Page 42 of Unraveled

He leaned against the railing as the car began its descent, and he watched Audrey in the mirrored reflection across from him. Her eyes were closed, and her head tipped drowsily to one side. As if it were the most natural thing in the world, he slipped one arm around her waist and tucked her head against his chest. He loved seeing her in these rare unguarded moments, where her prickly demeanor slipped away, leaving only the open, desirable woman beneath.

“Tired?” His lips brushed her hair as he spoke, and her cheek rubbed gently against his chest when she nodded.

“I just wanna fall into bed and sleep for the next twelve hours.”

The elevator dinged their arrival at the parking garage, and he curled his fingers into her waist. “Soon,” he promised.

He gently propelled her forward, steering her toward his car. Though he’d been rather salty at the time, he was grateful he’d driven himself instead of riding in the ambulance. At least now they didn’t have to call a cab or an Uber. Audrey’s SUV was still at the coffee shop, but he could arrange for that to be picked up tomorrow.

He used the key fob to unlock the door, then held it open and supported her as she lowered herself into the seat. Once she was settled, he closed the door and rounded the car, then slid behind the wheel. He knew where Audrey lived from his previous visit, and a comfortable silence fell as they turned in that direction.

As he drove, he snuck peeks at her from the corner of his eye. Gradually, her lids lowered and her head rolled slightly to one side as she drifted off to sleep. Twenty minutes later, he pulled into her driveway, then turned to look at her. Faint scars were still evident on her forehead, and now she had new scratches and bruises to match.

A fierce protectiveness welled up inside him, urging him to reach across the console, pull her into his arms and never let go. She wouldn’t appreciate the gesture, at least not yet. Despite the fact that she continued to deny it, he knew there was a connection between them, something special that he wanted to explore.

He reached out and gently brushed the backs of his fingers over her cheek. Her long lashes fluttered, and those pretty blue eyes slowly blinked open and met his.

“We’re here.”

Her gaze left his and darted toward the house, and she nodded slowly. By the time he climbed out and made it to her side, she had already unbuckled her seat belt and opened the door. He dug through her purse and fished out the keys to unlock the front door. He closed it up once she had entered, but he didn’t bother to lock it. They wouldn’t be there long enough to worry about it.

The soft scraping of nails against wood drew his attention as Peanut came tearing into the foyer. A bright smile lifted Audrey’s lips, and she scooped him up using her good arm, then cuddled him close. His little pink tongue darted out in frantic kisses, and Audrey jerked her head away with a little laugh. “I know, I know. You need to go out.”

Seizing the opportunity, he plucked him from her grasp. “I’ll take care of it. Why don’t you head to your room?”

After a moment, she relented. “Thanks.”

When Audrey turned down the hallway, he made his way to the backyard and let Peanut run around for a few minutes. After he relieved himself, he brought him back inside and began to gather his things. He carried his food and bowls out to the car, then left his leash by the door and headed toward her bedroom.

Audrey exited the bathroom just as he rounded the bed, and he decided to bite the bullet. “Where do you keep your suitcase?”

Her brows pulled together, her expression turning first curious, then wary. “Why?”

Spinning on a heel, he turned toward her closet and threw the doors open. “Because you’re coming home with me,” he said as he scanned the shelves. He pulled down the first duffel bag he came across and tossed it on the bed.

Audrey let out a disbelieving little laugh. “This is my home. I’m staying here.”

“Not right now, you’re not,” he retorted as he strode to the dresser and yanked out several pairs of socks and underwear, then tossed them into the bag.

She immediately reached in to retrieve them. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“In case you suddenly developed a case of amnesia to go along with your stubbornness, you were shot at today,” he snapped. “You’re out of your mind if you think I’m letting you stay here alone.”

“Getting shot isn’t something I’m likely to forget anytime soon,” she said caustically as she rolled her eyes, “but I have neighbors right next door in case anything happens.”

He jumped on her excuse. “So you’ll put someone else’s life in danger just to avoid coming with me?” Guilt clouded her features as her teeth sank into her lower lip, but he refused to give her an inch. “You’re coming with me, and that’s final.”

He snatched the socks and underwear from her hand and tossed them back into the bag. “Now, tell me if there’s anything specific you want, otherwise I’m just going to grab a bunch of random stuff.” Her frosty gaze narrowed on him, and she pressed her lips together defiantly.

She was spirited, he’d give her that. The woman was too independent by half and made winning her over all the more challenging. But he’d never given up before, and he wasn’t about to now. He let his eyes slowly trail down her body and back up as he fought a smile. “Or you can be naked. Your choice.”

That jolted her into action. She stomped to the closet and began to rip hangers from the rail, tossing them haphazardly over her shoulder. Nearly a minute later, she retraced her steps and flounced down on the edge of the bed, refusing to look at him in her fit of pique. She watched from the corner of her eye as he scooped each garment off the floor, removed it from the hanger, then folded it and placed it inside the bag.

“Toiletries?”

She popped up and stormed to the bathroom. He couldn’t hold back his grin as bottles began to fly in his direction. He hastily fielded the projectiles and dumped them unceremoniously into the bag, thanking God that she only had one good throwing arm.

“Impressive aim.”