by T. J. Kline
“Nope, but I didn’t mean to wake you.” His knuckles grazed over the line of her jaw. “I should probably get back to my room before anyone else gets up.”
She twisted her lips to the side. “You don’t have to go, Dylan. I’m a big girl.” She looked up at him, innocently.
Contrary to what she claimed, with her long lashes and trusting, dark eyes, she looked young and naive. She had no idea what sort of disaster he brought with him. He traced the line of her cheek, wishing he could make love to her again. Once hadn’t been near enough to slake his thirst for her.
“Your brother doesn’t particularly trust me already. I don’t even want to think what he’d do if he found me in here.”
She grinned at him, and he caught a glimpse of the spitfire in her. “Do you think I care what my brother says?”
He laughed and rolled onto his back, pulling her into the crook of his shoulder. “I’ll stay for a few more minutes. But only because it’s early and I don’t want that dog to think he won.”
She laughed, her breath warming his chest, and he felt himself stir to life. This was going to be a long day if he couldn’t get his body under control. He tried to think of anything that might still the reaction—baseball, football, hockey, cleaning the kennel with her as he promised to do today—but with her finger tracing the pattern of his tattoo over his chest, he couldn’t think of anything but how those hands had touched him last night.
His laid his hand over hers. “Unless you have another foil packet hidden somewhere in here, I should go.”
Dylan didn’t miss the disappointment that flickered in her eyes, and he hated being the reason it was there. Then she smiled at him, and he felt his stomach tighten in knots.
She shrugged and sighed. “Okay, I was just getting up to take a shower anyway.” She flipped back the sheet and walked into her bathroom.
He watched her walk away, appreciating the sight of her backside, certain she was putting a little extra sway in her hips for his benefit. She knew damn well how difficult she was making it for him to leave. He hadn’t missed the overconfident smirk on her lips as she headed into the bathroom. He heard the water come on and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Roscoe opened one eye and raised a doggy brow at him.
“What am I supposed to do now?” The dog sighed and shifted position to lie on his side. Dylan nodded at the dog on the floor. “Yeah, no way I’m leaving now.”
He rose from the bed and made his way to the shower, watching her through the clear glass as water rained down over her head, slicking her hair down her back. Steam rose in the stall as he opened the door silently and moved behind her, wrapping his arms around her and cupping her breasts. The water warmed her skin, but he felt feverish hot already.
She jumped in surprise but immediately leaned backward against him, letting his hands move over her body with complete trust, surrendering herself to the whirlwind of emotions that seemed to rise between them. His lips found her neck as the water soaked them, wetting her skin as his hands roamed down her stomach, between her thighs. She gasped, then sputtered as water filled her mouth.
Dylan bit the shell of her ear playfully. “It might be a bit dangerous in here for you. I wouldn’t want you to drown yourself.” He pushed open the door, and she turned in his arms as they stumble-walked back into the bedroom, nearly slipping on the tile floor where water pooled under their feet.
“Towels,” she pointed out, reaching for the cabinet.
“Do we need them?” His hands slid over her slick, wet body, and he licked the moisture from her shoulder as he stopped in the doorway leading to her room. “Julia, I’ll go to the store today, but for right now, we should probably wait.”
She spun them so the back of his knees bumped against the bed and shot him the same feline smile, filled with confident seduction. “Like you said, there are other ways.” She pushed him lightly so he sat on the bed and stepped between his knees. “Turnabout is only fair.”
“MORNING, BAILEY.” JULIA had just started the coffee when Bailey came strolling into the kitchen and reached for a mug.
A gloating smirk spread on Bailey’s lips, and her blue eyes twinkled mischievously. “You’re awfully chipper this morning. I thought you’d be tired after staying up so late.”
“I thought you went to bed before I did.” Justin cocked a brow at his sister, confused. Julia glared at Bailey before turning toward Justin. She told Dylan she didn’t care what Justin said, but she wasn’t about to instigate an argument where there didn’t need to be one.
“I did, but I couldn’t sleep.”
Bailey snorted into her coffee mug as she took a sip, and Julia shot her another shut-up glance. It probably would have worked if it had been anyone but Bailey. As much as she adored her smart-aleck, rocker-glam cousin, Bailey had a way of saying too much at the wrong time.
“Where’re your infamous guests? I didn’t get to meet them last night.”
There she goes again. “I think Gage is still sleeping. I heard Dylan up a little while ago.”
Bailey’s grin spread even wider, if that was possible. “I’m not surprised.”
Julia sighed, giving up trying to verbally outwit Bailey. Stuffing her with food was the only hope Julia had to shut her cousin’s mouth. “Breakfast, Bailey? I’ve got eggs, toast, and bacon.”
“Get it to go if you’re riding to the clinic with me. I’m heading out in five,” Justin informed her.
Bailey rolled her eyes and shrugged, finishing the last of her coffee. “I guess I was lucky to even get this.” She slid the mug into the dishwasher. “You heard the boss man. Can we wrap it up?”
“You bet.”
Justin eyed the two women before heading out to his truck.
Julia turned to her cousin. “Thank you.”
Bailey laughed out loud. “For which part, the loan or keeping quiet?”
“If that was you keeping quiet, I’d hate to see you when you tell all!” Julia shoved her cousin toward the door. “Now go, before your boss gets all pissy and comes back looking for you.”
Julia was standing at the sink when Dylan and Gage finally came into the kitchen. “Morning, guys.” Her eyes skimmed over Gage and settled on Dylan. She couldn’t help but admire how incredible he looked in his rust-colored T-shirt and jeans. Good enough to eat. She licked her lips and pressed them together, barely able to tear her eyes away from him as Roscoe trotted into the kitchen.
“Good morning, Roscoe. Ready for breakfast?” The dog answered with a quick, cheerful bark before sitting at Dylan’s feet. She held the bowl out to Dylan. “I dished up his food, and Tango’s already eaten.” Julia poured two cups of coffee as the dog was fed. Gage rose to take them. “Sit and eat,” she ordered.
Gage laughed. “You give me commands like I’m one of the dogs.”
She stopped short, frowning. “I’m sorry, I just—”
“I’m kidding. You made breakfast and you’re serving me coffee. You could tell me to go wash your truck and I would.” She smiled and lifted both brows in doubt. “Okay, maybe not that far. Your truck’s pretty dirty.”
“Your brother and cousin already left?” Dylan asked, looking back down the hallway.
“Yes, why?” She knew exactly why but wasn’t about to miss the opportunity to tease him.
“Gage wanted to meet Bailey.”
“Really?” She flicked her eyes toward his brother, surprised to see him nod and shrug.
“You’d be a hard act to follow, Julia, but if she’s anything like you . . . well, I am a single guy.”
“Thanks, I think.” She scraped Justin’s dish and loaded it into the dishwasher and wondered if she’d ever teach him to use one. She rinsed out his mug and turned to face the brothers.
“So,” Gage began tentatively, “I was hoping we could take a trip into town. What do you think, Julia?”
She turned, glancing at Dylan. He’d mentioned going into town, but she’d assumed he was kidding, especially considering the way
their last trip had ended. She leaned one hip against the counter. “Where did you want to go?” Gage shrugged and looked at Dylan for support. “I guess it’s really your decision, Dylan. Do you feel ready to try again?”
“You think Roscoe is ready?”
“Roscoe did fine,” she reminded him, quietly. She hoped he realized she understood if he wasn’t ready to go through another episode. She didn’t want to push him too quickly, but she didn’t want to hold him back either.
Dylan held her gaze for a moment before giving her a wink. “I think it’s a good idea. There was something I didn’t think to pick up the last time we were there.”
GAGE FOLLOWED THEM in the Camaro, and Dylan couldn’t have been more grateful for the privacy. At least this trip to town gave him a chance to talk with her a bit about last night, and where they could go moving forward.
“Was this trip your idea?” Her voice broke into his thoughts, and he glanced over at her. It had taken a while, but he’d been able to convince her to let him drive, and it felt amazing to be behind the wheel again. He might still have his regular prescriptions, but now that he hadn’t been taking medication to sleep at night, he was amazed how alert he felt. Maybe it was just the full nights of uninterrupted sleep, more than he’d had in the past year.
He grinned sheepishly and watched her cheeks flush with color. Dylan reached over Roscoe and twined his fingers with hers. “You’re beautiful when you blush.”
The dog looked from one human to the other from his spot curled up between them before giving up on getting attention and dropping his head back onto his front paws. “I think you should try a quick trip in and out first,” she suggested quietly.
“You think I’ll have another episode?”
She shrugged. “It’s a possibility you should be prepared for.”
“I haven’t had any since that last one, not even with what happened the other night,” he pointed out.
“It really just depends on what triggers them. Now we know chasing down crazy ex-boyfriends isn’t one of your triggers.”
Dylan shook his head, growing serious. “Don’t joke, Julia. I talked to Chase this morning, and they haven’t seen that motorcycle yet. Until they know where he is, I don’t want you going anywhere alone.”
She sighed and turned to look out the window, seeing Gage in the rearview mirror. “Then it’s probably a good thing you need me to help you with Roscoe. I’ll have you with me all the time.”
The ride was short but pleasant, and he couldn’t help but think how he wanted this life beyond the next two weeks. He wanted more time, but he wouldn’t force himself on Julia. The past few days were a great start to his healing and a foundation for a relationship, but he had to do better than this. He had to know he could offer her more than a broken mind and a helpless has-been of a man. If he could prove to his therapist he was getting better, he could lower his medications. Or get off them entirely.
He rubbed his thumb over her hand, feeling the desire burst bright in his chest again just as the Sak ’N Save pulled into view. He parked the truck while his brother pulled in next to them.
Gage pointed at the mail center across the street. “I need to go to the office supply to get this contract notarized. Why don’t we meet at the coffee shop in twenty minutes. Is that enough time?” He looked from Dylan to Julia.
“It should be fine. I just have a couple things to get.” Dylan clipped the leash on Roscoe as he jumped down from the seat. “Man, it felt good to drive again.”
“Then hold on to the keys and you can drive back,” Julia said.
Dylan ignored the warning look Gage shot him. He knew the risk, but Julia’s confidence in him would be enough to get him through this.
WITH EVERY MINUTE they spent in the store, the pride she felt in both Dylan and Roscoe grew. Both had learned to trust one another quickly, more quickly than she’d even hoped they would. When Roscoe hesitated, Dylan immediately focused on the dog, waiting to see if it was a trigger or simply some reaction the dog was reading from him. They were able to make their purchases and exit the store without any trouble and with five minutes to spare before heading to meet with Gage.
“Crap!”
“What?” Dylan turned to see what happened.
“I forgot I needed butter.” She knew it wasn’t dire, but there was no sense driving all the way back another day when they were still here. “Why don’t you just wait at the truck, and I’ll just run back in.” She didn’t want to push their luck. She could see the pride in Dylan’s eyes at how well the two of them had done. She didn’t want him to be disappointed if he had another episode.
“I’ll go with you.”
She bit her lip, nervously, making the decision to keep her concerns to herself and protect him for a change. “I don’t want to overload Roscoe, and if we’re still going to the coffee shop, that’s a lot of new circumstances to throw at him in a given day.”
Dylan arched a dubious brow and looked at the dog. “Are you sure you aren’t just worried about me having another episode?”
She took a step closer to him, laying her hands at his waist. “I’m just going to run in and out. You two would slow me down.” She stood on her toes and pressed a quick kiss to his lips, shocked that even that small token was enough to make her heart flutter wildly. His hands found her waist and squeezed for just a moment.
“I’ll wait for you. Just hurry.”
She turned to leave and he pulled her back, winding his arm around her waist and kissing her fully. She could feel every part of her body awaken, yearning swirling through her as she melted into him. Breaking the kiss, she sighed as he kissed her forehead.
She smiled, loving that he didn’t want to release her any more than she wanted to be released. If she had her way, they would forget the coffee shop altogether, head back home, and disappear into her room for the rest of the night with one of his purchases. “I can’t hurry back unless you let me go first.”
He growled playfully. “Fine.” He released her slowly, as if it pained him, and she tried to convince the butterflies doing a quick two-step in her belly to settle.
She hurried through the electric doors and to the back of the aisle where the butter, eggs, and cheese were stacked. Julia plucked a package of butter from the shelf and spun to hurry to the checkout.
“Well, hello. Fancy seeing you here.”
The icy voice froze the blood in her veins. Julia saw Evan standing no more than three feet away. If he hadn’t spoken, she almost wouldn’t have recognized him. He was more muscular than he’d been years ago, but thinner, more haggard. She scanned the aisle around her, praying that someone was nearby, but the store was painfully deserted this early. A lump lodged in her throat, and she couldn’t break it up to speak. Evan took a step toward her, and she immediately backed up, almost falling into the open refrigerated shelves. He laughed bitterly.
“What’s the matter, baby? Don’t you remember me?” His eyes glittered with evil malice. “We had some good times.” He glanced down the aisle before closing the distance between them. “Where’s your new boyfriend? I’d love to have another chat with him. It was cut short the last time.”
When she didn’t react, he looked disappointed. “You already knew?” he asked with all the wide-eyed innocence of the snake in the Garden of Eden. “That’s too bad, I wanted to be the one to surprise you with that news. I guess a whore like you probably always keeps at least one man around. And now I see you have a house full. Is that on my account?”
“You’ve been watching my house.”
Evan laughed. “I’ve been watching you since I got out, sweetheart. You should know I’m never too far away.”
“I’m calling the police as soon as I leave here,” she warned, hating that her voice wavered, knowing he heard it.
A wide smile broke out over his lips. “If you do, I’ll make sure that boyfriend of yours ends up the same as that mutt who bit me.”
Julia felt her knees start to buckl
e. Evan grasped her face roughly in his hand. He wasn’t big, but he was strong and she felt helpless. “Give me a reason to kill him. I’d take so much pleasure in watching him die trying to save you.”
The thought of him hurting Dylan, or anyone else she loved, was enough to snap her from the hypnotic spell he’d cast over her. She shoved against his chest as hard as she could and ran out the doors, her stomach roiling as she fought to breathe. She saw Dylan still waiting at the truck and ran toward him.
“Julia, what’s—”
“We have to leave!” She looked back over her shoulder, expecting Evan to follow, but saw no one. “We have to leave now.”
Evan wouldn’t just disappear. She knew he wasn’t far behind.
Chapter Thirteen
DYLAN COULD SEE the panic in her face and ran to her, meeting her partway across the parking lot. Julia dragged him back toward the truck. “Come on, we have to go. Get in.” She tried to take the keys from him.
Dropping the leash at his feet, Dylan reached for her face, forcing her to stop and meet his gaze, pinning her body between him and car. “Julia, look at me. Look at me,” he ordered. Her eyes flicked toward him then back toward the store. “Hey, what happened in there? Talk to me.”
Roscoe pawed at her leg, recognizing her anxiety and reacting instinctively. Dylan knew, had Tango been with them, he’d have been doing the same. Her breathing was shallow, and her entire body shook with fear. Dylan had seen her upset, but this went far beyond that. This was sheer terror. There was only one thing he knew that would cause this sort of reaction in Julia.
Dylan enveloped her in his arms, holding her tightly as she buried her head in his chest and clutched at his shirt. He let his eyes scan the front of the store. He couldn’t leave her here to go inside and find him, but he was sure Evan was in the vicinity. It was highly likely he would sneak out one of the back delivery doors. Controlled rage slid through his veins like a drug. If he could get back there . . .
“Julia, we have to call the police,” he murmured quietly. “They can catch him here, and it will be over.”