Page 18 of Boss' Obsession

This piece of shit isn’t going anywhere. I help my girl to her feet, take her in my arms, and kiss her sweet face.

“You’re okay now, baby girl. I’ve got you.”

She makes the call, and we wait for the police to arrive. It’s not until she gives the police her statement that I realize who this man is. If I had known before that he followed her here from California, I might have driven his knife into his heart. This is it. After this, there’s no way I’m letting this girl out of sight.

“I’m going to follow you to your place to collect some things. You’re gonna stay with me for a while.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want to just intrude on your life like that.”

“It’s not an intrusion. I insist. I can imagine that you’re shaken up right now, and I’m not going to let you be alone.”

“Okay.” She nods and stares at me for a moment then rushes to me and throws herself into my arms. I caress her and tell her that everything is going to be alright, but my guts are still churning over the thought of some other man putting his hands on her.

We arrive at her place, and I follow her up the stairs. The hall is so narrow that my shoulders almost touch the walls. The floor of the old building creaks under my feet, and I wonder just how safe this structure is with its cracking plaster walls and soggy floorboards.

Beth opens the door to the apartment, and we step into a tiny space that holds a small sofa, table, and a wall lined with miniature kitchen appliances that look like they were manufactured at the turn of the century. It’s obvious the girls do their best to keep the place tidy, but it’s still a dump all the same.

“I can’t believe that two of you live here. How do you keep from falling over each other?”

“Well, she works nights and I work days so that helps. Since I’ve been spending so much time with you after work, we rarely see each other.”

“I know you said this was only a temporary situation, but I can’t have you living like this. Get all of your things. You can stay with me until we make other arrangements for you.”

She stares blankly at me, and for a second, I think she might turn me down.

“I just want to say it again. You don’t have to do this for me. I don’t want to be a burden.”

I step toward her and place my hands on her tiny shoulders. “You’re my little girl. You could never be a burden to me. I’m doing this because I want to, and I won’t take no for an answer.”

She looks up at me and bats her eyes, sending an electric surge through my veins. How can this girl ever think she’s an inconvenience? Being with her is like winning the lottery.

We arrive back at my place, and I move directly through the living room and open the glass door that leads to the balcony. I remove the cover from the jacuzzi and walk back inside. I take a bottle of white wine from the rack and collect two glasses. A relaxing dip in the hot tub might calm us both down.

“Baby girl, there are candles and a lighter on the library table behind you. Grab them and take them outside for me.”

She picks up the candles and walks to the balcony doors. Once there, she looks at me and asks, “Are we going in the hot tub? I don’t have a bathing suit.”

“Why would you need a suit?”

“Because…well…it’s outside. What if someone sees?”

I try but I can’t stop myself from laughing. “Sweetheart, have you forgotten what floor we’re on? Who’s going to see us? A passing plane?”

She blushes and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, “Well, I’ve never been naked outside before. This is a first for me.”

“Not even to skinny dip in the lake when you were ten or twelve?”

“Not even then.”

“So, this is another first that I get to show you. I like that.”

“Make that two firsts. I’ve never been in a hot tub either.”

I set the wine bottle and glasses on the cedar edge of the tub and take the candles from here. Once lit, I place them beside the wine and turn my attention to Beth.

“Let me help you out of those clothes,” I tell her as I begin to unbutton her blouse. She shivers. “Are you cold, baby?”

“No, it’s not that. I’m excited.”

---