Page 39 of This Time I'm Keeping You
He followed.
“You are not going anywhere.I know you’re scared, and this is all out of your control, but we have to stop him.No more running, Poppy.”
“Running is safe for everyone,” she whispered, and then tears started.
He’d wondered when she’d crack.Picking her up, Nick carried her into the living area and sat on the couch with her on his lap.
She’d been mugged, her house trashed by some crazy man who had been stalking her, and Nick had watched her take it all, but he also knew women—more importantly, his sisters.When one of them was near their breaking point, they usually yelled and smashed a few things and then came the tears.Poppy was well past that point in his book.
“It’s all right.”He held her close and let her cry.She was noisy and loud but didn’t last for long.Soon, she was sniffing and sighing with the occasional hiccup thrown in.
“I don’t cry,” she said, her voice husky with tears.“I mean, not usually.”
“Duly noted.”Nick rubbed his thumb under her eye.“I won’t put out a press release that the famous author Poppy Sylvester is human and cries.”
“Okay, so maybe that’s twice in two days, but in the usual course of events, that would be a few years’ worth of tears for me,” she said.
“Cut yourself a break.You’ve had a rough couple of days.”Her eyes were red rimmed now from tears, and he felt it again, that little kick to his chest when he looked at her.“You’re beautiful, you know that, right?Always have been,” he said, using the bottom of his T-shirt now to wipe her cheeks.
“You don’t have to say things like that because I’m low.Really,” Poppy said, struggling to get off his lap.Nick just tightened his hold on her.
“I don’t lie, Poppy.”
“Are you telling me I was hot in college?”
“There was something about you that got me worked up, but I was never sure what,” Nick said.
“If you say so.”Clearly, she didn’t believe him, but before he could argue his case, she added, “I really am sorry about this, Nick.The mugging, and then me calling you today.I shouldn’t have done that.”
“I would have been angry if you hadn’t.But for now, I think it’s bedtime.Tomorrow is soon enough to deal with everything.”
Surprisingly, she didn’t argue, just climbed off his lap, and he had to fight the need to pull her back into his arms.
“Thanks, Nick.I really am grateful.I owe you.”
“I’ll think of some way for you to repay me.”
“Okay, sure.”She turned away from him and took the stairs up.
Fifteen minutes later, Nick finished his call with Billy and followed her up the stairs.He knocked on her door.
“Come in.”
She was sitting in a chair by the window in cotton sleep shorts and a tank, looking at her new phone.
“I thought you were going to bed?”
“Just checking some emails.”
“Here’s some water and pain meds in case you need them in the night.”Nick lowered them to the bedside table.“Now get in here.”He held up the covers.
“I can get into bed myself, Nick.I’ve been doing it alone for years.”
“So do it.”He kept his eyes on her face, instead of running them down her body.
She stared at him but gave in and rose.Skirting around him, she dropped her phone on the nightstand and got into bed.
He tucked her in, which made her smile.“I can’t remember the last time someone did that for me.”
