Chapter 4 #2
“That what?” I squint at her. “That I would wait on you hand and foot?”
She shrugs a shoulder. “No, I just—”
I sigh. “Look. Maybe that’s how it is in your fairy-tale fantasyland, but that’s not how things work in the real world.”
“Sorry,” she whispers. The scarlet in her cheeks is visible even through the pancake makeup, and again I find myself wondering if I went too far.
“It’s just…I can’t sleep without certain things.”
“Well, maybe tonight’s the night you learn how.”
“No. That’s just it. I tried. I really tried.” She’s getting upset, waving her hands in front of her. “But now, with the stalker situation and everything, I get revved up. Like I’m too wide awake.”
I point to her coffee cup. “That right there’s not helping anything.”
“No, the coffee helps me stay awake so I can keep up with my schedule, but then when it’s time to sleep my nerves get worse and worse, until I’m completely exhausted and I still can’t sleep.”
Her bottom lip is trembling. She’s moving into full-on panic mode, and I feel bad for getting her riled up. Who knows—maybe she does have some serious insomnia issues.
“All right, slow down.” I turn my palms out, keeping my voice calm, but she’s still shaking her head.
“It’s just that I haven’t slept in a couple of days now.”
“A couple of days?”
“Yeah, because we had to travel to New York the night before yesterday for the show, and then after the show I hopped straight into the taxi and came here.”
“You took a taxi from New York?”
What the fuck?
“Yes. So I know I need to sleep, but I’m already getting that feeling where it seems like it might not happen, and if I can’t get the things I need, then I know it’ll never happen.”
She brings her arms in tight against her body, balling her hands up into fists. She’s still wearing that ridiculous eye patch, and her one visible eye is squeezed shut.
A tear rolls down her cheek, and it tugs at my heart.
“Hey… It’s OK.” I rest a hand on her thigh before I realize what I’m doing, and she spins toward me, startled.
I raise my hands in apology. “Sorry. My mistake.”
Fuck.
Why did I do that? Was she reminding me of Lexie, maybe? Whatever it was, it was a serious misstep.
“It’s fine.” She waves her palm to dismiss it, then she flips her eye patch up to dab at her tears. The elastic band has left little pink lines crossing her cheek and her forehead. When she opens both eyes, the effect is startling.
She’s gorgeous.
Those green eyes have little gold flecks in them, and her lashes are long and dark. Even with that silly fake birthmark, the pancake makeup, and the frizzy blonde wig framing her face, she’s stunning.
How did I not notice before? Was the eye patch distracting me?
She turns those big green eyes on me, and my heart pounds against my ribs.
I blink to refocus. “OK, I get it. You need some things. We’ll go into town and see what’s there.”
Her shoulders relax a little, and she nods. “Thanks.”
But when she looks away, I let my eyes drift down the neckline of the dress she has on. The tops of her breasts are creamy and smooth.
Fuck. My pants are suddenly tight in the crotch.
I need to get a hold of myself. I’m responsible for her safety, and I can’t do my job if I’m distracted.
Thankfully, she repositions the eye patch and tugs the hair of the wig back around her face. Then she pulls her jacket tight around her, and I’m able to steady myself enough to spin the car around and head to the department store.
When we step inside the place, her head swivels from side to side like she can’t believe her eyes. “I never knew they had all this stuff in Cupid City.”
“It’s a midsize river city, not the North Pole.”
She frowns.
I follow her around as she carefully picks out each of her essential items. We find the earplugs, a sleep mask, and noise-canceling headphones that don’t have the exact attachment method she was hoping for, but she’s willing to give them a try.
Then she heads to women’s clothing and quickly picks out a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt.
“Don’t you need to try the jeans on?” Not that I want to be here all day, but I know women have a hard time finding jeans that fit.
“No, these are fine.” She locates a pair of white tennies in her size, then snags a pack of socks.
It seems she didn’t just miss a few things on her way out the door. This girl took off in a real hurry. I’d be willing to bet the only things she brought were her phone and that damned disguise. Which—to be honest—is proving pretty useful.
For all the people here shopping, not one of them has paid her any attention outside of gawking at her silly costume.
She got one thing right. I’ll give her that.
Also, something about the fact that she’s comfortable walking around in that crazy outfit makes me smile.
She’s not caught up in her own appearance the way most celebrities are.
In fact, she seems less caught up in her appearance than the average person anywhere.
I have to admit, it’s endearing. Maybe even admirable.
On the way to the register, she ducks into ladies’ lingerie to grab a pack of lacy panties.
“Forgot these too,” she mumbles sheepishly, but now all I can think about is her round ass in a pair of those tiny panties. I have to look away to get my bearings.
“Wait.” She goes back to pull a strappy satin nightgown off the rack.
Fuck.
Not gonna think about her wearing that tonight.
We go through checkout and she pays in cash, but as we leave the register, she bolts ahead of me.
All of my muscles tense as I spin to identify the threat and attempt to shield her with my body.
But then I hear her call out, “Ma’am! You dropped something,” and I turn to see her scooping a credit card from the ground.
An older woman in a fuzzy purple coat thanks her.
“Stay close to me,” I remind her.
“Right, sorry. I didn’t want her to leave without it.”
I can’t help but grin. “I get it.”
Maybe I’ve misjudged her.
I scan the parking lot as we leave the store, and a tall, thin man with gray hair catches my attention. He’s standing under a tree at the edge of the lot, but he keeps glancing in our direction. It’s making me nervous.
“Hold on.” I take Harper’s arm gently.
“Why? What is it?”
I bring her in closer as we pause, but the man turns away, striding down the sidewalk at an easy pace. I relax my grip, trying to ignore the warm sensation spreading up my arm from touching her this way. “It’s fine. I thought I saw someone acting suspicious, but he’s walking away.”
Still. Something about him made me uneasy, but maybe my nerves are still jangled from the scare.
“Thanks.” She shoots me a smile so genuine it gives me goose bumps. There’s an easiness about her. A warmth that’s working its way into my heart, whether I like it or not.
I’m still holding her arm, and there’s a small part of me that doesn’t want to let go. Maybe a not-so-small part of me, but getting a boner every time she’s within three feet isn’t going to keep her safe.
I relinquish her arm, and she steps ahead as we reach the car. I watch her hips sway in that silly dress and realize it doesn’t feel like a burden anymore. Protecting her.