Unwilling to think about why that makes my stomach churn with unease, I turn on my bare feet, lean over the back of the couch, and grab the remote. I turn on the television then toss the remote in his direction. I don’t hear it hit the floor, so I know he catches it.
I don’t look at him again or say anything more before leaving him in my living room and heading for my bedroom. One, because I’m pretty sure whatever I’d say would come out a complete mess, making me look like a tool. Two, because I don’t want to acknowledge how thankful I am that he’s here… again. And even though I will never admit it, I feel more at ease with him in my house. And three, if I did acknowledge why he’s here, I would want to find some not-so-very ladylike ways to thank him for what he’s doing. Those things would include kissing him, probably groping him, and maybe—if I was lucky—each of us orgasming.
I shut the door to my room and get into bed. I don’t even have a chance to really think about Cobi being in my house, because I fall asleep almost as soon as my head hits my pillow.
No.
Oh God, no.
Fear fills the pit of my stomach then rushes through me when I see the gun in his hands. He doesn’t say a word, but the dark look in his cold eyes says it all—he’s going to kill me.
My limbs tremble and a shiver slides down my spine.
I want to move. I want to run. But I’m frozen in place.
My eyes close.
This is the end.
Bang!
I scream, waiting to feel the pain I know is coming.
“Baby.” Arms wrap around me and I fight against their hold, needing to run, needing to get away now that I’m not frozen in place. “Calm down. You’re safe. Promise you’re safe.”
“Co… bi?” His name comes out ragged as my lungs fight to fill with oxygen.
“Breathe, you’re safe. Home,” he tells me. I try. I try so hard, but I can’t seem to get enough air into my lungs. I can’t seem to catch my breath. My chest hurts, and my lungs feel like they might explode. “Come on.” I’m pulled to sit on the side of the bed then I feel his hand on my back, pressing down and forcing my head between my legs. “Breathe, baby, just breathe. You’re home.”
Home… I’m home. I’m not in the middle of the woods, running for my life, not lying helpless on the ground and staring at the gun I know will kill me. One short sharp breath after another comes until eventually my lungs fill with the oxygen I need to breathe easily.
Tears fill my eyes as Cobi’s hand rubs soothing circles on my back, his softly spoken words of encouragement telling me to breathe, telling me that I’m okay, and pull me back to reality. I lift my head, and his hand slides around my neck and his thumb presses into my jaw.
“I’m sorry.” Tears leak down my cheeks, and with the blue light in my room, I see his face soften then watch in fascination as it comes closer to mine.
His warm, soft lips touch my forehead and my eyes slide closed. “You have nothing to apologize for.”
“I—”
“You need to talk to someone, Hadley. You need to talk to someone so you can work this out of you.”
“I know.” I drop my forehead, but he doesn’t move back, so it ends up resting against his chin. “I already agreed to talk to someone. Brie is going to make me an appointment with someone she knows.”
His movements still for a moment, before he whispers, “Good.” His hand skims down my back and his chin slides to the side so that his cheek is resting against the crown of my head. “It will get easier once you talk about it.”
I nod, and my hands ball into fists. When I realize his shirt is bunched between my fingertips, I quickly let my hands drop to my sides. “I’m… I’m so sorry about that.”
“Don’t be. I’m just glad I was here.” He leans away, and I tip my head back to look up at him. “You need some water?”
“Yeah. Please.” I also need a moment away from him, away from the way he makes me feel. I should not be clinging to a man I do not know. I should not be thinking about how thankful I am that he’s here right now. How safe I feel in his presence.
“Be right back.”
My breath catches in my throat when he leans in, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead, and my eyes slide closed and don’t open again until I hear him leave my bedroom. I don’t lie down; I scoot to the middle of my bed and rest with my back to my headboard, bringing my blankets up to my chest. When Cobi comes back in, I notice his hair is rumpled and his eyes are tired. I also see his boots are off and his shirt is untucked with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. I glance at the clock on my bedside table; it’s after four in the morning.
“Were you asleep?”
“What?”
“I….” I shake my head. “Did you sleep on my couch?” I ask, as he comes toward me, holding one of my glasses filled with water.
“Yeah, passed out not too long after you went to bed.”
Crap, I suck. Here I am sleeping in my nice, warm comfortable bed, and I didn’t even offer him a pillow or a blanket.
I take the glass of water from him, have a sip, and then close my eyes and sigh. “I’m a jerk.”
“Excuse me?” The bed dips as he takes a seat on it next to my outstretched legs.
“You’ve been nice, and I didn’t even offer to get you a pillow.”
His hand rests on the top of my foot, and just that simple contact makes butterflies take flight in my stomach once more. “I’ve slept in worse places with a whole lot less. Trust me, I’m good.”
I want to ask what he means, where he’s slept that’s been worse, but I don’t. When I notice he’s fighting a grin, I frown and ask, “What?”
“You’re worried about my well-being.”
Rolling my eyes, I fight back a smile. “Maybe you’re not annoying. Maybe you’re just cocky.”
I watch him throw back his head and laugh, and the sound washes over me, making me feel triumphant. When he stops laughing and his eyes meet mine, my breath catches in my throat. I don’t know what it is I see in his dark gaze, but I do know it makes me feel like I should either run away as fast as I can, or hold on as tightly as possible. “Hadley.” His eyes search mine as he leans in closer to me. “You okay to go back to sleep?”
At the thought of lying in the dark alone, fear starts to weave its way through my system like the intricate details of a spider’s web, but instead of saying no, I nod while whispering, “Yeah.”
“Liar.” His thumb slides across my cheek. “You’re a pretty liar, but you’re still a liar.”
“I’m not a liar,” I state, as he takes the water cup from my hand and sets it on my bedside table.
“You are, but I figure with time that will change, but even if it doesn’t, I’ll learn to read you.”
He stands, and my heart races, thinking he’s going to leave. But then blood starts to rush through my veins when he takes off his badge and drops it next to my water, and then he pulls out his cell phone and wallet, doing the same with both of them. I open my mouth to ask what he’s doing, but shut it when he gets in bed next to me, resting his back against my headboard and shoving his arm behind my shoulders, pulling me closer to him. Every part of me freezes solid when he cups the back of my head and forces my cheek to his hard chest. “Relax, and try to get some sleep.”