Page 30 of Cause When You Love Someone
“Okay. I’m terrified I’ll lose everything. I’m afraid my world will collapse if I remove the crutches. I’m used to them.”
“That’s real.” I nodded. “You know what else is real? Your ability to start over. Every day that the Lord allows you to open your eyes, you have the chance to choose howyouwant to live. Don’t take that blessing for granted.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” She pepped up. “Now, what’s for dinner?”
“Do you eat leftovers?”
Her brows lifted. “Did you cook them?”
“I did,” I countered, already removing the top on a platter of enchiladas I’d made the night before.
As I warmed up dinner, Clarke wandered over to the wine racks mounted on the wall. Though I rarely drank wine, I had been collecting expensive bottles for close to four years.
“Your collection is impressive. Your house is too. While you changed clothes, I peeked in one of your rooms. I didn’t expect to see the home library and abstract art and all the other cool stuff.”
I couldn’t decide if I was upset that she invaded my privacy or if I was pleased by her praise. When I looked away from the foil and food, I saw Clarke watching me with dreamy eyes as her tongue swept across her permanent pucker.
“Every time I see you, you inch further and further across a line you aren’t supposed to cross. You are a beautiful woman, and I can admit I judged you when we met. That doesn’t mean I care to deal with the people attached to you.”
She twisted her curves from side to side. “You never know. I may be worth the trouble.”
“I have a funny feeling I’m going to find out.”
We spent the next hour eating and sharing facts about ourselves that weren’t on Google. I was blindsided by the news that she prayed every night and got warm at idea that she collected charm bracelets. Her laugh was contagious, and listening to her reveal her insecurities wasn’t something I took for granted.
After her third glass of wine, Clarke excused herself, leaving me alone with the regret of having to take her home. I kept myself busy by straightening the kitchen, but Clarke’s vibrating phone caught my attention.
“Clarke! Your phone is going off.”
The silence that followed directed me down the hallway where a sliver of light snuck from beneath my cracked bedroom door. Taken aback, I pushed it open and froze seeing Clarke’s dress on the floor and her body swathed in one of my graphic tees. Though her eyes were shut, the grin on her face proved she was awake.
“The word boundary doesn’t exist in your world, does it?” I asked while getting closer.
“Let’s just say, I’d rather ask for forgiveness than permission.”
The corners of my mouth turned up before I could stop them. “Bad girl,” I whispered. “Your phone was ringing.”
“I don’t feel like talking. It’s the last thing I want to do.”
“What’s the first?”
“To lay with you. You’re my bodyguard. You’re supposed to protect my heart too.”
“I thought you said I was off duty.”
She swung the cover back. “Not anymore.”
With little hesitation, I placed my glasses on the nightstand and turned off the reading lamp. As if she craved my affection, Clarke wasted no time giving me her back and molding herself into my body. She shivered in my grasp, encouraging me to hold her tighter. The next day, we would have to deal with the consequences of putting ourselves first, but in that moment, it didn’t matter.
“So, this is what it’s supposed to feel like,” she muttered.
I pressed my nose into her hair and suffocated myself in her scent. “Clarke.” I groaned. “You’ve been free for a couple of weeks. That doesn’t mean you’re ready to jump into something else.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. The good thing is I’m free to fuck around and find out.”
“Yeah, okay, Billy Bad Ass,” I baited while tugging on the silk garter belt around her thigh. “You wear things like this all the time?
Her girlish giggle spread through the room. “Maybe.”
