Page 9 of Knight With Benefits

“You can walk me to my door, but that’s it. Don’t get any ideas.”

My voice was so breathyIcouldn’t even believe the words that came out. I couldn’t pull my focus away from his lips, so close to mine, and I frowned when they were suddenly farther away.

“I’d never get ideas about my new boss. I’m just trying to make sure she stays in one piece long enough to pay me.”

A shiver ran down my spine at the thought of bossing this big alpha around before I scoffed at the idea. He might be civil enough in public, but in private was always a different story. I was sure he’d be willing to fuck me if given the chance, butIwouldn’t be the one in charge.

“So, where do you live?”

Normally I would have been hesitant to give out that information, but I couldn’t keep lying and saying I could make it there on my own. And if he was going to be helping me do repairs to the café, I might be able to get him to do some to the duplex as well, so he’d end up with the address anyway.

“Over on Sycamore, a block down.”

It really wasn’t far, but the distance felt daunting when my vision was swimming in and out and the world swayed with each step I took. Carl let me lean on his arm, and I had no choice but to trust him to get us there since the drowsiness I’d suffered at the bar was creeping back. My eyelids grew heavier with each step, and there were times when I blinked, and somehow we’d passed an entire yard before I pried my eyelids open again.

“Hey sleepy, which way?”

I hummed, struggling to lift my head from where it had fallen against his bicep and open my eyes. The streetlight above us made them water, and I had to rub my free hand over my face a few times to focus enough to see where we were. He’d brought me to the corner of Sycamore, but the far side was lined with duplexes, and he had no way to know which was mine.

I tried to speak but it felt like my tongue was glued to the top of my mouth, and I finally gave up, pointing to the left. I could see my sad little yard, weeds overgrown since I hadn’t gotten around to buying a lawnmower yet. The grass was completely dead, but it wasn’t any different in front of the homes beside mine, so I told myself there was no reason to be embarrassed. I’d had more pressing concerns than yard maintenance.

We plodded along, Carl keeping his strides short so I wasn’t forced to rush to keep up with his longer legs. Once we reached the sidewalk that led up to my door, I managed to grunt and jerked my chin to let him know to turn.

I blinked stupidly at the peeling grey paint for a few moments before I remembered I needed to dig my keys out of my pocket. I didn’t carry a purse since I found them pointless when the only things I had to put in one were a phone, my keys, and a single bank card, but the pockets on women’s clothing were comically small. I was growling by the time I managed to wiggle my fingers through the tight slit to wrap around the metal clip my keys were attached to.

I fumbled the right one into the lock and turned it before Carl’s warmth disappeared. I looked back at him as darkness beckoned me forward.

“Delivered safely to your door. Can you get into bed okay?”

I was past the point of being tempted to drag him in with me. There was a slow throb between my ears, and my eyes burned. My stomach felt like there was a firepit inside it, and all I wanted to do was get horizontal and forget the world existed for a while.

I worked my jaw, biting the inside of my cheeks to get enough moisture to speak.

“Yeah. Thanksssshhh.”

The porch light didn’t work so I couldn’t see his expression with the streetlight throwing him in shadows, but I imagined his little smirk as he huffed a quiet laugh.

“Drink some water and take meds now, or you’ll regret it.”

“Mmm.”

I threw a backhanded wave over my shoulder as I leaned on the knob to step inside, keeping my eyes cast down as I shut the door behind me. I even managed to lock the deadbolt into place before pressing my back to the door and letting myself slide to the floor.

I knew I’d feel like shit in the morning, but the relief from thinking about what had happened on this day so many years ago was worth it. I didn’t even feel the tears sliding down my cheeks as I closed my eyes and drifted off into a dreamless sleep right there on the tile.

Chapter Four

Carl

My bear had snarled when I turned away from Gwyn’s door and headed back down the sidewalk to the street. My instincts wanted me to stay and protect the omega while she was vulnerable, but lingering outside her home would only draw suspicion. I doubted any of the neighbors would call the cops since we all knew how unreliable they were, but I didn’t need Gwyn to think I was a stalker.

The walk back to the bar went faster without having to keep myself to her pace, but it was still too much time to think. I tried to occupy myself with plans for the renovation of her café, but the dark and the silence surrounding me was like an anchor, dragging me back to the nights I’d spent in the desert, wondering if they would be my last.

The light and noise of the bar was a beacon, drawing me in despite the late hour, but I didn’t need to enter to know the Knights had left. My bike was the lone one remaining in the parking lot, although there were still a couple cars parked by David’s old truck. I went in long enough to let him know Gwyn had made it home, but he was already busy cleaning up and getting ready to close for the night, so I headed back out into the dark once I’d delivered the news.

The rumble of my hog was a welcome break in the silence around me as I cranked it and rolled out onto the street. Others found the dropping temperatures too cold to go for night rides, especially in nothing but a t-shirt and our cut, but it was nothing to me. My bear enjoyed it, even if it made me want to curl up and sleep.

I roared down the road, heading away from the residential areas of Hell. Downtown was always open, but I didn’t want the press of people around me. The Slums were more alive at night than they were in daylight hours, and we usually tried to avoid riding through them alone, but the itch under my skin was sending me out of Penford.

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