So noise-canceling headphones and a loud movie, it is.
“He loves it.” Nikki grins as she locks up the place. “He’s probably going to be your biggest fan after watching all those movies.”
“I was kinda hoping that might be your spot…” I walk closer, taking her in. She looks good, all flexible, blissed out, and in tight yoga gear that I can’t wait to peel off.
“You want me to be your number one fan?” Her head tilts in this cute way when she asks questions. Like she’s teasing but also testing the waters.
“No.” I shake my head. “I want to be your number one.”
Her smile falters for just a second, just long enough for me to catch the flicker of surprise in her eyes. She wasn’t expecting me to say that.
“That’s a bold statement.” There’s no challenge in her voice, just curiosity. Dare I say, hope.
“I mean it.” I dip my head, voice softer now, more certain. “Whatever this is… whatever we are… I want it to be real.”
Her eyes search mine. “Really?”
“It feels very fucking real to me, Tinker…” I settle my hands around her waist, waiting for her response. My heart feels like it’s going to thump right out of my chest. I haven’t put my feelings on the line like this before. I need a fucking glass of Whiteman’s Whiskey just to tame the swirl of my stomach.
“It feels real for me too,” she says with her eyes on mine, and I can’t stop my smile forming. “But I’m scared…” And the tremble in her body emphasizes that fear. All I want is to take that feeling away and replace it with comfort. She needs to know how serious I am.
“I want us to be exclusive. I want to be with you and you me.”
She takes a big breath, exhaling. “Exclusive?” She looks like she can’t believe the words we’re speaking.
“Nikki, I want you to be all mine.” I feel like I might have a heart attack.
“I already am…” Her honesty lashes across my chest like a whip, leaving me breathless. I’m motionless for a second before I breathe out my surprise and pull her close, my lips crashing onto hers in an instant.
She falls into me with a moan, and I’m already lifting her off the floor, throwing her over my shoulder.
“Sutton!” she squeals as I hold her over my shoulder and walk down the hall to her room. Smiling at her laughter, I kick the door closed before tossing her onto the bed, then something catches my eye.
“What’s that?” I still, seeing the floorboard up in her room, instantly on alert. When I glance at the window, it’s shut.
“Oh, shit.” She jumps off the bed and rushes to the floor, and I follow.
“I just have my go-bag here,” she says, stuffing what looks like a small duffel down under the floorboards, before replacing the board, making it look like it was never missing.
“Go-bag?” I don’t like the sound of that. I sit on the floor beside her as she sighs.
“I have a bag with some clothes, cash, a few things ready, just in case.”
“In case of what?” I already know what she’s going to say, and I hate it.
“In case we need to run again.” She looks at me with a pinched brow, and I want to smooth her worries away. While I’m thankful she’s opening up, I have no idea how to rein in my protective anger that bubbles.
“Is that likely? That you’ll have to flee that quickly that you need a go-bag?”
She blows out a breath. “I hope not, but it eases my mind that I’m prepared.”
I nod, taking it all in as I grab her hand, my fingers gripping on to her tight.
“You run to me, okay?”
“Sutton…” She’s already shaking her head.
“No. I mean it. You run to me.” I’ve just told her how much she means to me, and I already feel her falling through my grasp. I hate it.
