Page 41 of Nightclub Surprise
“Well, that’s understandable, as no one’s ever actually slept a whole night with you on a regular basis.” She pulled me into the main living room and we sat down. Her laptop was open on the coffee table. She swiped the screen, and a picture came up. “This is what I wanted you to see. This is in West L.A., and I think it would be the perfect place for you. The stuff they do with people who have PTSD is groundbreaking andrevolutionary.”
She picked up the computer, placing it on her lap and showing me everything about the place. One thing that stuck out was the fourteen-day treatment period where I’d have to stay in their facility. And the fact that they treated with drugs. And not the regular ones, either. No, they used a form of the drug known as ecstasy on the street, but they called itMDMA.
“Wow, that’s not your normal PTSD drug, Tawny.” I looked at her with concern. “My doctor has put me on every other drug they use for this, and I’ve never done well on any ofthem.”
“Well, this one works very differently from those,” she told me as she pointed out some of the testimonials. “These results can’t be ignored,baby.”
One of the patient testimonials said that the person who’d gone to the facility to try the treatment—which included taking the medication and receiving intense therapy—felt as if their soul had snapped back into theirbody.
That was a strong thing to say, Ithought.
“I’d be away for two weeks.” I looked at Tawny, taking her face in my hands. “That seems like a long time to not get to see your beautifulface.”
“Well, I can get through half a month if it means we can have a lifetime together, sleeping together each night. You can do this, August. With the right help, you can get through this thing. And I’ll be here every step of the way. I’m not going anywhere.” She ran her hands over my whiskeredcheeks.
“The truth is, I’m surprised you’re still here. I thought I’d hurt you so bad you’d feel you had to leave me. For your protection and Calum’s,” I admitted toher.
“I’m not that afraid of you. If I have to keep a bottle of water with me to pull you out of an episode, or chain you to your bed so your hands can’t do any damage, so be it. I’ll do whatever I have to, to keep you with me. I don’t give up on people in general, and those are mostly people who don’t mean a thing to me. You mean everything to me, August Harlow, and I’ll never give up on you. Notever.”
She should give up, and I knew that. But dammit, that selfish part of me clung to her as if she were my only lifeline. “I’ll do it. I’ll go to that place, and I’ll try everything. I can bestubborn…”
“You don’t have to tell me that,” she interjected,smiling.
With a laugh, I picked up the computer, put it back on the coffee table and pulled her to sit on my lap. “Thank God for that full moon seven yearsago.”
“I do all the time,” sheadded.
Our mouths met, and her sweet kiss made me believe that everything would be okay. It had to be. I had the best woman by my side. With her, I could beat anything that came myway.
In the meantime, I wasn’t going to waste a single moment I had with Tawny before I had to go. Moving her to lie back on the sofa, I moved my body to cover hers. She pushed on my shoulders, making our mouths part. “What are youdoing?”
“I’m going to take your sweet ass right here, baby. That’s what I’m doing. And then maybe I’ll take you in the swimming pool while we skinny dip. Afterthat…”
She sighed, stopping me. “So, today is all about getting your fill of me, is thatit?”
“Baby, I will never get my fill of you. But today is about getting as much of you as I can get. Because tomorrow I’ll leave to go get better.” Putting my mouth back on hers, I found her pushing my shoulders once more. “Nowwhat?”
“What about the staff, August?” She looked worried. “I don’t want to getcaught.”
Little did she know that I’d called Denise and told her to give the entire staff the day off. I wanted to be completely alone with Tawny for the entire day. But I didn’t let her in on that—a little fear of getting caught added some spice to things. “Don’t worry about that.” I kissed heragain.
The kiss was so hard and so full of passion that she melted underneath me, letting me have my way. She knew I wasn’t going to quit until I got what I wanted, and so she didn’t fight me on most things—not when she wanted those things as badly as I did. I loved that abouther.
I loved everything about her, and I’d do anything to make myself the man shedeserved.
Chapter Twenty-three
Tawny
After one hell of a great day, where August gave me all of his attention just as he promised, we had to come up for air when Calum came home from school. Max, the driver, had picked Calum up for us and brought himhome.
We managed to keep our hands mostly off one another until Calum went to sleep, then we went at it like animals again until the wee hours of the morning, when August carried me to my own bed, locking the door behindhim.
I cried then. Cried for all he had gone through. For all he’d seen. For all he’d had to do. The man was my hero. He always wouldbe.
After a shower, I put on some nightclothes and went to sleep. I’d brought the baby monitor with me to my bedroom and was shocked when I woke up the next morning alone in mybed.
NoCalum.
