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“Um, no, plus that was a really cheap line.” I smile at him, putting a stop to whatever he was about to do. But when I turn around to open my door, I drop the keys. I instantly reach to catch them then cry out as pain spreads across my chest. I almost double over as he grabs me, pushing me back up as carefully as he can, then leans down to pick them up.
“Let me,” he says as he picks up the keys and opens the door before I have a chance to say anything. He walks in and switches the light on, he turns around and looks at me, he walks over to the only door in the apartment, opens it, breaths out a massive sigh, he walks back over to me, eyebrows raised. I shrug slightly, I have nothing to say, it is what is, I will make do.
“No way,” he says, shaking his head at me, “you don’t even have anything to sleep on, where is all your stuff? I thought you moved in today? You couldn’t even get up off the floor a few minutes ago, what are you going to do, sleep on the floor?” He says it sarcastically, but my eyes move to the makeshift bed on the floor and he looks to where I’m looking.
“Fuck no, no way.” I laugh at him, he looks so serious.
“I have no choice,” I say to him, annoyed. “When I arrived, my brilliant new landlord was taking all the furniture away. I thought it came furnished, but apparently I was wrong about that too. Look, can you just leave now? I’ve had a really shitty day. I’ve not eaten, I feel dizzy, I’m so tired, I just want to be left alone to sleep. It’s taking everything I have right now to stay standing. I can’t take much more.”
“I can’t do that, I can’t leave you alone like this.” He’s standing there looking at me like I’ve lost my mind, towering over me, his eyes a deep blue and unwavering in watching me.
“Yes, you can, just walk out the door, that’s all you have to do. I’ve had so much worse than a broken rib before now, I’ll be okay.”Not making the situation any better, are you?I scold myself. It’s like I’ve got verbal diarrhoea around him, it just comes out. I lean against the wall, and wince, not helping myself prove my point. He takes my hand, and brushes his thumb over my knuckles, he looks at me. I melt… those eyes.
“You have just stood there and told me, you don’t have anything to sleep on, you feel dizzy, you haven’t eaten, and you have had much worse than a broken rib before, then you expect me to just walk out the door? I don’t know what type of man you think I am, but no, you are coming home with me until you get better, I’m not taking no for an answer.” I think I melt some more… so commanding, but this time it’s sexy as fuck.
Wow, shit, what can I say to that? So that’s what it feels like when someone wants to care for you.It’s been so long, I’d forgotten. Glen never cared for me. I don’t know why he was with me if he hated me so much and did what he did. It makes no sense to me… but this… Him… Jack… I don’t know what to say, so I just nod.
Chapter ten
Electricity
Jack
She fell asleep in the car on the way back last night. She didn’t say much after our little chat in her apartment. I can’t believe she was going to sleep there and not say a word about any of it, having no bed… I mean what the fuck!Does she really have nothing?I know she doesn’t know me, or any of us. We don’t know anything about her situation, we’ve guessed at what has happened and the most likely horrific option, I just don’t want it to be true. I can’t and don’t want to imagine what she has been through to get to this point in her life, but god damn it, I want to make things better for her.
After carrying her up to my suite in the hotel, I put her in my bed, only taking off her shoes. She looks exhausted and so restless.
I wake up this morning still in the chair I fell asleep in last night. Millie was still sleeping. Running my fingers through my hair, I head to the shower. I’ve got a full day today and I’m still in yesterday’s clothes. Dan will be here at nine and we need to sort some stuff out for the hotel, pub and restaurant. I need to getclean and have a coffee before I deal with Dan. I know how he’ll react when he finds out Millie stayed the night.
No matter how much I try, I can’t help but think about some of the things she said to me last night, it really scared me. I’m not sure I could handle the truth about what she’s been through. I think it would kill me to think of all the things that could have happened to her. That’s if I’m right about it all, I hope to god I’m wrong about it. I just hope she never has to go through it again, any of it. It could have all been so different if I had found her back in Ibiza six years ago.
Even in the shower, she’s invading my thoughts. I can’t stop thinking about her. I’m not sure what’s happening to me. I’ve never acted like this over any woman before, not even the ones I’ve slept with a few times. But there’s something about her. I just want to wrap my arms around her and tell her everything will be okay. I get this sick feeling when I think about what she may have been through. I keep replaying last night in my head. I couldn’t understand why she wouldn’t accept a lift home. I assumed it was her being stubborn. When I walked back into the pub and she was gone, I freaked out. I went ape-shit at Mike for leaving her alone. I suppose I had been gone a while but I needed a few moments to process what the paramedics had said to me about what they thought her injuries were. I knew she would never be able to make it home on her own. And just like that, I’m pissed off again.
I flew to my car, my heart racing, thinking the worst. I drove straight to her apartment, looking for her on the way, sitting outside the main door. I’ve never been so worried, I felt helpless. Had she disappeared on me again? I want to see her every day. It made my day yesterday when she walked out of the back of the pub when I introduced myself to the staff. I couldn’t help but smile at the shock on her face, that pink blush that crept up her cheeks, it made me laugh. All night I’d been thinking ofways I could be at the pub more, just to see her, get to know her a little better. I had a similar feeling back in Ibiza with her, I just wanted to keep her next to me, have her with me, it felt… good. I’m not sure I want to lose that feeling. Being close to her last night before I opened the door to her apartment, it felt like electricity between us. Her skin was like silk beneath my fingers. I meant what I said to her about putting her to bed. I could feel myself getting hard just being close to her. I wanted to touch her, feel her, and do so many things, but she shut me down. I don’t blame her, given the night she had.
Walking into her apartment, I could see why she did what she did. She knew I would never let her stay there. She has nothing, even though she doesn’t know me well enough, she knew I would want to help her.
Bringing her back here last night was the best decision I could have made. Placing her in my bed felt right. Fucking hell… I was planning on sleeping in the spare room, but I watched her sleep for a while, sitting in the chair by the window. You could see her dreams were tormenting her. She was restless, every time she turned, she was in pain. She also said my name, which I enjoyed, it made me watch more but she seemed to fall into a deep sleep after that. I may ask her about it later. I must have dozed off sometime after that, only waking up when my internal body clock chimed.
Wrapping the towel around my waist, I head back over to grab some clothes when she stirs and tries to sit up, clutching her side in the process.
“Shit, I forgot for a second,” she says, lying back down on the bed.
“I’ll grab you some painkillers, try and get some rest. Go back to sleep,” I say, sitting on the edge of the bed.
“Thank you,” she says simply, staying where she is. Her red hair fanned out on the pillow behind her.
When I walk back up she’s trying to get up again, I give her a look; she doesn’t need to move today.
“Don’t look at me like that, I need to pee really bad, do you mind if I also take a shower?” she says shyly.
“Be my guest, this place is yours for as long as you need it Millie, let me help you up,” I move closer to her, and holding her gently, I lift her up so she’s sitting, but leaning against the back of the bed.
“Take these before you get in the shower, it will help,” I say, handing her the painkillers and water.
Walking over to the wardrobe, I grab a few things and lay them on the end of the bed. She struggles to get off the bed but doesn’t ask me for help. I watch her walk to the bathroom, clutching her chest and side.
“Towels are in the cupboard, next to the sink,” I say as she closes the door. What I wouldn’t give to be in there with her. That makes me hard all over again… there is something seriously wrong with me, she’s in pain and all I can think of is my dick.
