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I sit up straight, my body feeling like it’s rumbling with volcanic explosiveness. If Declan was here, I’d go into feral mode, grabbing the little shit and forcing him to apologize to Autumn.
“He hasn’t shown up since that first time, but what if he does? What am I going to do?”
This is a mistake. It’s too much too soon.
And yet the idea of this motherfucker harassing and threatening my woman is unthinkable. I can’t let this happen, can’t let him go on like this.
“Autumn, you can stay in my apartment.”
Her mouth drops open. Her eyes wide. “What? Are you serious?”
CHAPTER NINE
Autumn
I expected Asher to make his excuses and leave once I’d gotten into the nitty-gritty of the story. He’d think this was too much hassle to handle, that it wasn’t his problem and bail. But then he started to listen, his taut features shaped sympathetically, and I figured he was just being friendly.
But this? Staying in his apartment?
He stares at me hard, with that glint in his eyes, looking like a giant sitting in the café’s small chair. Several women have been eyeing him ever since he walked in here as if they can’t help themselves, as if they need to remind themselves of how magazine-cover hot he is.
And he wants me to stay with him.
My shock must be evident on my face. He leans forward with a smirk.
“I phrased that badly. I have two apartments in the city. I’m in the process of selling one of them, but if it would make you feel safer, you can stay there for the time being. It’s closer to your college campus too. But…”
“But?”
His smirk fades. “I’ll understand if you don’t want to rush into another older man’s apartment. I’ll understand if you don’t trust me. You’ve been through a lot, more than you deserve.”
His voice takes on that husky quality again, making me wonder why he cares so much. Sure, I’ve been fantasizing about him every day since we met, but I’d put everything I own on him not feeling the same.
How could he?
He probably didn’t even notice me on the college field trip.
“I trust you,” I tell him, my voice trembling with the admission. “Which probably makes me crazy but…”
I shrug, and his smirk returns. “You can trust me, Autumn. I swear I’d never hurt you like that bastard did. The apartment I’m talking about is closer to campus, so the commute wouldn’t be so long.”
“I don’t know if I could afford rent on two places.”
“You wouldn’t have to pay a thing,” he says, all fierce again. “I just want you to be safe.”
“But why?” I almost yell.
Quickly lowering my gaze, I let out a shaky laugh.
“Okay, that was supposed to be way quieter. But are you in the habit of offering apartments to women you don’t know?”
His lips flatten and he narrows his eyes. It’s like he’s pissed with me for saying we don’t know each other. But it’s the truth.
A silly part of me whispers that it’s because he feels the same way I do, that the idea of us not knowing each other is as crazy to him as it is to me.
Even if we haven’t talked for a long time, I feel like I know this man, on a deeper level.
“You need help. I want to help. That’s it. You’re free to turn me down.”
“I wouldn’t want to impose.” Taking a sip of coffee, I let the caffeine settle in my stomach as I place the mug down. “I don’t want to put you through any trouble.”
“You’re not,” he says. “Like I said, the apartment is empty. You’ll be able to come home knowing that jackass won’t be waiting for you.”
“For how long, though?” I ask. “Sorry. I don’t want to sound ungrateful. But it’s been over a year since I split up with him and he’s still bothering me. I’m not sure what a few weeks at a new place will achieve.”
“I can do more than that. I can hire a PI to dig into him and see if there’s any dirt, something we can use to make him back off. We can fix this, Autumn. You shouldn’t have to live like this. Have you got a restraining order?”
I wring my hands, shaking my head softly. “I didn’t want him to think he had that power over me. That’s the same reason I haven’t blocked his number.”
“Autumn…”
“I know, I know,” I say quickly. “It’s stupid. But he controlled me for so long when we were together. I don’t want him to do the same now that we’re broken up.”
He nods. “I understand. But you can still let me look into him and try to make him go away.”
“Would you really do that?” I ask.
“Of course,” he says.
“But why…”
His eyes shine. It’s like there’s something he wants to say, or maybe several things. He opens his mouth and then closes it. I never imagined Asher Alexander could seem indecisive, but there’s no other way to describe the way he’s behaving.
