“You are not a lot. And I won’t have you saying that about yourself.”
“You threatening to spank me again?” she said with a hint of humor, which was far preferable to the tears in her voice earlier.
“I will if you need it.”
“I’ll pass right now. Maybe later.” She yawned. Poor baby, she was exhausted. He needed to get her into bed. It was nearly three in the morning, and she had a wedding to go to tomorrow. So did he, but he was guessing she had to be up early to get ready. “You know, you’re a really good cuddler.”
“You didn’t call me.” He rested his chin on the top of her head.
“What?”
“I told you to call me if anything happened. And you didn’t.” That was churning in his gut along with guilt over letting her stay in that place. He should have gotten her another motel room—screw her objections.
Okay, he knew that was heavy-handed, but still . . .
She’d have been fucking safer than she was in that shitty place.
But she was coming home with him now. He just wasn’t sure exactly what that meant for him. He was already finding it hard not to touch her.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “My phone died again after I called the police. And I . . . I didn’t think about it. I wouldn’t want to bother you.”
“You’re never a bother, baby. I want you to call me.”
“Wait . . . how did you know what happened?”
“Uh, I might have had a word with James to call me if you were ever in trouble.”
He expected her to tell him off, but she just nodded. “Okay, that was smart of you.”
“We need to get you a new phone.”
“I’ll get one next week once I have some money.”
She must be getting paid or something. He’d rather get her a new one now.
But again . . . she wasn’t his.
“You feeling any better?” he asked, reluctant to let her out of his arms. He liked her just where she was.
“Yes, thank you. I’ll just . . . I’m sorry for . . . I mean, gosh.” She tried to move off him, nearly getting him in the balls. She ended up with her hands on the passenger seat and her knees on the middle console with her ass right in his face.
Fuck. Delicious.
Even the fact that she was wearing another man’s pajamas wasn’t enough to make his raging hard-on disappear.
He had to fight hard not to run his hand over her ass. She finally managed to settle on her seat, turning to look at him. “Sorry, that was really awkward. I’ve never really been graceful.”
“You can feel free to crawl all over me anytime,” he told her.
“What?” she asked.
“Nothing.” He started up the truck and hit the button to open the gates. “Do your belt up, baby.”
“Aren’t we on your driveway?” she asked, looking around.
“Doesn’t matter. If you’re in a moving vehicle, then I want you to have your seatbelt on.”
“Are you sure you live in a house and not a cave?” she asked as she did up her belt, making his lips twitch.
“Calling me a caveman, baby?”
“If the shoe fits . . .”
They drove up past the main house toward the bunk rooms. Shit. Where would she feel more comfortable?
He parked in front of the bunkhouse. “This is where I live with Tanner and Raid. Over there is the main house where Alec lives with his family. You’re welcome to stay in either place. Both have spare rooms.”
“I . . . I don’t know.” There was a quaver to her voice that he hated.
“It’s okay. You’re all right.”
“My mind is on overload. I don’t know if I can take much more. Someone broke into my motel room. I have to go to my sister’s wedding tomorrow and wear the most hideous dress, while avoiding Marcus’s grabby hands—”
“Whoa, what? Who?” Who the fuck was Marcus?
“I don’t really know who he is or what he was doing there since he isn’t in the bridal party. My stepfather invited him. He wanted me to take him to the wedding. He spent most of the dinner tonight getting into my personal space. I keep meeting creeps. First Frank, now Marcus.”
“Who the hell is Frank?”
“Some colleague of my stepfather’s. He was at the house the other night. He was scarier than Marcus. Marcus was just an annoying gnat. And Frank isn’t an issue.”
It was if he was giving her creepy vibes. But he was learning that she often put her needs behind others.
“So Marcus will be there tomorrow? What about Frank?”
“I don’t think Frank will be.”
“I want you to point them out if you see them. And when they’re around, I want you by me. In fact, after the ceremony part is done, I want you next to my side the entire time. Marcus won’t be getting his grubby hands near you.”