Chapter 14
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
WRENLEY
B utterflies swarmed inside me when I entered my bedroom that night and found Torch sitting on the edge of my bed in jeans and a tee with bare feet. His club vest was on a hanger over the closet.
Slowly, I closed the door and watched him wipe his hands on his thighs as he stood. He seemed anxious about something, which had the butterflies dying inside.
“Everything okay?” I asked.
He nodded, then turned to the side and picked my hairbrush off the bedside table before staring, with a pinched brow, to the floor. “Can… would you let me brush your hair?” His jaw ticked as he ground his teeth together while red hit his cheeks.
Swoosh went my belly.
Meanwhile, my mind screamed, Yes! Instead of shouting, though, I calmly replied, “I’d like that.”
His body relaxed, shoulders dropping as he breathed out deeply, and his hands loosened. He nodded once again.
“Um, how about you sit on the bed, and I can sit on the floor?—”
“Beside me. On the bed. You don’t sit on the floor.”
My heart stumbled.
“Okay,” I said and made my way over. “What about if you lean against the headboard and I, um, well, I sit between your legs? If that’s okay with you? If not, you tell me where you want me, and I’ll do it.”
The temperature in the room shot up. I felt the need to fan my face, but I didn’t since Torch watched me… until he moved onto the bed to sit where I’d suggested.
My pulse raced, and I worried my heart was about to thump its way up into my throat and choke me.
In a matter of seconds, I would be sitting close to Torch.
Stop thinking, stop thinking, stop thinking.
If I kept going along with those thoughts, I’d melt into a puddle of goo from swooning like a fangirl.
When Torch got situated with wide legs on the bed, I swallowed and crawled over the mattress to between his long limbs. I made sure I didn’t touch him anywhere in case he didn’t like it. He spread his legs more to accommodate my hips.
“Good?” he asked.
I tucked my hands on my lap and hummed under my breath. My eyes closed when I felt his hand slowly glide from the top of my scalp down to the ends before he gently started to pull the bristles of the brush through my strands.
When there was a knot, he’d curse quietly before he picked up my hair to hold it above the tangle while he worked out the matted part.
My sister used to brush my hair when we were younger. I’d always loved it. I even enjoyed brushing my own, but having Torch work on it felt different… intimate.
With my eyes still closed, I bit my bottom lip when his legs tightened at my sides. They rested along the outside of my thighs, warming me.
I would have given anything to rest against his chest. To have felt more of his body warming mine.
But I wouldn’t risk scaring him away. Not when he’d been nervous about asking in the first place. An innocent act had his cheeks burning, which told me it meant a lot to him.
My stomach swooped low again and rolled pleasantly.
Had Torch been this sweet to his other women?
Opening my eyes, I scraped my top teeth over my bottom lip and scrunched up my nose at the horrible thought of Torch doing this for someone else. “Torch?”
He grunted and said no more as his hands worked on my waves.
I opened my mouth and closed it again, suddenly unsure about my question.
“Wrenley?”
“Um, have you done this for… say, um, any of the women at the club?”
“No.”
A happy flush rose to my cheeks as I smiled.
No.
He hadn’t ever asked another to brush their hair.
Dear God.
Knowing made me want to dance around the room, but I was enjoying my locks being brushed too much. I also didn’t want to make a fool of myself in front of Torch. Even though it would show him how happy it had made me.
“Okay,” I replied, since I felt like I needed to. “Torch?”
He paused, and his chest pressed into my back, causing me to shiver, before I felt his warm breath run over my ear. “Right here.”
Goose bumps rose.
Laughing lightly, I nodded. “I know.” He pulled away, which had me pouting, but it was washed away when he went back to brushing. “I was thinking that maybe one day we could go see that new action movie. But only if you like going to the movies.”
His hands stalled for a beat before he continued. “We can do that.”
“Great,” I chirped. “Harley will be fine here in the house or the backyard. It’ll only be for a few hours, so he shouldn’t get too grumpy with us gone that long. Not like he did with you for being away for so long.” Harley had ignored Torch for a while when we’d gotten to the backyard to pick him up from the compound a couple of weeks ago. He’d given me all the attention and turned his nose up at Torch. Though, it didn’t last long. It was obvious Harley adored his owner.
Torch grunted. “He’ll be fine.”
He would. Harley had settled well here. When he first arrived, I’d wanted him in my room, but Torch had said he needed his space because he farted a lot. I’d lost it to laughter when he’d told me, and when I’d calmed down, it was to Torch watching me with a slight smile.
I jolted when Torch’s phone rang. His hand settled on my shoulder while he placed the brush on the bed and reached for his phone that had been sitting on my bedside table.
“What?” he answered. “Damn.… That sucks, but I get it.… Can I bring her with me? … Yeah. Thanks, brother.” He hung up and ran his hand down my arm as he explained, “Gotta head to the security office and take a shift. The brothers Death would usually call in either have somethin’ going on or are sick.”
I scooted off the bed. “No problem.” I stood and clasped my hands behind me. He did ask if I could go. I didn’t make that up in my mind. But he hadn’t told me I was going yet. “Are Death and Raya coming back here?” I asked.
“They’ve still got his family over. You and me will go into the office. There’s a couch in the screen room you can sleep on. We’ll take Harley.”
“Got it.” I went over to my closet and handed Torch his vest before I took out an oversized sweater to place it over my tank top. I quickly slipped out of my sleep pants and replaced them with tracksuit ones that were comfortable to rest in.
Turning, I froze when I saw Torch’s widened gaze on me as his chest rose and fell.
Heat hit my cheeks. “Sorry, I-I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I would have changed in the bathroom, but I didn’t think about anything other than hurrying for you to get there and?—”
I slammed my lips closed when he shook his head once and then rolled his knuckles into his temple.
Had I screwed up?
Did seeing me in my underwear really make him uncomfortable?
He scrubbed a hand over his face and looked to the floor. His jaw clenched. “You don’t care I’m in here?”
“In my room or in my room while I change?”
“The second one.”
I smiled softly, not that he would have seen since he still studied the floor. “No, Torch, it doesn’t bother me. I’m comfortable around you.”
He grunted and lifted his gaze to mine. Searching.
One corner of his mouth tipped up slightly. “Okay.” He lifted his chin at me and went to the door, opening it wide.
I had a feeling that what I said meant something to him, because as I walked by him, I let out a small, surprised sound when he gently tugged my hair.
“Can I brush it again some time?”
He could do anything he wanted to me.
I hadn’t been with anyone since what happened, and I’d never felt the need or attraction.
Until him.
Until Torch woke up my body and mind, and now, all I wanted was his attention.
“I’d like that,” I told him a little breathily.
We grabbed Harley from the living room on the way out to Torch’s vehicle. The drive to the office was silent, besides Harley’s loud breathing, but I liked our silent times. Not once did I feel awkward or uncomfortable in his presence.
As corny as it sounded, this was where I wanted to always be.
By his side.
I didn’t care that some might consider it was too soon for me to even think like that. This was my journey, my emotions, and my experience. And my intense attraction—one I felt toward the man in the driver’s seat.
I just hoped Torch didn’t think I was out of my mind for even considering wanting to stay by his side all the time.
At least I had an excuse to have him close by. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do when my problem had been dealt with and Torch wouldn’t stay at my place any longer.
Kidnapping was a bit too far.
Torch had the skills to escape anyway.
Though, maybe by the time this was all done with, Torch would be charmed by me and not want to leave. He’d stay with me in my room, but the only difference would be that he’d sleep in my bed and not on the mattress on the floor.
“Your cheeks are red,” Torch pointed out.
How could he see in the darkened cab of the car?
Darn him and his good eyesight.
I couldn’t exactly tell him they were that way because I’d been thinking of him sleeping in my bed with me.
I fanned my face. “It’s a little warm in here.”
“It’s not.”
Snorting, I nodded. “Okay, it’s not.” The night air had cooled things off. “But that’s all I’m saying about my blush.”
“You were thinkin’ of somethin’?”
I bugged my eyes out and choked on a breath.
“What?” he pressed.
“Nothing.” We pulled into the parking lot for the offices. “Look, we’re here. Let’s go.” I undid my seat belt, grabbed Harley’s leash, and opened my door. Thankfully I’d been saved by arriving at our destination. Until I saw Torch standing at the front of his vehicle with his arms crossed over his chest under the streetlight that lit up the space around us and his stubborn quirk to his brow.
Why did he want to know so badly?
I stepped close, tipped my head back, and asked, “Why do you want to know?”
“So I can understand what’s on your mind when your cheeks go like that.”
He wanted to understand me more.
Dammit.
My face warmed again as I blew out a breath. “You might not want to know,” I warned softly.
“It was bad about me?”
“No! Never,” I said quickly and then groaned. I ducked my head and confessed, “I was thinking that when you stop guarding me that maybe sometimes you could stay in my room still….” I rushed out the last part. “But in my bed.”
A single finger touched under my chin, and I lifted my head to see his was cocked to the side as he studied me and my stupidly overheated self.
“You’d want me in your bed?”
Dammit.
“Yes,” I admitted quietly.
Because over the last few weeks, I’ve been crushing on you badly, and I’d love to date you, kiss you, hug you.
He dropped his hand to tap his fist into his thigh once, twice before he said, “Okay.”
A quiver raced over me.
Torch turned and started toward the back entrance.
Okay?
What did he mean by okay?
I would have asked, but I feared he’d have me confessing my feelings for him, so I shut my trap while Harley and I followed him.
Torch pressed in a code to the keypad that opened the door. He moved aside for Harley and me to enter first. We stepped into the hallway and waited for Torch to shut the door and arm the alarm again. There were lights on already, and I could hear a voice coming from one of the rooms as we approached.
Torch turned into the room on the left. “Chaos.”
A brother I hadn’t met yet stood from one of the chairs that was set up in front of many, many screens with live feeds playing on them.
“Thanks, brother,” Chaos said as he held his gut and glanced at Harley apprehensively.
I wasn’t sure why a lot of Torch’s brothers feared him. Harley was a big softy who loved cuddles.
“You good to get home?” Torch asked.
“Yeah, no problem. My woman should be here shortly.” He noticed me behind Torch. “Miss Wrenley, nice to officially meet’cha. Sorry to drag Torch in here, but I ain’t much of a watcher when I’m spendin’ a lot of the time in the bathroom.”
I winced and waved him off. “It’s okay. I hope you’re feeling better soon.”
He tried for a smile and then slapped a hand over his mouth as he dry-heaved. Torch shifted back, moving to stand in front of me before he shifted us, with a hand to my waist, out of the doorway and danger zone. I made sure to keep Harley close to my side.
“Brother, no offense, but get the fuck outta here. We don’t want your germs,” Torch said, and it didn’t sound jolted or short like he usually was with me.
What made him speak different around me?
I knew he was shorter when he was angry, but that again was even different to how he was around me. When he was in his hunting zone, he was snippier.
With me, he wasn’t curt or sharp, just shorter, as if his nerves got the better of him, and he didn’t know what to say or how to say it, or he worried what I would think when he said something. Like he had in the kitchen about his collection of knives.
Did that mean Torch felt shy around me?
If so, that meant I did mean something to him, right?
Thinning my lips, I bit the insides of them to keep my happiness contained, worrying I read it all wrong.
Still, everything pointed toward Torch liking me.
Oh wow.
He likes me.
He really does.