“Thank you, Sean. It looks amazing!” She turned around and flung her arms around his neck. “You’re so talented.”
“I’m glad you like it. And…I’m sorry again for being the reason it needed fixing.”
“I don’t like what you did, but the kitchen looks better for it. I was wondering, when we get back, could you fix a tile in my bathroom?”
“Sure, what’s wrong with it?” he asked and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her in close.
God, she thought, the simple gesture made her feel so safe. “I punched it.”
“What? Because of me?”
“No,” she said and rubbed her nose against the tip of his nose, “because of me.”
He ran his lips along the seam of her closed mouth. She opened and darted her tongue into the warm cavern of his mouth. The sensual kiss made her want to sink to the floor and take off his shirt, but she wanted to get out of the apartment and into a safer place first.
“I never took you for a Chuck Liddell type,” Sean said.
“Is he a fighter?” she asked.
“Yeah, he’s a fighter.”
“Well, I’m a fighter too!”
* * * *
Sean pulled the truck up to the curb and parked. “This is my place,” he said.
Abigail checked around the street as she helped Penelope out of the truck. She wasn’t sure what she was scanning for. Justin could be driving the same BMW, or maybe he’d traded it in for something less conspicuous. She had no clue. The helpless feeling made her sprint around the truck, where Sean leaned behind the seat to grab their bags. The muscles in his thighs stretched as he hefted the bags out of the truck.
“You’re really strong.” Did I really just say that out loud? I’m such a loser.
He tipped her a sexy grin. “And you’re cute as hell, especially when you blush like that. Come on, let’s get inside. Do you want anything to eat?”
“I don’t think I can eat right now.” If she put even a morsel in her gut, it was going to do a reverse-engine. Her nerves felt raw and exposed. Every muscle in her body tensed and released. Was Justin hiding behind a tree? Was he spying from a parked car?
She followed Sean into an old Victorian house. Once inside, she could see a stairway leading up to a landing with three doors. She looked around where she was standing. Downstairs, a hallway stretched before them with three more doors.
“I’m upstairs,” Sean said.
Sean unlocked the door to his apartment and stepped aside so Abigail could walk in. Penelope scampered across the room and jumped onto the couch. Abigail felt safe. Her nerves leveled to an unsteady hum while she looked around Sean’s place. She wanted to live, to be blessed with one more day with him. Her body overloaded as she silently stood in the middle of the room. The coiled tension unwound with a dangerous snap, and she slumped onto the floor and curled up into a ball.
“Oh God, baby,” Sean’s voice rang out as he knelt and stroked her hair. “Whatever’s happened, we’ll figure it out. That message on the answering machine, that’s it, isn’t it? Something’s going on, Abigail and I want to know what it is.”
She sobbed into the hand pressed against her wet cheek. “You’re strong enough. T-To be safe. I know you’re strong enough.”
“Come on. I’m putting you in the tub.” He helped her up and cradled her against his side as they made their way the few feet to the bathroom. “Sit down.” He rested her on the toilet while he got the bath ready. “I don’t have any frilly stuff to put in here. My mom used to have fifty thousand bottles sitting on the side of the tub. I’m going to feed Penelope while you get undressed. I’ll be right back.”
The thought of stripping naked in front of him made her stomach roll again. It’s time to tell someone. The only mirror in the tiny bathroom hung above the pedestal sink. Three large, round bulbs lit up the rectangle. The black circles under her eyes were accentuated by the swelling, blotchy skin around them.
The time was now or never. Her hands trembled as she tugged the jean shorts off and tossed them by the toilet. She pulled the hem of her T-shirt over her head, tossing it in the pile with the shorts. Bra and panties next. She stood naked, scars and all displayed for him to see. If he didn’t like it, she’d pack Penelope up and hit the road. Ron could take her back to her car, and she’d drive. No direction, just drive.
“I brought you a glass—” Sean set the glass of water on the lip of the tub and bent to turn off the knobs. Steam rolled from the water. “It might be a little too hot.”