Page 35 of Teach Me to Laugh

“You’ll be fine.” Maddy said. “Beck will take good care of you.”

She sounded so sure of her declaration, and I couldn’t help but wonder how that could be? How could one girl have been gifted with so much trust in men, while I had next to none?

Because the men she’s known were good men, that’s why.

Beckett climbed in and closed the door loudly, shutting out the bite of cold winter air. Rubbing his hands together, he rattled off Maddy’s address to the cabbie.

Then he shifted his torso toward me, giving me more room. I took the room he gave me eagerly, entirely aware of his body so close to mine on aphysicallevel. I mention a physical level, because mentally—well, mentally I had no level.

I existed on purely physicaleverything.The way Beckett’s warm thigh felt pressed against mine. The long arm that stretched out on the seat behind me. The way he smelled . . .

“I’m so tired.” Maddy said, cutting into my thoughts. “So tired.”

“Not me.” I fought a wave of dizziness as I let my head fall into the crook of Beckett’s arm, my face turned toward Maddy. “I could go all night.”

“Mmmm,”

Time sort of froze then until I felt the car lurch. Beckett shifted, and then I heard his voice rumble in my ear. “Gonna make sure she gets inside all right. Be right back.”

Then I felt Beckett’s body move and cold air replaced his warmth. Instantly, I felt disappointment, but I watched a little dazedly, as Beckett helped Maddy from the car. She giggled, trying to assure him she was fine, but he wouldn’t hear it.

I heard him rumble, “If anything happened to you, Kaiden would kill me.”

“That’s true. He would.” She agreed, sounding sad.

“Hey Maddy,” I called, and she glanced back at me. That’s when I saw it—the tears and heartache in her eyes. She was thinking about why Kaiden would kill Beckett if he let anything happen to her. She was thinking about her lost love, Austin. It was on that thought that I said, “Love you, babe.”

I hadn’t meant to say the words. All I knew is that as soon as they were out, they were true. I’d meant them with everything inside of me.

The shimmering in her eyes got more intense as she croaked, “Love you too, Mar.”

And then Beckett closed the door. I let my head fall back on the seat as I waited for him to return, and as I closed my eyes, I couldn’t help the bite of fear that tore through my heart at the thought of being alone with the cabbie. If he wanted, he could drive away. He could take me to a bad place where he could do bad things to me.

Don’t think about it, Amara. Don’t think about it. Not every man is evil. Not every man takes what isn’t his to take.

Anger swelled inside toward Beckett. He’d promised to care for me, and here I was alone in a car with a man I didn’t know, or trust.

It seemed like an age, yet a mere blink of an eye before he was back, and I was again safe. The door opened and cold air came rushing in. Then he was there beside me with his big body and all his warmth. I forgot about my anger as his arm came up to rest on the back of the seat, and this time, I didn’t fight theurge to seek more warmth as I let my body fall into the side of his.

I was safe.Safe.

Beckett didn’t say anything as I snuggled in, and I was glad for that. Because right now it appeared I had a bit of a loose tongue, and if he sparked even the faintest of emotion from me in this state, I’d let him know all about it.

I preferred to live behind a sheet of ice where I was safe from the heartache that came when one knew just how vulnerable you were to all that they could give you—so I didn’t want to shatter the ice castle I’d built with the truth that showed in the wake of raw emotion. I didn’t want to ruin this. Whatever this was.

It was on that thought that I felt Beckett’s hand on my shoulder, shaking me gently. “We’re home, baby.”

“Oh,” I groaned. “Can he drive around the block just one more time?”

Beckett laughed. “Don’t think so.”

“But it’s so comfortable.”

“You’ll get comfortable when we’re inside.”

“Not like this.” I shook my head. “You are so warm.”

I thought I heard his breath catch. “You want me to carry you?”

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