Chapter 14 #2
“Well, you were.”
I huffed out a breath. “Yeah.”
“We’ll stay out here for the night. See how you do.”
I nodded. “Okay.”
“Hungry?”
I nodded.
“Be right back.”
I rolled back into my nest. The warmth of the late day soaked into my bones. I must have passed out again because I woke to an insulated dish and a thick stem of grapes in a bowl along with a bottle of water.
I struggled to sit up and looked over my shoulder. No sign of Locke.
The sun was lower in the sky now, glinting off the water. Seagulls dove into the sea coming out with their dinners. The rocky coast was beautiful. I snapped off a fat green grape and munched. Inside the insulated dish was cheese and some rolled up meats with pickled banana peppers.
Evidently Locke knew just how to make a girl dinner.
After I filled my belly, I looked around.
I didn’t want to shout out for him in case maybe he was actually resting too. Staying with me all night last night had probably been anything but restful.
I’d invaded every part of his life.
He probably hated me.
But I was beholden to him.
And right now, I had to allow myself to be selfish.
At least until I was a little stronger.
I stacked my dishes and slowly stretched out my left leg. The ache was a heading into throb. It was probably time for more meds and maybe another book off Locke’s shelves.
I found I didn’t miss my phone. I’d been constantly tethered to it for work for so long it was oddly freeing. Just the sound of the ocean around me, the screech of the birds. I let myself drift and the sun slowly slid away into the twisty dark.
The sound of the water lapping along the boat became the piles of the dock.
Ropes wrapped around my neck and slowly grew tighter.
My lungs fought for air.
I wanted to scream, but it wouldn’t come.
It was trapped under the darkness in the light.
Distantly a sharp voice echoed in the nightmare.
My name.
I turned my face toward the sound, but the ropes wouldn’t let me move.
“Priscilla!”
I came to with a gasp.
Locke was beside me, shaking me. I reared up and grabbed onto him.
The tears coming like a storm.
My fingers dug into his bare shoulders and the smooth expanse of his back. The tears were a torrent, and I couldn’t gather them back in.
Off balance, he crashed onto his elbow, but he didn’t let me go. “It’s all right,” he said gently.
“I didn’t even realize I fell asleep again.” I said against his chest. I dragged in a gulping breath. It happened so fast. Like I’d been dropped right back into that moment.
“Need to talk about it?”
I huffed out a laugh. He asked, but I knew he didn’t want to know. Didn’t want me to wrap him any more tightly into my mess.
“I’m good.”
“Didn’t sound like you were good.”
“I will be good, how’s that?”
He didn’t reply, but I knew he was relieved. No man wanted to talk about feelings. Especially this one who had obviously been hiding for a long time.
I disentangled myself from him and brushed the tears away. “Thanks.”
He sat back on his haunches. “It’s fine.”
But he wouldn’t look at me.
He probably wanted to dump me off the side of the boat and be done with me. I moved too fast and my leg felt like it was on fire. I gripped the lightweight blanket and bit back an oath.
“All right. Enough of this.” He scooped me up and staggered to his feet when the boat listed.
He just gripped me harder until every part of my upper body was plastered to his. My eyes widened and I wanted to rip the damn mirrored shades off him and know exactly what he was thinking.
But he just stalked toward the captain’s booth then took the stairs down to the lower level.
He held me so tightly, there was very little jostling.
He passed the outdoor deck and through the already open door.
He set me by the massive window that looked out on Pickering and the lighthouse.
Before I could say thank you, he left me there and disappeared down the stairs to one of the hulls.
Trying to get my bearings, I just stared after him.
Expecting him to come back up, I waited.
And waited.
Unsure what to do, I tried to get up and go to the kitchen. My throat was dry as dust.
I hopped to the nearby table, the muscles throbbing, but my need for something to wet my throat outweighed the discomfort. I bumped into the cabinet across from the kitchen and gripped the counter before I landed on my face.
Suddenly he appeared, the sunglasses finally gone.
His eyes were sharp and angry. His hair was wet, and droplets of water still ran off his body. “What the hell are you doing?”
“I needed water.”
He scooped me up and the scent of soap filled my head. “Call for me.”
I huffed out an annoyed grunt, pissed off that I was shaky. “You took off like—”
His eyebrow arched. “Like?”
“Like your ass was on fire.”
“I needed to cool off.”
“Why?”
“I’m used to being alone.” He looked at something just over my shoulder.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. It’s fine. We just have to figure it out.” He set me down at the table. “I’ll make some dinner. You need to eat for your meds.”
“Okay.”
He turned away from me and headed back into the small kitchen. I couldn’t help as my gaze trailed over his still damp shoulders and back. Him without a shirt on was definitely not going to get old. I wasn’t even aware there were that many muscles in the male body.
The lust threw me off until I got a better look at his skin. The network of scars that ran along his back spoke of untold violence and pain.
Just who was this man?