Page 41 of Protect Home
“Never seen a naked, angry woman in a towel before?” He doesn’t speak, so I continue. “Well, it sucks to suck. What can I help you with?”
The man looks back down at his clipboard, horror plastered across his face before answering, “Are you Tenley Abrams?”
“Sure am,” I bite out. “And you are?”
“Advanced Movers. If you’ll excuse us, please,” he says, giving me no time to ask questions before a football team of giant men parade through my house with boxes in tow.
“Someone better tell me what’s going on! Who are these men, and why are they in my house?” I question the burly leader, still flustered and awkwardly trying to cover myself. The last thing I want is a nip slip or towel accident to happen.
But gosh darn it, this ismyhouse.
“Thanks, Greg. You’re the man.” An all-too familiar voice comes into earshot. My body seizes and it’s not my own. I whip my head around the threshold of the door and watch as August fucking Graves slipsGrega wad of cash and ushers him away.
I cast a glance at Zion at my feet and point at her in warning. “Stay. I need to handle this.”
He’d better catch on fast because I’ve got plans to retaliate. I stomp aggressively toward him, giving him no route to escape, and forcefully grab his ear. Yes, his ear, because that’s the first thing I think to reach for.
“You better have a good explanation for this, thigh buffer, because I’m this close to throwing you off that railing,” I shout, pointing to the perimeter of my condo.
And would you look at that? The devil grins. Widespread, full teeth and all. He grins. “You have no idea how hot you look right now,” August mumbles in a full breath.
Zion takes this as her chance to zoom in my direction, running right past me and jumping on August. “Little traitor,” I tell her, beside myself that she’d have the audacity to lick his leg. “Go back inside.”
She doesn’t listen, of course. Obedience isn’t her strong suit.
It’s now that I give myself a once-over, having forgottenfor a moment I’m still in my towel and covered in bubbles. “Ughhhh,” I groan, turning on my heels and heading back inside with August in tow. “Why?” I sweep my arm out, signaling to the men now opening boxes. “Are they in my house?”
Two additional men enter the front door, with a king-size bed between them. “And what is that?” I point at the gigantic bed, literally feeling like I could explode at this point.
“That would be a bed, little venom. You’ve seen one before, right?” August gloats.
I stomp my feet, my annoyance tangible at this point. “Of course I’ve seen a goddamn bed before. Butwhyis it here? Being moved into my house, August?”
I’m shouting and I don’t care. Let the neighbors complain. Maybe they’ll kick out myguest. Pretty sure guests are still typically invited—which the mustache madman in front of me wasn’t.
“Well, I need to sleep on something. Didn’t want to assume you’d be open to sharing yours,” August responds, winking and casting me a catastrophic grin.
Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god. This can’t be happening.
I smile, the venom he claims inside of me coming out to play. “What about our conversation yesterday gave you the impression you could move in with me?”
“Not a single thing,” he says, tapping the tip of my nose and sauntering off to direct the movers where to put his things.
“You can’t just move into my house without my permission, August.” I settle myself, exhausted by my own shouting. I getwhyhe thinks this is a good idea. I really do. Butit’s not a decision he gets to make without talking to me first. Especially since it’smyhouse.
“Then do I have your permission, Tenley?” he asks sincerely, clearly not fazed one bit by my frustration. “Because it would make me feel a hell of a lot better knowing you’re safe and I can reach you if needed. If your home is where you’re most comfortable, then I’ll meet you there.”
But. But. He’s not supposed to say things like that. He’s supposed to worry about himself and not whether I’m comfortable at night.
God, those little snippets of his compassionate side chisel away at my glacier-filled heart.
He completely dismisses my crazy outbursts and shows me grace even when I don’t deserve it. How can I even say no to that?
“I don’t know if this is a good idea…”
He blindly signs the clipboard Greg hands him and moves to stand directly in front of me. “I’ll stay out of your way. You don’t have to worry about that. The house is just too far from here to chance not being able to get to you in time. Please say you understand that.”
I nod because I do. I get it. August caring so much is just one more reason why I know he’ll make a great dad.
