“It’s okay, Eric.” She reached out and laid her hand on his arm. “I know if she was given the choice she’d choose to be with you.” She smiled. “It’s the big guys that fall the hardest.” She smirked, and walked off the way he’d just come from.
Hearing a loud sigh, Eric turned and was surprised to see a haunted look cross Yuri’s face. The Russian always looked put together, but right then, he looked battered, as though he had demons fighting inside him to get out.
It was more than obvious to anyone who looked that he cared for Talya and that his feelings were returned, so Eric didn’t see the problem. But there was one that much was obvious.
“Sylvia won’t be back,” Eric said into the silence. “Even though I told her I didn’t want her back at Poles, she agreed without much fighting.” He ran his hands over his head in agitation. “There’s something else that you need to know.”
Yuri met Eric’s gaze at his tone.
“Some asshole has been sending her notes at the club.” Eric held his hand up to silence the words on Yuri’s tongue. “I don’t know a great deal about them. She only admitted that to me back there. I’ll take her to her apartment tomorrow, so if you could meet us there around eleven, that would be good. I’m presuming that’s where she has the notes.”
“Does her accident tonight have anything to do with them?” Yuri asked, his tone pissed.
“I don’t know and neither does Sylvia really.”
“She has the feeling though, right?”
“She said she saw someone in the crowd who she thinks may be sending the notes to her, but she doesn’t know for sure.”
“Blyad!” Yuri got to his feet and paced. “I wish she’d talked to me about this.”
Eric stood in his way. “She planned on talking to you after her shift tonight. I don’t want you getting pissed at her. She’s pretty shaken after tonight.”
“I am not a total dick. I am pissed that Talya did not trust me enough to tell me.”
If Eric had to guess it was Talya’s part in all this that hurt the big Russian, even though Sylvia’s silence no doubt pissed him off as well.
“I don’t think it had anything to do with trust, at least, where you’re concerned. Sylvia obviously asked her to keep it to herself. You can’t be angry with Talya for doing what her best friend asked.”
“Logically, I know you are correct.” Yuri left it at that, and taking his cell from the pocket of his leather jacket, started to punch out what Eric guessed to be a message.
Eric shook his head at the guy and turned to finally find Sylvia’s doctor.
Chapter Twelve
After being woken through the night, all Sylvia wanted to do was sleep now that the sun seeped through the blinds into Eric’s bedroom. He’d been so good and caring for her that he brought tears to her eyes. She didn’t know that the tough guy had it in him, and now that she did know, she hoped he’d stay the gorgeous loving guy.
She wanted to be able to call him hers, to stake her claim on him so that every other woman out there knew he was taken. She had no idea how he’d feel about that, but after the past night, she knew that he wouldn’t be going anywhere, at least, anytime soon.
He’d called Sebastian and explained why she wouldn’t be at work for the next few days, and had managed to put him off from visiting. She knew that Ramon wouldn’t be as put off as Sebastian. He really was just a very good friend, and someone she’d always found easy to talk to.
When she’d told Eric about not being disappointed when she found out that Ramon was gay, she’d meant every word. Perhaps there had been a slight twinge of regret, but nothing that had caused her to lose sleep over.
Nothing had felt like it did when she was near Eric, and when his arm was curved around her waist, like it was right now, she actually felt as though she was home. The thought of going back to her apartment to spend her nights without him didn’t sit well with her.
He’d spoiled her, and all she wanted was to stay put where she was. Although, she expected they’d have to dress at some point.
Sighing into the pillow, she felt Eric’s arm tighten around her waist as he snuggled her closer to his hard body. He’d given her a T-shirt to wear last night, and he’d kept his shorts on when he’d climbed into the bed he put her in. Her body wasn’t up to doing anything then or that morning, but the feel of his warmth as it surrounded her made her feel cherished.
“How are you feeling?” Eric whispered into her neck, placing a lingering kiss there before he moved to her injured shoulder blade. With such tenderness, he caressed over the bruising with his lips, sending shivers of delight through her body.
It didn’t take much for him to arouse her, but when she badly ached after last night’s trauma, the last thing she needed was to be frustrated to all hell, like Eric would be. She could already feel his rigid dick as it pressed against her bottom. It throbbed against her, which caused her to wiggle back.
“Fuck,” Eric growled, and gripped her hip to keep her still. “I want you, but not until you’re fully recovered.” His hand flexed on her hip as she felt him take a long inhale. “I’m just going to stay hard as fuck until you’re ready for me.”
Sylvia laughed, and reached down to bring his hand up to her mouth. She caressed his palm, and kissed each of his fingers in turn. “I want you now, but my body is too sore after the fall.” She nuzzled into his palm. “You’re not the only one who’s going to be frustrated.”
They laid in silence until Eric’s cell started to buzz on the nightstand behind him. The disappointment that their cocoon had been breached was hard to swallow.