Page 24 of Addicted

“She speaks,” I said, bumping her with my hip.

“Hugh, I’m—”

I cut her off, knowing exactly where she was going. The emptiness in her normally bright eyes was making me ache and I wouldn’t be able to handle her trying to minimize this.

“Denise, I swear if you say you’re fucking fine…” I narrowed my eyes and watched her sputter.

“I am... thinking—processing.” Her hands went to her abdomen, and she breathed into them.

She wasn’t as dazed as she’d been earlier, so I resisted the urge to fuss over her. I placed my hands over hers.

“And you can keep doing that. In my guest room. Come back here when you’re ready. Or we can help you find a new place. You need to feel safe.”

Her eyes went glassy as she blinked back tears. She was looking up at me like I was some puzzle she couldn’t make sense of, but she didn’t pull away from my touch.

One of her hands turned up to grasp mine.

Her fingers moved across my knuckles and she looked down at my hand, confused. It was clear she was expecting to see scratches or bruises. I’m surprised it took her this long to address the bloody towel she’d seen. I wasglad the first thing I’d cleaned up was the piss. Something told me that would’ve been a bit more shocking.

“You fought.” She met my gaze for the first time in hours.

“We did,” I confirmed.

“It wasn’t your blood.” The wheels were turning in her head. If I didn’t have a mark on me, the blood came from Curtis. She sat with it for a few more seconds before her lips curved up. Instead of a sad smile, this one was vicious.

“Good,” she said it with such conviction that I had to resist kissing the smile off her face and bringing back that lust-filled gaze she’d had for me earlier.

My Little Menace had a dark side. She loved the idea that Curtis had been lying here bruised and bloody, that I’d done that for her.

“If I’d known it would make you smile, I’d have let you get a few punches in too.”

She laughed, melodic and light.

That was better. Much better.

I wanted to make her keep laughing and erase this whole shitty day from her memory, but I knew that I couldn’t. What I could do was give her a weekend of distraction.

“You’re sure?” she asked, hesitant but curious.

She didn’t want to be a burden. What she didn’t know is if she’d said no, I’d have just stayed outside her complex and made sure Curtis didn’t bring his ass back over here.

“Denise.”

It was becoming a familiar sparring match. She’d say something ridiculous and I’d say her name, firm, but patient and she’d relent.

“Fine. I’ll stay in yourguestbedroom,” she said, as I expected her to. I was fine with that. As much as I wanted her curled up beside me, I wanted her to feel safe, more.

If she stayed here, she’d spend the whole night looking over her shoulder, wondering if Curtis was coming back or what surprise he’d have left for her that she didn’t know about yet.

Before I could stop myself, I brought her body into mine for a hug. The warmth of her skin against mine eased some of the pressure that had formed in my chest.

“I’ve got you,” I said.

Her tense shoulders relaxed, and I tightened my hold.

This woman.

CHAPTER 12

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