Chapter 16
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
WRENLEY
I ’d expected Torch to fall into bed and sleep the day away when we got home from the security office. I was exhausted for him.
Instead, he said, “Want to see that movie?”
I closed my gaping mouth and asked, “Aren’t you ready to fall asleep?”
Death scoffed from the living room since we’d only just entered. “The brother is like a vampire. He never sleeps.”
With a glare at Death, Torch defended, “When I want to.” His hand slid into mine, and my heart skipped a beat at his easy touch. He’d been doing it all night, and I loved how my body reacted to his skin against mine. When he tugged me closer, I looked up at him. But I didn’t miss the wide eyes gazing from the living room.
“Breakfast, play with Harley, and movie?”
I squeezed his palm in mine. “I would love that.”
Even with his stoic expression, as his eyes searched my face, I knew that hidden beneath was so much more. He cared for me deeply. So, I let him stare and think. I didn’t mind it one bit. In fact, it made me want to hug him and hold on tight. It was as if he just wanted to watch me because he couldn’t believe I stood in front of him.
I’d never felt special before. Not in the way Torch made me feel, and I knew my feelings would grow and grow for this man.
“Okay,” he said after a while. He glanced to Death and Raya. “You want food?”
“Ah, nah, brother. We’re good.”
“Thanks anyway,” Raya added with a smile.
Torch grunted and led me into the kitchen with Harley at my side, who had slept on the floor all night in front of the couch I’d been on at the offices. Torch let Harley out back to do his business, and since it was raining, I waited by the door to open it again for him. Harley went crazy when he trotted inside, like he hadn’t been with us all night, by wiggling his butt side to side in excitement as he rubbed his head into our legs. Torch had taught him not to jump up on people, which was good because he was a big boy.
I could feel Torch’s warm gaze, and I looked up from patting Harley to find him leaning against the counter watching me.
“I’ll cook,” he said.
Nodding, I stroked my hands over Harley some more and cooed at him while Torch started on breakfast. He was making it easy for me to fall for him. I couldn’t believe I’d read his “no” wrong at the office or how hard the word had crushed me when I’d thought he didn’t want to kiss me. It’d been like a vise had squeezed all the air out of my lungs.
But then he’d quickly straightened out my confusion.
Biting my bottom lip, I pressed my forehead into Harley as I remembered his words.
Not just a kiss. It’s ours. My first. And somethin’ fuckin’ special.
The kiss had been his first.
And for a first kiss, it’d blown my mind and nearly my panties.
A tingle filled me. I already looked forward to kissing him again. As well as more. At his pace, though. I wouldn’t rush this.
With a final pat to Harley’s head, I stood and went to the sink to wash my hands. The scent of bacon nearly made me drool. “Need help with anything?” I asked.
He ordered Harley to his bed in the living room before answering me with a curt, “No.” His jaw clenched. “Thanks.” Maybe his nerves were eating at him again and he didn’t know what to say or was just shy around me. Whatever it was, I didn’t mind if I got long, short, or medium responses from him.
As long as I had him here, that was all that mattered.
We could sit in silence, and I’d still be happy because he wanted to be here with me.
I admired him as he moved around the kitchen and then stood at the stove. While Dusty did most of the cooking at the compound and the brothers were grateful for it, I wondered who did it before Dusty got there.
“Who cooked at the compound before Dusty?” I asked.
“We took turns.”
That explained why he easily moved around a kitchen. Not that any man couldn’t, but there were a lot of men and women who didn’t even know how to boil an egg.
“What things did you make?”
His lips twitched. But he also reached up with his free hand and pressed a couple of fingers into his temple. He cleared his throat. “Easy things. A lot of pasta dishes. Brothers would eat anythin’, though.”
Laughing, I nodded. “I can believe that. It must be nice to have Dusty there now.”
He shrugged. “She’s good for Country. Doesn’t matter if she cooked or not. We’d manage.”
Gah, he’s too darn sweet, and he doesn’t even realize it.
“But,” he added, “her fried chicken and potato salad is pretty good. I’d stab a brother if they got in my way of it.” He froze for a moment, until I started laughing, and he looked my way before relaxing.
We were still getting to know each other. But he’d soon learn that I knew when he was messing around with things like that.
With a nervous flutter to my belly, I walked up behind him and rested my hand to his shoulder while leaning into him a little.
“Smells good.”
He hummed, and I could feel his chest rising and falling faster than normal.
Did my touch unsettle him?
No, I wouldn’t believe it did, not after that kiss and those touches.
He cleared his throat. “I….” His jaw clenched, and he tapped his knuckles against his temple again.
“What?” I asked softly, sliding my hand down to his waist.
His nostrils flared, and something flashed in his eyes. He shook his head and took a harsh breath before clearing his throat again. “I like doin’ things for you.” He went back to grinding his teeth together like he felt he was a fool for admitting that.
“Thank you for telling me. I like it when you do things for me. Like brushing my hair. You were gentle with it. Not like when Raya used to do it. She’d yank at the knots, and we’d end up in a yelling match.”
His body had relaxed under my hand and words.
“I like doing things for you, too, Torch.”
He nodded, and I thinned my lips to hide my big smile when I saw pink on his cheeks.
“Food’s ready,” he said.
I moved back to get the knives and forks since he’d already set up the plates. When he placed them on the table, I passed him his utensils while staring wide-eyed down at my portion. There was a lot of it. More than what was on Torch’s plate.
“Um, I’m not sure I can eat all of it.”
He shrugged, gently pushing my plate closer to me. “Eat what you can. I’ll take the rest.”
A soothing sensation swept through me.
Just another gesture that made me fall for him.
“Okay,” I said, picking up my fork and starting on the meal with a smile.
Later, I’d have to thank Death for suggesting I saw the dog at the compound that night. If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have gotten to meet Torch.
I was glad he’d been there that night too.
I couldn’t stop looking at our joined hands as we walked into the movie theater. Sneakily, Torch had already bought the tickets online, and I would have paid for the food, but we’d agreed in the car on the way there that we were still full of breakfast.
I’d make it up to him somehow. Not that I felt I had to, but I wanted to.
Things were growing between us, and I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face thinking about where we were going from here. We were stepping into couple territory—not that we’d put a label on it. Our relationship was evolving. I doubted Torch would just casually touch someone he didn’t want to be with. He didn’t seem the type to play around.
Not when I’d been his first kiss.
Had he had sex before?
Heat hit my cheeks, and he happened to glance over as we made our way down the aisle to find some seats.
My belly swooped when he stopped, turned to me, and swiped his fingers over my cheek.
“You don’t want to know,” I told him before he could press. I quickly added, “ Maybe later, in private.”
“You’re blocking the way,” some guy said from behind me.
Torch looked over my shoulder and stared.
It was cold. Maybe even cruel.
But it didn’t affect me like it did the guy who said, “No problem. We’ll wait.”
Torch placed his attention back on me, and the corner of his mouth tipped up as his chin did. We took our seats and settled in to watch with our hands clasped together, resting on his thigh.
When the lights went down, though, he tensed. I released his hand and moved the armrest between us to hug his arm with both of mine as I rested my cheek against his shoulder.
Tension slowly left his body, and his hand slid onto my thigh to squeeze once before leaving it there.
I loved knowing I could help him. That I could sense his tension and calm it.
Rubbing my cheek to his shoulder, I relaxed, and we watched the movie quietly together.
When the credits started to roll, I straightened and stretched.
Facing Torch, I asked, “What did you think?”
He rolled his eyes. “Entertainin’ enough.”
I grinned. “A little over the top?”
He snorted. “Never known a human to knock a person’s head clear off with a kick.”
Laughing, I stood. “True. But does that mean you know of a nonhuman to knock someone’s head off?” Reaching out, I wiggled my fingers.
He stared at them for a beat, then stood and took my hand. “No monsters.” He frowned.
Was he thinking he was one because of what he did and had been through?
His jaw clenched, and he pressed a couple of knuckles into his temple.
I squished myself up against his chest and wound my arms around his waist. When I had his focus, I told him, “I don’t know any monsters either.”
His fingers grazed over my cheek. “Too sweet, soft, and gentle,” he murmured, and I thought it was more to himself than me. He took my hand in his, and my heart skipped a beat when he lifted it to kiss my digits.
This man was going to cause me to be a wired mess of sickly sweet emotions. Like Saint and Gun were. Exactly what I’d wished for.
Torch led us out of the theater and into the bustling streets. I glanced down the road, thinking we could get something to eat, but froze as a flash of fear prickled my skin.
Is that…?
I blinked.
And who I thought I saw was gone.
Torch crowded me, glancing left and right while he backed me into a wall.
I was okay. Mitch wasn’t there.
Torch was here. He’d take care of everything.
But I didn’t see who I thought I had. Mitch wasn’t there.
He wasn’t.
“What’s wrong? What did you see?”
I shook my head, dragging my gaze from down the street to him. “No one.”
“Wrenley—”
Placing my hands to his waist, I tried for a smile, but it wobbled. “I thought I saw one of his friends, but I was imagining it. They wouldn’t be in this area. They have no reason to be, and when I looked again, no one was there.”
I overreacted. Disappointment tightened my belly.
Torch’s jaw clenched as he turned to stare the way I had. He didn’t move until he’d scanned everyone. Not that he’d know who to look for, unless he was trying to spot anyone suspicious. My shoulders dropped. I hated that I’d put him on edge after such a great morning.
“We’re going,” he said, curling an arm around my shoulders and leading us toward his vehicle.
“I’m sorry to spoil the day.”
He brushed his nose against my temple. “You didn’t. I just don’t want to risk anythin’ when it comes to you.”
It was official, and I didn’t care if it was too soon.
I was in love with Torch.
Completely. Totally. Utterly.
He ushered me into the car, reached over me to click in my seat belt, and shut my door. Even went as far as to lock the car until he was at the driver’s side door to unlock it and get in. All while his eyes flicked around us.
He started the car and pulled out with his hands strangling the wheel and his eyes darting everywhere.
Thinning my lips, I clasped my hands together tightly.
He was stressing because of me. Unease pressed at my chest, knowing I’d set him off. But a part of me was eased knowing that Torch had it all under control.
Except, he possibly wasn’t that controlled on the inside.
His thoughts were probably wreaking havoc, and I’d caused that reaction.
Dammit.
Should I reach out like I had at the movies to take his mind away from those thoughts, or would he not want me distracting him while he scanned around us, looking for a threat?
Biting my bottom lip, I ran my hands up and down my thighs with indecision as I kept my worried gaze on Torch.
As if feeling me watching him, he didn’t look my way, but he picked up my hand and kissed my fingers once again before placing my hand to his thigh and patting it there.
“I’m okay,” he said.
He knew I was worried about him.
He knew and made sure to tell me.
Even if his being okay was only partly true, I appreciated his attention and reassurance. I squeezed his thigh but kept quiet while he did what he had to.
We’d work each other out one day.