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Preston drove a little ways out of town to a small house and parked in the driveway. Jumping out of the car, he ran around to the other side and opened my door. Before I could even get out, he had me in his arms and was walking up the steps to the door.
“I thought you lived in an apartment?” I whispered.
“I moved out. This is my aunt and uncle’s place. They are in Ireland visiting family.”
Smiling, I asked, “Uncle John?”
Preston smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Yeah, Uncle John and Aunt Sue. I’m staying here until I find a place.”
Opening the door, Preston walked into a modest-sized home. Looking around, I instantly felt at home. A calmness moved across my body that I had never experienced before. Family pictures covered the fireplace mantel and the walls that led upstairs.
Walking over to the sofa, Preston set me down on it. “Do you want something to drink? Water? Um…beer?”
Shaking my head, I whispered, “No, thank you.” I suddenly felt foolish for being here. Needing someone near me just to sleep was a sign of weakness, and I couldn’t afford to be weak.
Preston sat down in the chair opposite me and rested his arms on his legs as he looked at me. “Harmony, I need to ask you something.”
“Anything.” I barely spoke it.
Preston looked at the floor as he rubbed the back of his neck. I felt a churning in my stomach as I waited for what he was going to ask me.
“Are you dating anyone?”
“No,” I whispered. My eyes narrowed as I looked at Preston. I wanted desperately to ask him how that answer made him feel.
“Are you dating anyone?” I asked before thinking.
“No. No, there isn’t anyone but—” Preston’s voice sounded strained. Clearing his throat, he asked, “The guy at the hospital. I saw you with him twice and he invited you to dinner, so I just thought…I mean…I just wanted to make sure he hadn’t done anything to you.”
My heart felt as if it would burst with the way Preston cared so much about me. I wanted to ask him to finish his sentence but my body was starting to relax just being near Preston.
“He’s my boss. I was having a problem deciding where I wanted my nursing career to go. I ran into him outside the restaurant and asked if I could speak with him. When I was coming out of his office the day I ran into you, he was asking me if Jake and I wanted to spend Thanksgiving with him and his wife.”
Preston relaxed and I noticed he was fighting to hide a smile.
“Okay” was all he managed to say.
Shaking my head, I looked away. “I can’t sleep.”
“What?”
Looking back at Preston, I finally gave up the fight and let my tears fall. Preston quickly dropped to the floor in front of me. “Harmony, what is it?”
“I haven’t been able to sleep since the night you stayed on the sofa with me. It was the first night I’d slept without having any nightmares. And now…I can’t sleep at all and I’m so tired.” Dropping my head into my hands, I sobbed uncontrollably.
Weakness is not an option, Harmony.
Too tired.
Preston picked me up in his strong arms and carried me upstairs. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I nestled my face in the crook of his neck. Kicking open a door, Preston walked into a bedroom that was filled with boxes.
Gently setting me down, Preston pulled the covers back from his bed and turned to me. Looking into my eyes, he pushed a piece of my blond hair behind my ear as he dropped his hands to my pants and unbuttoned them.
My breathing picked up as I grabbed onto him for stability. My legs felt as if they were barely holding my body up.
Preston squatted down but kept his eyes locked on mine as he pushed my pants down. I silently thanked God that I had put on a pair of stupid boyshort panties.
Swallowing hard, I moved my hands to his shoulders and stepped out of my pants. Preston stood up and set my pants on a chair, his eyes never leaving mine. I’d never experienced such powerful emotions before. Not even with Trey. The way Preston looked at me, it was as if I was his entire world.
