.
It wasn’t long before he heard a sound behind him, turned, and smiled. Tessa was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, but her hair wasn’t brushed, and her eyes were half open.
“Are you awake, baby?”
She looked so fucking cute trying to understand what he was saying.
“Come here.” He pulled her into his arms, and she immediately slid her arms around his waist. He held her for a long time, rubbing her back and resting his chin on top of her head. “Are you waking up?”
She hummed and nodded.
He snorted. “How about some coffee?”
“I think I should, but I hate the taste.”
“How about a glass of juice instead?”
“I love juice, but it won’t help me wake up,” she said.
“I’m not worried about that. Go to the table and sit.”
He brought her a glass before he leaned against the counter with his cup of coffee.
He glanced at the clock on the wall when someone knocked on the door.
“I’ll get it,” he told her.
He could hear Jade arguing by the time he opened the door. A grin spread across his face at the look of resignation on Cole’s as Jade and Blake bickered.
“Hey, guys. Come on in,” Nate said. Brett, Eric, and Cooper followed with their arms loaded.
They all walked in, and a few of the guys took the bags of food into the kitchen.
Nate walked into the kitchen, lifted Tessa off the chair, sat, and then placed her on his lap. She used her fingers to comb through her hair from her face.
He watched her and Jade talking and was glad they came. He could tell the other woman was lifting Tessa’s spirits.
“What’s the plan for today?” Blake asked. “We’ve got the truck and boxes ready.”
He turned Tessa to face him. “Baby, we’re going to box up the things you’ll need for the time being, and the rest I’ll have delivered and put into a storage locker so you can go through them later. Are there any objections you might have?”
“I’m not sure I understand. Are you saying I’m moving today?”
“Not unless you want to spend more time here,” Nate said.