If I looked at him, all the strange feelings tumbling around inside of me might start coming out my mouth, and that would do no one any good at all.
“That front door was open,” I insisted. “And Nate said when he checked on the…guests, they denied wandering around in the yard. Therewassomeone there, Trouble. Or at least, it would be smart for us to assume there was.”
“I guess,” he sighed.
I took a breath. “Look, I get that you want to protect your friends, but…please. Just till this is over,pleaseworry about yourself first.”
He looked out the window. “Where are we going now?”
“My place. You’re going to stay the night.”
“Really? But you…only have one bed.”
“And I’ll try not to take it personally that you don’t want to share it.” I held up a hand immediately as the words came out. “I’m kidding. Kidding.” Fuckme. I needed to keep a closer watch on the words that came out of my mouth. “I’ll take the couch—or the floor.” The floor would probably be more comfortable. “We’ll work it out. It’s just for tonight, anyway.”
Just for tonight? That was a lie. There was no way Miller Beaumont was going to be anywhere else from now on except whereIwas, until I knew he was safe. The Boss wouldn’t look kindly on me getting Miller involved in the first place, let alone if something happened to him.
But if I was honest about it, I didn’t care about the Boss. I cared aboutMiller. I cared about keeping him safe. In the short time I’d known him, I could see he’d been surrounded by assholes in his life so far, and I was determined I wouldn’t be another in that long line.
There was something about him that spiked every protective urge I had. He was so lost. Soalone.
Besides, I’d noticed that Miller had taken very little convincing to come back home with me. Or maybe I hadn’t really given him a choice, I told myself. But the instant that idiot friend of his said he’d left the door unlocked, I could barelyseestraight, I was so mad.
Yes, from now on, I would keep Miller safe myself. And when I absolutely had to be away from him, I would make sure he had a gun on him at all times. I’d teach him how to use it myself.
I was starting to think a baseball bat wouldn’t be much use.
CHAPTER21
JACK
“I feel so bad about this,”Miller said for the fifth time. “Ireallythink I should sleep on the floor.”
I wanted him in my bed and in my arms.
I wanted him riding my dick, if we were being honest.
But he was stressed and traumatized and just becauseIkept thinking about kissing him all the time didn’t mean he was thinking the same.
“Take the bed,” I told him, also for the fifth time. “You’re the guest.” We were sitting at my sad little table, after I’d checked in with some more contacts. Still no word on the missing Beaumont.
“But—” he began.
“Trouble, come on now,” I sighed. “It’s been a long enough day. I can’t take polite bullshit on top of everything else.”
“The bed is big enough for both of us.”
It was a double, not a queen, but wewouldstill fit. And he wassucha temptation. I knuckled at my tired eyes again and pulled up the dregs of my chivalry. “Tell you the truth, it’d make it harder for me to be a gentleman if we were in the same bed. People tend to make bad choices when they’re stressed, and I don’t want to take advantage of you. I’ll take the floor.”
He gave a surprised laugh. “Uh, you can take advantage. You candefinitelytake advantage.” Then he reached across the table and laced his fingers through mine. “I mean it. At least sex would take my mind off…everything else.”
Everything he said fired up my dirtiest appetites. But he was all over the place emotionally, and the last thingIneeded was another complication.
“Let’s compromise,” I said. “I’ll sleep in the bed, and we can cuddle. How about that?”
He looked down quickly, but I still caught the sudden, unexpected dampening of his eyes. He swallowed and said, “You know, the last human being who spent the night cuddling me was Annie? It was when my contract didn’t get renewed on our stupidCamelot Courtshow. I was…upset. But also kinda relieved? I don’t know.” He gave a big sniff and threw the memory off. “I guess I’ll settle for snuggles,” he said offhandedly.
He stripped down to his underwear, and I kept mine on, too, though I usually slept naked. I kept my eyes to myself, but I didn’t mind the way he was staring at me, the way his gaze followed my happy trail right down my belly and then laser-focused on my crotch. When I came over to stand next to the bed, fluffing up his pillow, he stroked a finger down that line of hair.
