Page 64 of Hot Damn
I sit there so long, my mind spinning with the possibilities of the mistakes he referred to, that he comes back and pulls open my door.
“Need help getting out?” he asks with a frown.
“No. I’ve got it.” To show him I have, I unhook my belt and twist to the side. It takes him a moment to step back and give me room to get out.
Once I’ve got my feet on the floor, he tips his head toward the door leading to the kitchen. “I’ll go up and get the bath ready.”
“Okay.”
“Take your time. I’ll find something of Whit’s you can sleep in too.” He turns to go before snapping back again to add, “And you can sleep in my bed.”
The images his words conjure have me stiffening, from shock or arousal—a little of both. “I?—”
“No, not with me! Shit!” He scrubs a hand over his face. “That’s not what I meant.”
Laughter bubbles up and I put a hand over my mouth to stop it. I don’t know why I think this conversation is funny. But I’m tired, in pain, and honestly struggling to understand the emotions I feel around this man.
“Yeah, okay, laugh at me putting my foot in my mouth.” He smiles at me. “Take your time coming upstairs and if the steps prove too difficult, give me a shout. Okay?”
He dips down so our eyes are level, his gaze locked on mine when I answer. “Yeah. Okay.”
“I mean it, Cami, if you need help getting up the stairs, call out.”
“I will. Promise.” I don’t want to but I’m not stupid and if it hurts too much to climb to the first floor I will let him help me. The last thing I need is to topple down another flight of stairs.
“All right then. See you upstairs.” He leaves me without looking back until he opens the door to the house when he glances over his shoulder to say, “Don’t worry about setting the alarm. I’ll come back down and do that.”
When he’s out of sight, a rush of air deflates my lungs and drops my shoulders. The motion brings a small whimper with it. I hope the hot bath Beckett is providing gives me some relief because if it doesn’t, I’m going to have to give in and head to the hospital or an all-night clinic to get something stronger than the over the counter meds I’ve been taking.
With slow, measured steps, I make my way inside. The single step up into the house pulls muscles and skin bruised from my fight with the concrete steps. The slipper-socks Natalie gave me help me shuffle my way to the staircase.
But when I look up, the steps appear to go on forever, and the thought of climbing them, of lifting my legs has me whimpering. Loudly.
Beckett appears at the top of the stairs, the frown on his face aimed my way. “You okay? What happened?”
He heads down, taking the steps two at a time, until he’s right beside me.
“Cami?”
“It hurts.” I can’t keep the tears out of my voice. Or off my face.
And when Beckett scoops me up in his arms and cradles me against his chest, I can’t hold back the sobs.
Beckett
One thing I’ve learned about Cami Nelson is she isn’t weak.
She’s independent and capable and having her in my arms in the middle of a complete breakdown makes me want to find Kenneth Dupre and rip his fucking head off.
“Shh…” Lowering to the edge of my bed, I wiggle around with Cami in my lap and lean my back against the headboard. “It’s okay. You’re safe.”
I murmur words I think will make her feel better except I know nothing I can say right now will do much good. All I can do is hold her until the worst of her tears pass.
The water still runs in the bathroom and luckily it takes a while for the tub to fill. Not to mention the special drain I had installed along with the tub in case of overflow.
“I’m sorry.” The words are hiccuped into my chest where her face is pressed and the warmth of her breath sends a skitter of goosebumps over my skin.
“Nothing to be sorry about, Cam.” I smooth a hand up and down her spine. “You’re allowed the release. I can imagine the cocktail of emotions you went through and the adrenaline spike from something like that would knock the biggest guy on his ass.”
