“Home with you?”Is this a good idea?Every person in the world would tell me no, don’t go.
“I’m in the same building, and it’s only one floor up.So it’s not much of a difference if you think about it.”
“Then why does it matter?Why do you want me to move up there?”I ask.
“Because I’ll worry if you stay down here.Besides, I have a bed you can sleep in and a whole fridge of food.”
“You’ll worry about me?”Those words are the ones that stick out the most.It’s a concept that’s hard for me to believe.
“Someone needs to.I didn’t like the idea of leaving you down here alone.The fight is getting rowdy, and, yeah, I was worried.”
He lets go of me but only to wrap his giant hand around my wrist.I stay silent as he leads me out of his office, and although it should scare the hell out of me, I only feel a warm sense of comfort.
CHAPTERSIX
MAVERICK
When my alarm goes off the next morning, I head straight for the shower.Last night was rough.On the way up to my place, I could feel how tense Juliet was.Once we walked in and I showed her around, I tried to keep my distance so I wouldn’t scare her any further.Obviously, someone in her past hurt her, and I can see it clearly in how she tries to make her already small frame smaller.To help her feel safe, I took the lock off her door so there was no way she could be locked in.I offered to let her lock me in my room, but she immediately shook off that idea.Looking back, it was probably a stupid thing to offer, but I’ve never been around someone so… vulnerable.
That’s all I could think when I looked at her.She’s the kind of woman that’s delicate and soft like a new rose.I have the urge to put her in a glass case to protect her from the outside world, but clearly someone else tried to do that, and it didn’t work out so well.
When I’m finished with my shower, I look outside and see that the sun isn’t fully up yet.My body is used to it at this point, but I try to be quiet so I don’t wake Juliet.After I get dressed, I walk down the hallway, and I’m startled to see Juliet sitting on the edge of the guest bed.Her hair is wet like she showered, and I notice she’s got on different clothes than last night.
“Good morning,” she says brightly as she stands up.“I heard your alarm go off, so I got up and got ready too.”
“Damn, I didn’t realize it was so loud.You could have slept in.”
“I wasn’t sure what time work started, so I wanted to be ready.”Her cheeks turn pink, and I realize she’s embarrassed.“That’s if you still want to hire me.”
“Of course,” I tell her, trying to alleviate her fears.“Let’s have breakfast and then we can get started.”
“Great.”She beams as she bounces on her toes.
When we get to the kitchen, I make her a chocolate and peanut butter protein shake that she can drink while I cook her some real food.She really does need the calories, and I’ve always been good at helping fighters bulk up.
“This is good,” she says after she takes a sip.
“Don’t sound so surprised.”I glance back at her over my shoulder, and she blushes again.I have to force myself to focus on the eggs and bacon so I don’t stare at how fucking pretty she is.“So the gym doors open at five, but you know that already.”
“Um, about that.I’m really sorry, I?—”
“There’s no need to apologize,” I tell her as I butter some toast for her and slide it across the counter.“I’ve let some of the guys crash in the equipment room for a night or two when they got kicked out of their house either by their wife or girlfriend.It’s not something I can do long-term, but I’d rather someone be safe versus sleeping on the streets.It’s better to do that until I can help them find a more permanent solution.”
“Speaking of,” she says as I pass her a plate of eggs with bacon on the side.“Is there a computer I can use to check my emails?I need to put in applications to rent a room.”
“Why?”My brows pull together in genuine confusion.
“Because I need a place to live?”She answers it like a question and looks just as confused as I do.
“You should save up some money first.”It’s a terrible answer, but it’s the first excuse I could think of.
“I really appreciate you letting me crash here, Maverick, but?—”
“Let’s not make a decision right this second,” I say, cutting her off.God, I love how she says my name, but I need to focus.“You don’t have to tell me anything about where you’ve been or who you’re running from.”I notice she doesn’t deny it this time when I say she’s running.“All that matters is you’re safe here until you figure out your next move.”
She chews her bacon as she seems to think it over.Once she swallows, she nods.“Okay, that makes sense, but before we go any further, I need to be honest with you.There’s something you should know.”
“All right.”I cross my arms over my chest as I brace for impact.
