When I shifted, he lifted his arm, letting me rest my head on his chest, his heartbeat a soothing rhythm under my ear. He wrapped his other arm around me, a low sigh leaving his mouth.
“Sleep, Tally. I’m right here. I’ve got you.”
And I did what he asked.
Julian was gone when I woke up. I could tell he hadn’t been awake long since the space beside me still held his heat. I slowly sat up, testing my body. I hurt, but it wasn’t as bad as it had been. My head was clearer, although the pain in the back was still there. I used the washroom, ignoring my reflection as I brushed my teeth, then headed toward the living room. Julian was on the sofa, a cup of coffee in hand, staring out the window. He was still bare-chested, his sweats riding low on his hips as he stood.
“Hey,” he greeted me. “How are you feeling?”
I cleared my throat. “Ah, yeah, a little better, I think.” I ran a hand over my messy head, grimacing when my fingers touched the back. “What time is it?”
“Around three.”
“Wow.” I looked around. “Can you tell me where my clothes are?”
“In the laundry. You can have another shower if you want. I’ll give you a fresh shirt to wear.”
“I don’t think I can walk home in just a shirt.”
He frowned. “Who said you were going home?”
I swallowed. “Obviously, I have to go home, Julian. I haven’t done any errands or shopping. I need to get ready for work tomorrow…” At the incredulous look on his face, I stopped talking.
“What?”
He set down his coffee and walked over to me. He stood close. Closer than he’d ever been. He lifted his hand, running his fingers through my curls. “The only place you’re going, Tally, is back to my bed. You can shower, have something to eat, and get more rest. You need it to heal.”
“I’ll do that once I’m home.”
“You aren’t leaving.”
“I can’t go to work in your shirt either, Julian.”
“Well, I would be fine with it, but I can understand your reticence,” he teased.
I frowned. “I’m serious.”
“So am I. You’re staying here. You’re not going to work tomorrow—in fact, I’ve closed the office for the day.”
“But—”
He cut me off. “Do you really think after what you went through last night I’m going to let you out of my sight? Jesus, Tally, the sight of you…of that asshole hurting you?” He ran a hand through his hair. “It fucking killed me that he touched you. That he hurt you.”
“You stopped him,” I whispered.
“I got the most horrible feeling in my chest while I was sitting at the bar. Like you needed me and I had to find you,” he confessed.
“I kept thinking about you. Begging you in my mind to come find me,” I told him.
With a groan, he pressed his forehead to mine. “I felt your panic. I wish I’d come sooner.”
“You saved me.”
He pulled back, cupping my face. His eyes were a maelstrom of emotion. “I can’t stand to see you in pain, baby. It rips my guts out knowing if I had been five minutes later—”
It was my turn to cut him off. “But you weren’t. You got there.”
He groaned low in his throat, resting his forehead to mine once again. “I want to be the one who is always there, Tally.”
His words were spoken in a low, rough voice, as if they hurt him to admit. As if they had been torn from somewhere deep inside and he had no idea how to cope with them being spoken.
“Julian,” I whispered. “What are you saying?”
“I feel something for you,” he admitted. “I have from the moment you stepped into my office. I keep fighting it.”
“Because I work for you?”
“That, plus, I’m older. And other things.”
“So, we don’t have a chance?”
He straightened, his eyes meeting mine. “You want a chance? Is that what you’re telling me?”
“I feel something for you too.”
Our eyes locked, the strong draw I had to him pulling at me. His hands were still on my face, his fingers moving restlessly on my skin.
“There are a lot of reasons I should walk away,” he muttered.
“Are there any not to?”
His mouth covered mine.
“Yes.”
JULIAN
Her mouth. Her sweet, I-want-to-see-her-smile mouth was perfect underneath mine. Soft, responsive, giving. I wrapped her close in my arms, careful not to press on her bruises. She melded to me, her pliant body fitting against me as if made to go there. I stroked along her tongue, the taste of mint and the sweetness that was Tally igniting all my senses. She whimpered and shivered, both in pleasure, sliding her arms around my waist and holding me tight.
I couldn’t resist her any longer. The idea of her leaving today was unacceptable. The thought that I might have lost her before she even knew how I was feeling made me desperate. I couldn’t risk her going. I needed her here where I could watch over her. No one could protect her the way I could, and right now, she was too vulnerable on her own.