Page 20 of Sweet Surrender
“No, I-”
“Yes Taylor,” he commanded, leaving no room for argument.
“So bossy,” she muttered, and a smile split his face.Sassy even when she’s sleeping. But for once, she agreed with him and immediately fell back to sleep as he tucked the quilt around her. He brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and she sighed in her sleep. With a final glance at her, he left the room.
He made himself a drink then sat on her tiny couch and tried to watch some TV.
*
Taylor awoke in the morning, reluctantly pulled from a deliciously sinful dream about her and…
“Beau?”
Last night came flooding back to her. Trying to find a man to be her fake boo, followed by the confusing scene with Beau in her office, then coming home to find the massacre on her porch. She squeezed her eyes shut, tears stinging but she refused to let them fall. Dale had killed the little squirrel family that she’d been feeding, rearing and loving for years. He’d taken his obsession to a whole new level last night.
“The sick fuck,” she muttered, suddenly wondering what the hell she ever saw in him.
He had arranged her fur babies in the shape of a heart, that was how she had known this was him. There was no doubt in her mind but once again, where was the evidence? Taylor tried to push the image of their little furry bodies, twisted and covered in blood, out of her mind. It was an image she would never forget.
Beau had been great, helping her out, treating her shock with sweet tea, justbeing there.He remained calm throughout the whole situation and looked after her like she was someone he cared for, their bitter hatred for each other pushed aside.
When she discovered the squirrels, she’d been truly terrified. It meant things with Dale were far more serious than she imagined. The realization that Beau was the only person she wanted to comfort her had her stomach twisting into knots.
Taylor swung her legs over the side of her bed, noticing that she was still in last night’s clothing. She padded into the adjoining bathroom, the only bathroom in her little cabin, and stripped off, taking a quick shower. Once she was done, she threw on a graphic tee that read “Surely not everyone was kung-fu fighting?”and a pair of sweatpants, piled her wet hair on top of her head and swiped moisturizer over her face. It wasn’t much but she felt a little better already. She opened her bedroom door and stopped in her tracks.
Beau was squeezed onto her little couch, making it look like toy furniture under his giant body. Her fluffy pink blanket covered him, somehow making him look even more masculine. Taylor rolled her eyes. The TV remote was balanced in one hand, the TV still on but playing softly in the background.
He must have stayed here all night to make sure I was okay…definitelynotsweet. Not at all.
Her spine tingled at seeing him here in her home, surrounded by all her belongings, looking perfectly at home. Pink really suited him. She took the remote from his grip, fighting the weird urge to climb into his arms and burrow down. He stirred and sat up, the blanket falling into his lap and she was relievedto see he was still wearing a t-shirt. Completely one hundred percentrelieved.
“Morning Tay. Sorry, I must have drifted off.” His voice was gruffer than normal from sleep. The deep timbre raking over her nerves, leaving her practically panting.Imagine that voice deep in your ear, commanding you to…she spun away as heat flooded her cheeks and arousal pounded through her. God, how long had it been since she’d gotten laid?Too long,her brain answered.
“It’s fine, Beau,” she muttered. Her default Beau-Bitchiness tried to surface until her eyes landed on the back door leading to the porch and the reminder of last night hit her. She unlocked the door and stood in the doorway, not sure if she wanted to face the scene or not. She felt his heat at her back, too familiar, too comforting and too painful.
“Do you want me to show you where they’re resting?” he asked softly.
She nodded, her throat catching at the fact that he saidrestingand not buried. She must have blocked out what he did last night. She didn’t remember a lot except that he made her tea. She nodded and he took her hand, his warm palm enclosing hers and she didn’t pull away.
He led her over to a patch of dirt by the tree line, the soil dark and fresh against the sun-scorched pine needles.
“Are they all together?” Taylor asked, hating the hitch in her voice that belied her emotions.
“Yeah sweetheart, they’re all together,” he said, his thumb stroking her skin. A lump rose in her throat and she released his grip, emotions overwhelming her at the endearment, his care and the fact that he kept her little family together.
“The two rocks either side are so that you’ll always be able to find them. I’ll be just inside,” he added. Then he was gone, like he knew she needed a moment alone. She didn’t care if it was stupid that she was so devastated. After feeding them and talking to them for years, watching the family grow, they were her little fur babies. Taylor scanned the ground and saw a group of wildflowers and picked a few, sprinkling them over the squirrels’ resting place.
“I’m sorry you guys got caught up in this. But I bet you’re all in complete nut heaven right now, aren’t you?” She bit back a sob and tried for a watery smile. After a few minutes she blew a kiss to them she went back inside where Beau was making a drink.
She stood at the other side of the kitchen counter, just watching him. So much hung in the air between them, she didn’t even know where to start.
“Thank you for burying them and for cleaning off the porch,” she said.
“No problem,” he replied, gruffly. She watched him a moment longer before she sighed inwardly. She’d been thinking a lot and there was only one way out of this situation with Dale that she could see, she had fought it, tried to find someone else but she had to face facts.
“I’ll do it,” she said.
“Do what?” he asked, rummaging in her cabinets for a clean glass.
