Page 21 of Broken: Taylor

Chapter 8

Taylor hadn’t slept so wellin a long time. The bed was so comfortable that for the first time in a long time, he was not in a hurry to get up.

His hip even seemed less painful than most mornings as the softness enveloped him lulling him to sleep deeper.

Suddenly remembering he’d not gone to sleep in his own bed, Taylor’s eyes flew open. “What in the living hell?”

The softness of white on white and modern furnishings combined with some sort of soothing music was not a bad way to wake up. However on this day it was embarrassing. He was there to guard Allison, not to be put to bed like a pansy-ass and sleep in as if he was on some sort of spa vacation.

The smell of coffee tickled his nose and he rolled over and pressed his face into the pillow. It smelled of her. A soft flowery scent that suited Allison perfectly.

At this point it made no sense to hurry to get up. Hell, he actually considered procrastinating until she went downstairs to work. But that probably wasn’t for a couple hours from then. He looked at his wrist. Watch was gone.

Along with his wallet and cell phone, it was on the bedside table next to a vase of flowers. Well wasn’t he just the most watchful guard on the planet?

He checked, and yeah he still had pants on, but they’d been unbuttoned to allow him to be more comfortable. Either he’d been tired as hell, or Allison was magical.

Hating to give up his comfortable spot, he sat up and stretched. His hip barely protested. The real test would be standing up. The fucker always made him want to cut off his leg most mornings.

Sure enough, the sharp pain shot through his hip. However, it wasn’t bad enough to consider finding the closest sharp saw.

He didn't bother with his watch and instead left the room and walked into Allison’s main living area. It had been shocking to walk into her apartment the night before.

The entire top floor of her grandmother’s house was transformed into a modern space, like nothing he’d ever seen before. The walls were a soft gray, the furniture all in muted tones of either gray or white. Although at the tall kitchen counter there were three tall bright red stools, and matching crimson pillows on the white leather couches, the rest of the space lacked much color.

While he would have thought it would be sterile, it was more peaceful than anything else.

From her kitchen, a person could see past the living room to huge floor to ceiling windows framing the view of the mountains.

“Good morning.” She stood in the kitchen wearing colorful leggings and an oversized long-sleeved gray top. Her curls hung freely, landing softly on her shoulders.

“Sorry about falling asleep on your bed.” He brushed a hand through his hair. “You all right?”

“I would say I’m great, but that would be a lie,” she replied motioning for him to get coffee. “I slept well enough, but woke up early to rehash what happened last night.”

He understood. Sometimes victims or witnesses would call him early in the mornings to ask questions after having settled down and the reality of what happened sunk in.

The coffee maker was a bright red and he wondered if it was her favorite color. “Your place is very different from what I expected.”

With a soft smile, she looked around with an assessing eye. “When I moved here and had to remodel, I decided to go for it. I wanted a place that I could feel relaxed and at home without fuss. It cost me a good amount, but it’s totally worth it. I did not compromise on anything.”

It was obvious from the light fixtures to the modern tile he’d noticed in the bathroom, she did not spare expense.

“Your bed, what kind of mattress is that?” He planned to buy one immediately.

She tapped her fingers on the side of the cup in thought. “I’ll get you the info. It’s one of those memory foam mattresses. It’s pricey, but well worth it. You should get one, it helps with bad hips and such.” Her gaze moved to his mid-section and he turned sideways to keep from her noticing the affect it had.

Finally, she went to the living room. He followed her movements. Allison wasn’t slender, more what he’d call medium build, but with a definite softness that brought attention to her rounded bottom and long graceful legs. He was more than attracted to her. If it wasn’t for all his baggage, there was little that would have stopped him from going after her.

This game of playing bodyguard was a dangerous one. If he wasn’t careful it could turn complicated quick.

She looked to him, the sunlight behind her framing her beauty perfectly. “The only thing I have for breakfast is oatmeal and maybe a couple of bagels. It doesn’t look like Mindy’s place is open this morning. Very strange.”

He went to the kitchen window and sure enough the café was closed. Not only that, but Eric’s truck was parked in front along with several other cars. Either the cops had taken over the only breakfast place in town to eat, or the murder from the night before had something to do with the owner. He guessed the second option.

He went to the bedroom and called Eric, who answered on the second ring. “Hey Cuz. Where you at?”

Within moments he knew the reason for the café being closed. Allison watched him while toasting bagels. Her eyes tracked his every movement.