She shook her head and mumbled, “I’m not hungry.”
With a nod of acceptance, he left her be and headed into the kitchen. Chloe’s voice followed him. “Where’s Jayla?”
“Getting some sleep in her apartment.” Would it bother her that she was alone with him right now? “I can leave, too, if you want.” He could keep an eye on things from Jayla’s apartment as easily as he could here.
“No. I’m glad you’re here.”
There was that warm feeling in his chest again, that only Chloe seemed to bring out, and he felt a smile twitch at his lips as he grabbed the Panera leftovers out of the refrigerator.
Heading back to the living room, he saw Chloe holding his sketch pad. “This is incredible,” she said, her voice laced with awe.
He’d drawn Lattimer Wilkes. Not as he’d been today at the meeting, but how he’d looked the day Erik had met him. With an impish twinkle in his eyes and roses in his cheeks.
“Will you teach me?”
Leaving his food on the coffee table, he went over to his duffel and pulled out a new sketch pad as well as an assortment of pencils for her. Offering them to her, he frowned in confusion as her eyes immediately welled with tears. Did he do something wrong?
Swiping at her eyes, Chloe sniffled. “I’m sorry.”
“Why?” She hadn’t done anything she needed to apologize for.
She sniffled again. “I can’t seem to stop crying.”
“Then cry. And when you’re ready, we’ll draw.”
With a choked sob, she was suddenly against him, her arms wrapped around his waist and her head against his shoulder. Dropping the sketch pad and pencils, Erik hesitantly put his arms around her, and when she didn’t balk, held her more firmly.
“Thank you,” she uttered, as her tears dampened his T-shirt. “I don’t know what I would have done if you weren’t here.”
“You’re a survivor, Chloe. Don’t for one second believe any different.”
Rising on her toes, she shocked the hell out of Erik when he felt her lips caressing the line of his jaw. His cock responded immediately, growing painfully hard until he almost groaned. For a moment, a heartbeat in time, he sank into the pleasurable sensation of her mouth on his skin, wondering if he’d fallen asleep and this was all some sort of beautiful dream.
His name was a whisper of warm breath against his neck, and he suddenly stiffened as he recalled himself and stepped back. His voice was harsh, choked, as he said, “Stop.”
Before Chloe ducked her head, he caught her expression and could have sworn she looked almost disappointed – but that couldn’t be right. She couldn’t have wanted to kisshimof all people. Her emotions were running high, that’s all, and he didn’t want her to think back on this later with regret.
“Right,” she said, nodding. “You’re with Jayla.”
With Jayla? Whoa. Somewhere along the lines, Chloe had gotten a way wrong idea about them. “Jayla and I grew up together. She’s a sister to me.”
“A sister?”
Was that hope in her eyes? No, he had to be misreading her.
“Then why…?” She frowned as she cut off that question, staring down at her sock feet. Suddenly, she nodded again, as if she’d figured out the answer. “Oh. I forgot. I’m your job.”
The hint of bitterness in her tone had him reaching for her before he could stop himself. “You’re not just a job to me, Chloe.”
She looked up at him with meltingly soft eyes and stepped a bit closer. “I’m not?”
“You’re not.”
She leaned toward him, looking for all the world like she wanted to kiss him again, so he quickly reminded her, “I’m ugly.”
Her eyes met his, and softly, so softly, she told him, “Not to me, you aren’t.”
His heart wrenched painfully as an unfamiliar burning sensation prickled behind his eyes. Almost like he might cry. He hadn’tcried since he was a baby, yet he could feel it, the moisture building on his lower lashes. He dropped his head and stared hard at the floor. He wanted to believe her so badly, but…
