“Hey, hey. Don’t do that.”
I couldn’t stop because I couldn’t even tell it was happening. How was that for messed up?
He crouched in front of me, framed by his dogs, and I noticed his feet. He wore slippers. Grey, flannel slippers, the most out of place thing I could imagine on this big brute of a man.
“What…Uh… Hell. Please don’t do that. What can I do?” he asked, sounding totally out of his element.
After everything that had happened tonight—my shithead boss trying to put his hands on me, then, oh, just driving off the side of a mountain, nearlydying, and being hauled back to life by this guardian angel person—I couldn’t drum up the tiniest drop of fear or suspicion.
All I wanted was a hug.
“Could you,” I managed through chattering teeth. “Please hold me?”
4
Micah
She wanted me to wrap my arms around her. As if I did shit like that every day.
No. No fucking way. I was good with pulling people out of wreckage and just fine humping them up the mountain to safety, but aftercare wasn’t something I had experience with.
“Uh…look. Why don’t we ca—”
Before I could finish, she’d moved from her spot against the front door to my lap, leaving me with no choice but to wrap myself around her shaking body.
So, she wasn’t having the brush off. Brownie and Bear moved closer to sniff our unexpected visitor. Wasn’t surprising, since this was the only female we’d ever had here.
The woman had to be in shock. Not much to do about that, except make sure she was physically safe. Warm, hydrated.
After nudging the girls away, I grabbed the blanket from the floor and put it over her—us—trying not to catch that warm, addictive smell I hadn’t gotten a hit of in forever. Damn, it was good. A drug to a man who’d been sober for years. I had the sudden urge to lick her.
Which just proved how unfit for this I was.
She rubbed her face tighter to my chest and pressed hard against me.
At least she wasn’t scared of me anymore. Though, she really should’ve called the cops before trusting me like this.
“Hold on.” I leaned over and grabbed my phone from where she’d dropped it. “Hey, um…” Jesus, what was her name? I didn’t even know that. Didn’t know a damned thing about her. “Call the cops. Let ’em know what happened.”
She nodded, but didn’t move to take the phone. I should do it.
Just a sec.
Another of those close snuggles brought her ass tight to my crotch and I stilled. Yeah, no. This wasn’t going to work. They needed to come get her.
“Look, I’ll give ’em a call.” I dialed 911 and spoke as soon as the operator answered.
“Not an emergency, ma’am. Just wanted to report an accident—no injuries.”
“Go ahead, sir.”
Shit, I’d forgotten to get her name. I leaned in. “What’s your name?”
She mumbled something against my chest.
“Crystal?”
“Christa. Evans.”
