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He pins me in against the wall, hips flush against mine, eyes alive with fire. He starts rattling things off on his fingertips. “You were also kidnapped out of our home. You have a stalker crawling through the windows. You’re hurt and tired andconfused, and you're not going anywhere alone until all those situations are dealt with. It's non-negotiable.You’re sleeping with me.”
I want to be angry, but I can’t be. I’m too grateful that he’s a take-charge kind of guy. I like that he’s powerful. Firm. That he won’t take anybody’s no for an answer—not even mine.
“Are you going to give me a bodyguard, too, Beck? Or, wait, maybe you’d prefer a leash and a collar?”
When he grins, not much else matters. Our bodies are aligned enough for me to feel his cock through his pants. My own wetness is like a starburst between my thighs.
“It's like you read my mind, princess.”
6
SLOAN
It’s always when I want to sleep the most that sleep is hardest to come by. But eventually, I steal some shuteye from the Sandman.
But as soon as I drift off, I’m back in the warehouse, staring at the Bloodhound. His hand is hurtling toward my face to hit me again, and his mouth is snarling, “I’ll let you suck my cock,” and his hand swings closer and closer and?—
Then Beck stirs and it all goes away.
I snuggle closer to him, absorbing his warmth, feeling his arms as they tuck over and under me. He’s breathing softly. He smells like soap and man. I could stay here with him in this bed forever, and all the rest of the outside world can go to hell.
If only.
My mind is spinning with all the reasons we can’t do the thing I want to do most of all. But when I think of our future, I always circle back around to trust. Every day that I don’t tell him aboutmy father and the money I owe to the Bloodhound, I’m violating that trust. The thought makes my stomachache.
But then a new thought tugs at my attention. The Bloodhound and Beck seemed oddly… acquainted. At the very least, they must’ve had a conversation prior to Beck coming to find me. Of course, the Bloodhound had to tell him where to come, but this seemed like it was more than that. Like maybe their acquaintance ran deeper somehow. And if that’s true…
What the hell does it mean?
I can’t process all the implications. It could mean that Beck is in on the money my father owed. It could mean that he’s somehow a part of all of this.
Of course, it could also mean that my overactive imagination is working overtime in response to my latest bout of trauma.
Just like that, the peace I found cuddling with Beck dissipates. I scoot out of the bed, careful not to wake him. I need distance so I can think. He has some sort of voodoo power that keeps me completely off-balance when I’m around him. Space is my only weapon to fight that.
The sun isn’t up yet and I’m still beyond exhausted, but I don’t care. I can sleep later. Right now, I need to focus and figure out whatever I can so I can make a plan to protect myself and my baby.
This isn’t just about me anymore.
I slide my phone off the table and use the light from the screen to make sure there’s nothing in the path between me and the door. Knowing Beck, he’s moved some furniture for me to bumpinto so the noise of my clumsiness will wake him if I try to go downstairs alone.
But the pathway is clear. I make it to the hallway while he continues softly sleeping.
As I walk down the steps, I can see a little bit of fluorescent light coming through the sheer curtains at the back windows. After the apartment was trashed, Beck had security lights installed with attached motion sensors jacked up to maximum sensitivity. A tree branch twitches in the breeze three houses down, andboom,the lights flip on. He is a raccoon’s worst nightmare.
But that’s fine with me. Last thing I need is an unannounced middle-of-the-night visitor.
When I get to the kitchen, my first thought is coffee. I’m halfway to making a cup when I remember with a jolt that pregnant women aren’t supposed to have caffeine. Grimacing, I put the stuff back away and go sit at the counter.
Lots of things are going to change in the very near future. Coffee is the least of my worries. But I still can’t help feeling sorry for myself.
I press my forehead to the marble countertop. It’s cool and refreshing against my still-achy skull. I wish I could stay like this for a long time. That some fairy godmother would float around my life and fix everything while I just sit right here with my eyes closed.
“Hey.”
Beck’s voice, even when it’s soft and raspy from sleep, startles me. But when I turn to look, I get an eyeful of broad, bare chest,snug-fit boxer briefs and a morning smile that could make the sun jealous. “Oh. Hi.”
“Did I scare you?” He walks around the counter and looks at the coffee maker. “Caffeine is bad for the baby.”
