Chapter 23
Lily
Iwas surprised and a little scared when Chris showed up at my office.
Especially after he told me what happened on the way to court.
He spent the rest of the day holed up in one of our empty offices until I was done for the day, insisting that he’d follow me home and drive me wherever I needed for the foreseeable future.
Having him do that is more comforting than I could admit. The more I think about this situation, the more it scares me. That fear only amplifies whenever I’m away from Chris.
In the quiet of my car, with the dusk of the evening sky settling around me, a new kind of anxiety compresses my chest.
The morning I found Blake, I thought many things died alongside him. Then someone tried to break in, renewing those dangers.
But Chris was there. Chris came to my rescue and has barely left my side since that day. Which is putting him in harm’s way.
I can handle being afraid for my life, but being afraid for his is something new altogether.
An emotion I haven’t let myself feel starts to bleed into my heart—guilt.
There’s so much I should open up to Chris about, especially now that his life could be impacted as well.
I don’t know how to start. How do I explain everything?
Would Chris even understand? Would I lose him and his support?
Shaking my head, I make the turn into my driveway, with Chris close behind. This isn’t something I can deal with tonight. Just the thought has panic rising in my throat.
Sucking in a deep breath, I pull into the garage and put my armor back in place. Praying to an entity I’m not sure I believe in, hoping that everything will be okay.
Steam billows around me as I open the bathroom door and step into the bedroom. Chris is lounging on the bed in just his dark red boxer briefs, one knee bent, the other stretched out. His reading glasses are perched on his nose as he stares at his phone.
He looks breathtakingly sexy. Even those glasses do nothing to detract from his masculine beauty. There’s something about an almost naked, muscular man with reading glasses on that really gets to me. And I had no idea until this very moment.
Padding across the bedroom in my baggy pajama pants and oversized T-shirt, I feel very overdressed. I climb onto the bed and crawl up toward where Chris is. “You make me feel like I need to invest in sexier pajamas.”
He looks at me over his glasses before taking them off and dropping them on the nightstand. A smile pulls at his lips as he opens his arm so I can cuddle into his side. I lay my head on his shoulder and curl my legs up so that my leg is resting on the side of his.
Kissing the top of my head, he says, “Lucky for you, I already know what’s underneath, so I don’t really care what you wear to bed. As long as I can take it off.”
Laughing, I slide my arm across his stomach. “Anytime you want.”
The arm around my shoulder shifts, and he squeezes my thigh. “I love the sound of that.” His cheek presses into the top of my head. “So, I was thinking…”
My stomach dips and my heart thuds. I ask, as casually as possible, “Oh yeah? What about?”
“I think we should go away this weekend. To the mountains.”
With a hand on his chest, I push up so I can look at him. This wasn’t at all what I expected him to say, and relief floods my nervous system. “Like to Gatlinburg?”
He nods. “Yeah, I found this huge, gorgeous cabin with a hot tub.”
Nothing has ever sounded better than going away with him, but the events of the last week have me asking, “Is it safe? To be away from Nashville?”
Tucking my damp hair behind my ear, his lips lift in a reassuring smile. “I’ll make sure it is.”
I have no idea how he’s going to do that, but I trust him. Probably more than anyone in my life right now.
“I’d love that. I’ve never been but always wanted to.”
His eyes widen. “You’ve never been to Gatlinburg? I feel like that’s a rite of passage to live in Tennessee. You either do as a kid or soon after you move to the state if you didn’t grow up here. I’m surprised you didn’t get kicked out of the state by now.”
I know he’s teasing, but it makes me sad. It’s an unintended reminder of how shitty my life was. And still is, to a certain extent.
I lay my head back down on his shoulder. “Blake and I didn’t really go on vacations. He’d take trips on his own, and I never wanted to have to explain to him where I was. So, besides a few work conferences over the years, I haven’t traveled much.”
He heaves a grunted breath and hugs me tight, kissing my head again. “Well, it might be a short one, but your first vacation starts tomorrow. Do you think you can take Monday off work?”
Excitement feels foreign to me, but I don’t hate it. “I should be able to.”
“Good. I booked it through Monday, just in case.”
We relax for a few minutes before I say, “I have a few ideas of what Blake’s passwords could be. Do you want to see if we can get in?”
Chris’s muscles tense under me, then he sighs, “Yes, I think we should.”
I sit up and reach over to my nightstand, grabbing the laptop from where I left it when I moved all my things to Chris’s room. Sitting cross-legged, I balance the computer on my lap and turn it on.
“Okay, I’m a little nervous to try too many. I don’t want to lock us out...” I mutter as I type in my first guess.
Password Incorrect.
I tap my finger on the corner of the laptop, deciding which one I want to try next. Lips pursed, I type it in.
Password Incorrect.
Looking over at Chris, who smiles at me and rubs my back, I relax slightly. “I have faith in you, baby.”
Huffing out a laugh, I focus back on the computer screen. “I made a short list earlier today. Based on the few passwords he did share with me, I doubt Blake followed the complicated password suggestions. If this one doesn’t work, I’ll try to think of some more.”
I enter it and wait.
Gasping, I grip Chris’s thigh. “Oh my god, it worked.”
Chris hugs me to him and presses a kiss to my temple. “I knew you could do it. What was it?”
I beam up at him. “Blake with a capital B and his birthday.”
Chris rolls his eyes, and the laughter I can’t suppress feels refreshing. That’s one thing I know—being with Chris helps my soul feel lighter, even as the rest of the world tries to weigh me down.
The next morning, we pack in a rush so we can leave as early as possible since it’s an almost four-hour drive. Not that I have a lot to pack, but my over-packing a few days earlier paid off.
I’m finishing my cup of coffee when Chris comes back into the condo from outside, where he was loading the last of our things into his car. He stalks over to me with a smirk. When he reaches me, his hands grip the sides of my neck, and his thumbs gently press on my jaw to raise my head.
“You look so fucking sexy.” His deep voice goes straight between my legs, as if we didn’t have sex last night and this morning.
My cheeks heat at the desire burning in his eyes. I try to glance down at myself, but his grip prevents it. “It’s just an old sweater and jeans.”
He smirks. “Doesn’t matter. I told you last night, I don’t care what you’re wearing.”
I push up on my tiptoes and kiss him. Before I can pull away, he tightens his grip and deepens the kiss. Our lips glide against each other in perfect synchronicity. As his tongue teases mine, my body sways closer, as if being lured into his.
When he pulls back, we’re both breathless. His thumb swipes the moisture from my bottom lip. “You ready to go? I cannot wait to be locked in a cabin in the mountains with you for the next couple of days.”
My inhale is shaky with arousal, but I manage a nod and a weak, “I’m ready.” I glance back at the couch. “I feel bad that Hank will be here by himself.”
Chris scoffs. “Please. He’ll be living his best life, sleeping undisturbed anywhere he wants. Besides, Mandi’s going to stop in tomorrow just to check on him.”
I sigh. “That’s true. He’ll love the long naps, so he probably won’t even miss us.”
He swats my ass, causing a giggle to pop from my mouth. My hand flies to my lips in embarrassment. I haven’t giggled like that in maybe forever. Blake would’ve absolutely made fun of me for that if he were still here.
Chris just smirks and intertwines our fingers, dragging me behind him as we make our way to his car. Despite everything going on around us, I also can’t wait to be alone with him for a few days.
Once we’re on the interstate, I stare out the window, watching the city disappear, allowing my stress and fears to do the same.
Even if I don’t miss the way Chris’s eyes keep darting to the rearview mirror or how we’ve gotten off the interstate, driven around on side streets for a little bit before getting back on.
I’m leaning into trusting Chris, and that’s what I’m choosing to cling to as we fly down the open road toward a weekend of relaxation.
Chris reaches over and captures my hand. He pulls it toward him and places a kiss on the back of it, his eyes never leaving the road. He rests our conjoined hands on his thigh and asks, “Were you able to get off work on Monday?”
I squeeze his hand. “Yep, I texted my boss and let her know I needed to take it off so I could get out of the city on a little mental health trip. She told me to take more than just Monday if I needed to.”
He throws a wide grin at me before looking back at the road. “Don’t tempt me, because I’d be more than happy to keep you locked away and have you all to myself.”
I bite my bottom lip, and butterflies take off in my stomach.
“Tell me about how you got your job. I know you told me a little bit, but I’m curious.”
His question sounds so genuine, and it’s still so unnerving in the best way possible that he’d even want to know about me. About my life.
“Uh, sure. Okay, well, I told you about how I first started there as an administrative assistant.”
He nods.
“I worked for a woman named Cheryl. She was the president for a very long time. That was her position when I first started. She was one of the two founders of our firm. And she’s truly the best at what she does.
” I smile when I think about the relationship I formed with Cheryl.
“After about a year, Cheryl saw how hard I worked and took me under her wing. Honestly, at first, I didn’t even know she was doing it.
She just started giving me more and more responsibility, teaching and guiding me along the way until, finally, she sat me down and told me I’d outgrown my role.
I was so scared. I thought she was firing me, and I was devastated.
My job was the only good thing I had to look forward to every day.
But she didn’t fire me; she promoted me. ”
Chris kisses my hand again, recognizing the emotion that’s crept into my voice.
“Cheryl was one of the best things that ever happened to me. I’ll forever be grateful for what she’s done for me.”
“What does she do now?”
I laugh. “Whatever she wants. She’s half-retired. She’s still technically my boss. But she only works a few days a month while enjoying the hell out of her retirement the rest.”
“She sounds like an amazing woman. And I’m so happy you had her.”
I smile and stare at his profile for a moment. “She would like you, I think.”
Returning my smile, he glances in my direction. “Oh yeah?”
Nodding, I say, “Maybe you can meet her soon when we’re back in town.”
“I’d love that, baby.”
My heart and core warm at the affection in his voice. Maybe I’m wrong, and Cheryl wasn’t the best thing that ever happened to me.
Maybe it’s a tie.