Page 34 of For Always
With a hand to her heaving chest, Gabriella screamed in frustration. And then she remembered where she was. She clapped a hand over her mouth and sat in the middle of the queen-size bed willing the tears not to fall. She was so sick of this! She’d just let her chin drop to her chest and closed her eyes when she heard the door to the bedroom open. Jumping off the bed quickly, she grabbed the first thing she saw. Because it was the middle of the night and the only light in the room were the slithers of moonlight coming through the partially opened blinds, that was the pillow off the bed.
The light came on and Tyler ran over to where she stood.
“Are you alright? Did something happen?”
He was asking questions, his concerned gaze raking over her. She felt bare in a way that far surpassed the fact that she was wearing a nightshirt that barely covered her butt.
“I…ah…I’m—”
“Here, let me take this,” he said coming closer and easing the pillow out of her grasp.
She’d still been holding it above her head like she was ready to hit him—or whoever was coming into the room—with it.
“I just,” she started and then stopped. Gabriella let her arms fall by her sides and fought for the composure she always displayed in business situations. In fact, she made a point of displaying a carefully composed and often exuberant persona at all times, in front of all people. It was how she’d always been able to cope.
“Had a bad dream, I guess,” she said with a shrug. “Sorry to have wakened you.”
“No need to apologize,” Tyler said. “I can go down to the kitchen and fix you some hot tea, or if you want to stay up for a while, I can stay with you.”
His tone was low and soothing and almost put Gabriella at ease. Almost, but not quite. She’d been down that road before and had sworn she wouldn’t travel that path ever again.
“No,” she said adamantly.
He tossed the pillow on the bed.
She sighed.
“I’m not being a bitch,” she said. “Or maybe I am. But I don’t mean to be.”
She cleared her throat. “I’m fine. I’ve had bad dreams before and I survived. Thanks for coming to my rescue, again, but I’ll be okay.”
He gave her a curt nod, and said, “But you’re not okay right now.”
She wasn’t. She was anything but okay. Her stomach was doing some weird flip-flopping, her temples were throbbing from trying to forget the latest disturbing dream and the air conditioner really worked well in this house because not only were her nipples growing hard, but her legs were chilly.
“I am,” she insisted, being careful not to say she was fine. “I’m good. Really, I am. You can go back to bed. I promise I’ll be quiet for the rest of the night.”
“You don’t have to be,” he said. “Quiet, I mean. If you’re afraid, you can say something. I know it’s not normal to go riding and have someone shoot at you. I promise you I’ll find out who it was, but until I do, I plan to keep you perfectly safe.”
“Oh,” she said because it was all she could think of.
He thought what happened this morning was what had frightened her. Oh, how Gabriella wished it were that simple.
“It was just a dream, Tyler. I promise you I’m okay now,” she said.
He nodded and turned to walk toward the door. That’s when she noticed that he was only wearing shorts, no shirt, no socks, and no shoes. And she had no idea what the hell she was doing.
“You can call me if you need anything.”
“Huh?” she asked when she realized he’d stopped at the door and was staring at her expectantly.
“If you wake up again or if you can’t fall asleep,” he said. “I’m right next door. You can call me on my cell or just come over. I don’t mind.”
“I won’t,” she replied. “Because I’m okay.”
“Right. You’re okay.”
He gave a half smile and then a little wave of his hand before pulling the door closed behind him. The moment Gabriella heard the click of the door closing, she fell back on the bed and bit back a groan.
