Page 7 of Within Shadows
He waves me off. “You don’t have to repay me. What you went through is terrifying, and you shouldn’t be alone. I just did what any decent friend would do.”
“Ouch, friend-zoned in your house at two in the morning.” I put a hand over my chest, pretending to be wounded. Garrett blushes and looks away with a shy smile. He’s so cute and easy to tease. He stirs his own mug of tea for a minute before he looks at me again.
“Are you saying you don’t want to be my friend, Maeve? Now I’m the one who is wounded.” He sighs, shaking his head.
“I’m guessing you only have one bed. Are you going to ask me to sleep with you?” I smirk when he chokes on his cup of tea. Droplets land on his shirt as he covers his mouth.
“I will be on the couch. You can take my bed.” He pins me with a serious look, and I laugh, rolling my eyes at him. “Not a chance, I’m not kicking you out of your bed. I can sleep on the couch.”
Garrett finishes his tea, putting the mug in the sink as he walks over to me. He leans against the counter after pushing his long sleeves up. My eyes lock onto the thick, veiny muscles that coil up his forearms and the way his large hands grip the countertop as he leans closer. He clears his throat, and I lock eyes with him, more than just a little embarrassed to be caught ogling. He holds his hand out for me, and I take it, enjoying the way his warmth surrounds my hand in such a gentle grip.
“Let me just show you to my room, then you can decide if my lumpy couch would be more comfortable than a California king-sized bed.” My eyebrows raise at that as he pulls me through a short hallway, stopping to flip a light on in the first door to the left.
“Bathroom, with all the basics, of course. I even have a spare pack of toothbrushes.” He pulls me along before I get a good look at the spacious shower, with what I am pretty sure was a massive waterfall setting and control panel. The only other room is to the right, and he opens the door, flipping on the light as he leads me inside.
The bed is huge, and I don’t think my jaw can fall open any further. A four-poster bed pushed against the far wall has a black curtain pinned up around the sides. Silky black sheets are folded back, still neat and not slept in.
“I passed out on the couch when we were on the phone.” He chuckles, and I turn to take the rest of the room in. A matching nightstand sits next to the bed, across from a long dresser witha huge mirror that faces the bed. I point at the mirror. “Oh, so you’re a little kinky?”
Garrett covers his face and shakes his head.
“You’re a menace, Maeve. There wasn’t anywhere else to put the dresser with a bed this size.” He huffs, crossing his arms while I smile up at his bright red face. “We aren’t done talking about Oliver.” I flinch and lose any humor I had as a chill sweeps over my skin.
“I am asking you to drop it.” I turn away, and Garrett softly grabs my shoulders to turn me towards him.
“Let me help you, please.” His plea is simple, and it would be so easy to do. I genuinely believe I can trust him, and it would be so easy to tell him everything. But then he would be in danger, and I know intimately how vicious Oliver can be. His father is even worse, and being a detective means his precious son is almost untouchable. My restraining order—that Oliver has gone against a dozen times—is proof enough of that.
“It was a break-in, Garrett. They happen all the time, and it was probably just a one-time thing. I doubt whoever it was will try again after you peeled into my yard and charged in like a madman.” Trying to placate him with a smile doesn’t work. I sigh and relent, just a little.
“Please hear me when I say, whoever broke in did it confidently. He wanted to scare me. Whoever it was probably knows that they’re untouchable.” I reach up and grip his forearms. “I am begging you to please drop it.” Tears brim my eyes, and I fight to hold them in. Until Garrett slams me to his chest, wrapping his arms around me in a crushing hug that catches me off guard. His body trembles as I wrap my arms around his waist and let myself soak in the heat and odd sense of safety he surrounds me in.
“I won’t let him hurt you.” The depth of his voice makes me shiver, and I nod against his chest.
“You need to get some rest. I’ll be on the couch, so just shout if you need anything.” He steps away, pulling the blanket back for me. I swipe an arm across my eyes as I turn away, hiding my tears from him as I climb into bed and stare down at my hands in my lap.
“Thank you for, well, all of this.” I shrug. Garett leans down, pressing a kiss to my forehead, and my eyes widen in surprise. “Goodnight, Maeve.” He turns to leave and flicks the light off but leaves the door cracked open. My heart is being a nuisance, fluttering in my chest as I drop back onto the pillows. Definitely not getting the hots for this man swooping in to save me. That would be insane. And that’s exactly how I got into this mess with Oliver over a year ago.
The once fond memory hits me of my car refusing to start after a party Jess had begged me to come to. I wasn’t a fan of big crowds, and college parties were my least favorite kind of crowd. Jess decided to stay with her boyfriend, and I slipped out the door only to realize I left my lights on and the battery was dead. Oliver stepped in, offering me a ride home, and he ended up staying the night. His charming smile and sweet eyes had drawn me in. What I assumed would be a one-night stand had turned into the worst year of my life.
I shake myself, pulling the blanket over my head as I lie down and take a deep breath. Garrett’s familiar scent, sandalwood and spice, floods my senses when I bury my face into his pillow, and I shamelessly clutch it tighter. I eventually get comfortable until my bladder warns me that I won't be comfortable for much longer, and I sit up, grumbling as I peer out the door. Seeing the bathroom light is still on, I try to silently cross the hallway.
The door swings open, and I jump back, slamming my back and head against the wall when Garrett stares at me with wide eyes in nothing but a towel.
“Shit!” I rub the back of my head, quickly turning away after the image of his bare chest sears into my brain. His muscles had flexed as he tensed up, arm reaching up while drying his hair.
“Maeve, are you okay? I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” He rushes forward, one hand gripping the top of his towel around his hips while the other rubs my back. I wave him off, my face burning hot as I stare at the gray wall with sudden interest.
“Nope, that was my bad. I should have knocked, but the door was slightly open, and I didn’t even think.” My voice wavers as my head pounds, and Garrett ducks back into the bathroom, coming back as I peer over my shoulder. He’s dressed in sweats and a form fitting t-shirt, which does little to concealanything.Fucking gray sweats.
“I didn’t want to shut the door in case you needed me. Didn’t mean to flash you like that.”
“I’m not complaining.” The words slip out before I can stop them, and I have to resist the urge to bash my head against the wall again. Garrett looks away, rubbing a hand over his face.
“You’re really good at making me squirm, you know that?” he grumbles, and I almost laugh at how sheepish he looks. “Bathroom is all yours.” He waves at the door, stepping out of my way as he takes hurried strides towards the living room. I’m so screwed.
Chapter 4
Knox
