She huffs when I don’t reply, but says nothing.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Delaney
It’s not until we’re all the way down to the main road that Harrison’s breathing slows to a normal rate.
“Please stop here,” I say.
He twists his head to glance at me for a split second before returning his eyes to the road. “I’m not letting you get out here.”
“No, that’s not why. Please pull over and look at me.” He does as I ask, and when I have his attention, I reach out and put my hand on his upper arm.
“I’m fine, just shaken. I’m not angry at you, but I am coming down from the rage I felt when I saw him pounding on your door and…” He turns his gaze to peer out the front window.
“And what?” I keep my tone quiet, hoping it’s soothing to him.
“And the fear I felt when I thought he was going to hurt you. I can’t stand the thought of anybody hurting you.”
“I’m all right. I was just about to call the police when I heard you outside. I’m sure I would have been fine until they got there. I had my baseball bat?—”
Harrison whips his head toward me, and his eyes are open so wide I swear they might pop right out of their sockets.
“Christ, Delaney! I don’t want you to rely on a baseball bat to keep you safe from your landlord.” His trembling worsens.
I don’t care how stupid it is of me—what lines it crosses—I raise my hands to his face and cup his cheeks.
“Harrison, I’m okay. I promise.” He holds eye contact with me for several seconds, then turns his face into my right hand and inhales deeply, then slowly breathes out.
“You’re okay. You’re okay.” He whispers it against my hand, then kisses my palm before he pulls away.
That’s when it strikes me that I don’t know how he knew what was happening.
“What made you come back?” Harrison doesn’t answer, but his jaw clenches and his shoulders tense. “Did I say something wrong?”
“No, not you. Him. I came back because he made some rude comments before I left, and at the end, he said that you weren’t going to ‘put out.’ I was almost to the county road before it registered that he’s said more than that. He said you wouldn’t do itwillingly. I swear, as soon as I realized it, I flew back to you. I never would have forgiven myself if he hurt you. What kind of man implies that there’s any other optionexceptwillingly when it comes to sleeping with a woman?”
I have no words to say, but I place my hand on his forearm, hoping to calm the frenetic energy still coming off of him in waves. Maybe also to calm myself after hearing what made him return.
Harrison puts the car in drive and pulls back onto the road. He heads in the direction of their property, and I relax back into my seat for the few minutes it takes to get there. When we’re almost to where my car is parked, I straighten.
“Thank you for everything, Harrison. Would you drop me off at my car, if that’s okay?”
Harrison releases a dark chuckle, then says, “I hope you’re joking.”
I watch through the passenger window, confused, as he drives right past my car and continues toward his house. It’s only after we’ve made it there, and he’s parked in his garage, shut the door, and turned off the car, that I fully understand. My cheeks heat with embarrassment. He thinks he has to take care of me.
“Delaney? Are you okay?” His voice is gentle, nurturing. God, the woman he ends up with one day is going to be so lucky to have him. A twinge of jealousy hits me at the thought of his hypothetical future lover.
Jesus, get a hold of yourself.
I shift my body to face him.
“I’m so grateful for what you’ve done, but it’s more than enough. You’re my boss, and you already rescued me from my creepy landlord. I don’t want to take advantage of you. I need to take care of myself, so I’m going to sit outside and look for a hotel. I’ll call a ride share?—”
Something flashes in his eyes that looks an awful lot like anxiety, maybe even fear.
“No. Please, Delaney. Don’t. Not tonight. I can’t tell you how afraid I was when I thought you were in danger. I need to know exactly where you are tonight, and I need to be nearby. I’m never going to rest, otherwise. I don’t want to force anything on you, but I’m just asking for tonight.”
