Chapter 13
Reese hadn’t meant to break down like that in front of Garrett, but he’d been so understanding and sweet. He even offered to stay with her until she fell asleep, but when she’d woken up again sometime later from another nightmare, she was still lying firmly in his arms, and he sleepily whispered, “It’s okay. I’m here. Go back to sleep.”
Having him close and hearing his voice soothed her, and she actually fell right back asleep until a ray of bright sunlight hit her eyes and woke her with a start. She sat up, pulling the sheet up to cover herself before realizing the bed beside her was empty and cold. Had Garrett really spent the night with her or was that part of some incredible dream?
Either way, today was Saturday, which meant tonight was the barbeque with all his friends. He was probably already outside, setting everything up, and Reese wasn’t about to stay in bed or lounge on the couch all day while he did all the work.
Whether it was the painkillers, the antibiotic ointment, or just her body healing, Reese felt more like herself, and she was done being waited on hand and foot. She took a quick shower, changed out the bandages on her hands, and dressed in a clean t-shirt and faded, cut off jean shorts. She could change into something nice later.
When she came out into the kitchen, she glanced out the large sliding glass doors and spotted Garrett hanging a stringof lights between the back porch and the guest house. He was shirtless, his rippled and toned muscles on display with beads of sweat dotting his shoulders and shimmering in the sunlight.
She licked her lips, wanting to feel all of that heat and strength surrounding her again. Whether he was kissing her senseless or holding her while she slept, Garrett Cooper felt incredible.
Eyeing the half full coffee pot, Reese fixed herself a cup, then joined him outside, eager to help in any way she could. After all, he was doing all this for her.
“Good morning,” Garrett said with a smile. “I thought I’d get some things done while you slept. We can head over to the police station as soon as you’re ready to go.”
“You can wake me up,” she said, wishing he had. “I’m feeling much better and I’m definitely not helpless.”
Garrett shook his head with a grin. “Reese Graham, you have proven yourself to be anything but helpless. But you needed your rest, and I needed to get some things done without you around to distract me.”
Reese couldn’t help the giggle that escaped her lips. “You’re a pretty good distraction yourself,” she said, making sure he noticed her checking him out.
Garrett jumped off the step ladder and closed the distance between them. “Even all sweaty like this?”
Reese licked her lips, wishing she could lick the man right where he stood. “Especially all sweaty like this.”
“Damn, woman. You need to hurry up and heal already.”
Reese laughed, and Garrett placed a claiming kiss on her mouth that instantly had her breathless and wet between the legs. “Another kiss like that and I might forget I was ever hurt.”
Garrett thumbed her chin and let his knuckles drift down the column of her neck. “If only I had that kind of power. Give me five minutes to shower and change, and we’ll head out. There arefresh donuts in the box on the table. Help yourself. I got a dozen, not sure which ones you liked.”
This man. Buying a dozen donuts because he didn’t know what kind she liked. “Thank you,” she said, making sure he heard her as he disappeared into his bedroom.
The trip to the police station was uneventful, but just thinking about the man who’d yanked her off Garrett’s dock and chased her through a dark forest made Reese uneasy. The idea that he could come back, because no bad guy had ever been deterred by a piece of paper before, terrified her. But all she had to do was look over at Garrett, and remember everything he was doing to make sure that didn’t happen again, and she felt better.
On the drive back to Garrett’s house, Reese finally felt brave enough to broach the topic that had been burning a hole in her mind ever since she’d woken up in her bed alone. “Thank you for last night,” she said.
Garrett glanced at her before returning his attention to the road. “It was nothing. I’m glad I could be there for you. I told you, anything you need, just ask.”
“Garrett?”
“Yeah?”
“Did I dream it or were you… I mean did you…”
Garrett chuckled. “You were upset and scared. So yeah, I stayed with you all night. I wanted to make sure I’d be there if you woke up again with another nightmare, and you did, and I was. I hope that’s okay.”
Reese nodded, not sure how to respond.
“Reese?”
“Yeah?”
“If I overstepped, tell me, and I won’t do it again.”
She swallowed, hard. That was the last thing on her mind. “No.”
