“Sounds good.” I couldn’t say no. That would cause Sheldon to argue with me. While dealing with him was one thing, I reallydidn’t want to have to face Vail, my brother, or Jordan. Refusing a guard would have a ripple effect I wasn’t prepared to handle.
Kayli and Micah left together after we said our goodbyes, and Sheldon thanked Kayli.
“Can I…” Sheldon motioned with his chin toward the stairs leading to my apartment.
“Oh, right. Sorry about that. Please come up.”
We ascended the stairs, and I unlocked the door and disarmed the security system. I felt like I was coming home after a trip. This day was both busy and long. The work wasn’t what I was used to, but I enjoyed it. I was local, which meant I was home at a reasonable time, and I still made decent money.
Inside my apartment, I didn’t know what to do with Sheldon. Yes, we spent time together over the weekend. We slept in the same bed, and he held me. He didn’t push me for anything else, which I appreciated.
“Did you eat yet?” I asked. Dinner was a safe topic.
“I haven’t. Why don’t you get changed or shower? I’ll order us dinner.”
“You already know what I like?” I teased.
“For food, pretty much. For other things, I’d like to find out.”
There I was blushing again. “I’m just going to…” I thumbed over my shoulder toward the hall.
In my bedroom, I pulled out a pair of comfortable shorts, a T-shirt, and boxer briefs. I didn’t get dirty at work today, although I’d like to be clean in front of Sheldon.
After my shower, I padded on bare feet to the living room, where I found Sheldon standing at the front window, staring down onto the street below. His hands were in his jeans pockets, and his blond hair was down, falling forward to curtain his face.
“Anything interesting?” I asked.
“Jordan’s nephew just showed up with his massive bodyguard, who’s also one of his partners. My guess is Hartley is making more suits for him.”
“You know who everyone is, don’t you?”
“Perry is hard to miss, but yeah. It’s my job to know, so I can keep Jordan and his family safe.”
“And now me too.” I was joking, however, by the look on his face, he took it seriously.
Sheldon’s gray-blue eyes held mine. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“I’d tell you nothing will, but you’ve seen and been through a lot. I don’t discount your need to protect people. There is no one after me though. I don’t require a guard.” I couldn’t let this go, apparently.
“Would you feel better if it were me with you?”
“No,” I said immediately, then regretted how quickly it came out. “I didn’t mean it like you think. You have a job with Jordan. He needs you. I’m no one. Nobody needs to watch over me every day. I won’t feel better, no matter who does it, because I don’t think it’s necessary.” I wanted to tack on that I was sorry; however, there was nothing to apologize for. I wasn’t the one asking for a guard. “I’m not looking for a compliment here or for words to boost my ego. I’m genuinely saying I don’t need a guard.”
“Are you going to fight this daily?”
“No. I don’t see the point in that. I’ve already concluded this isn’t an argument I’ll win. Kayli drilled that home. That doesn’t mean I have to like or agree with having someone watching over me.”
Sheldon put his hands on my waist, his fingers gently pressing against me. “Is this okay?” God, he was considerate, asking if I was all right with his hands on my waist. If he onlyknew how many times I’d fantasized about doing all kinds of sexy stuff with him.
“More than.”
“You having a guard with you means I can do my job without worrying as much. Did I worry before we became whatever it is we are now? Yes, but now that I’ve slept with you in my arms, now that I know your scent and the feel of you against me, I’ll protect that with everything in me. Whether it’s another guard or me, I’m going to make sure you’re taken care of. I can be a lot, Forest. I’m not going to deny it. I need to know if you’re okay with that.”
“It’s not that I mind it. It’s getting used to the role reversal. I know there shouldn’t be one to begin with. With you, I have more than a few things to get used to, and I don’t mean that in a bad way. I’m trying to be honest about my feelings.” Holy shit, did I really say all of that? My mouth had no off switch.
“Always give me your words. I can’t read you yet. Not knowing what you’re thinking can be torturous. Let’s get back to something I just said.”
“What’s that?”
