Chapter Seven
He could feel the girl shake in his arms.
“I’m going to get her taken care of. She’ll stay with me, and I’ll start investigating.”
Lacey’s head whipped around. “What? No. What if you get hurt?”
Cason smiled down at her. “Nobody will know you’re with me for one thing…” He put a finger over her lips when she opened them. “No arguing. Let us help. I might mention we all used to be in law enforcement of some kind.”
He watched her take that information in before he lifted her to her feet, stood, and then grabbed her hand.
“I’ll be in touch with you later,” he told the others.
He pulled her out of the room and to the elevator. When he noticed her sway, he curled his arm around her.
“How much sleep have you had, honey?”
“I don’t know.”
“We’ll get you in the shower, and while you’re washing, I’ll make you a sandwich, and then you can go to bed.”
“Will you be there? You won’t leave?”
“I promise I will not leave without you knowing and having someone else here with you, so you’re not alone.”
She nodded, yawned, and leaned against him.
She was so much like the other littles he’d met, and now he could see the appeal. All the couples had been truly in love, and it was nice to watch, but he hadn’t thought he’d ever come across a woman like that.
Having Lacey in his arms made him hopeful that maybe, just maybe, he could have his own little someday. He’d do what he could to take care of her and figure out how to get her out of this mess and keep her safe, but he’d also get to know her and see where it led.
“Now, the construction on my place isn’t all the way done. I have the kitchen, master bed, and bath, and office finished—a few pieces of furniture in the main room. I was planning on putting a hold on for the time being because I have everything I need, but we’ll see what happens. We could probably have the guest bedroom and bath done rather quickly. I also have three saferooms in the condo that I’ll show you how to get into. That will make you feel safe.”
“I don’t want to disrupt your life.”
“You’re not, honey. I promise.”
He walked her through his condo, through his bedroom, and into his bathroom. “I’ll start the shower for you and get you some towels. Do you need help?”
He smiled when she blushed and then ducked her head.
“Um… I don’t think so.”
“All right. I’ll go get your food. I’ll bring in one of my shirts for you to wear.”
“Okay, thank you.”
He walked out and shut the door. In the kitchen, he scrounged for food and was disgusted when he saw he didn’t have much. He did find a can of chicken noodle soup and warmed that up. Anything in her stomach before she lay down was good.
While that was in the microwave, he went into his closet and grabbed one of his shirts. He listened at the door to make sure she was in the shower before silently opening it and laying the shirt on the counter.
His gaze went to the small body on the other side of the tempered glass. He saw the muted shape of her but no details. He didn’t want to freak her out, so he quietly left and went to go check on her soup.
When it was done, he put it and a glass of milk on the counter before he went to check on her.
She was just coming out of the bathroom, and he stopped dead. Damn, she was fucking beautiful. From her petite frame to her light hair and eyes.
“Your hair…”
She fingered the damp tresses. “What?”
“I didn’t realize it was so light. Is it real?”
She laughed. “Yes.”
“It’s beautiful. I like you in my shirt.”
She smiled. “I feel like I’m playing dress-up.”
He grinned. “You can dress up in my clothes any time.” He held out his hand. “Come on, I have food waiting for you. It’s not much. I’ll have to order some groceries. Maybe you can help me with that later.”
“I’d like to help.”
“Good.” He walked her around the island and lifted her into one of the stools. He walked back into the kitchen and grabbed a beer out of the fridge. “Eat as much as you can. I’m going to put you in my bed since I don’t have a guest room yet, and I’ll take the sofa in the living room.”
She looked over her shoulder into the living area. He knew it was very plain. There was no paint on the walls, but the flooring was done in nice dark wood. There were no curtains to keep the glare out. He had a TV over the fireplace, a chair and a sofa pit, and a few tables.
Although the sofa was big, Cason was bigger, and she likely couldn’t see how he’d be comfortable on it.
“I’ll sleep on the sofa.”
One of his eyebrows rose, and he crossed his arms over his chest. “No, you’ll sleep where I put you.”
“But you won’t fit on the sofa.”
“I’ll be just fine.”
“I feel very strongly…”
She stopped when he headed her way. He leaned into her until he was nose to nose.
“Listen up, buttercup. You’ll do exactly what I tell you to do.”
She smiled at first, then asked. “Or?”