Page 39 of Keeping Laryn
He turned on the cold water and splashed some onto his face. Surprisingly, that made him feel much better. The water was a shock to his system, but it also seemed to bring some clarity. Laryn was right, he needed to shower. Clear his head. Find out why he was so groggy and out of sorts.
As he brushed his teeth, he thought over what he remembered of the previous day. The flight trials, the feeling of triumph. The congratulations from his friends, Laryn standing in the background looking proud of her work…as well she should be. Of asking Laryn to celebrate with them at Anchor Point. He recalled her being uneasy about wearing her coveralls into the bar and watching her strip them off. As far as he was concerned, that was the sexiest strip tease he’d ever been witness to…and Laryn hadn’t even been trying to seduce him. Yet, she’d done it all the same.
But everything after that, until he’d woken up this morning, was a blank. He didn’t remember if they’d met up with his friends or what had gone on in the bar. Hell, he didn’t remember how he’d gotten back to Laryn’s apartment. He hoped like hell he hadn’t driven. But as soon as he had the thought, he dismissed it. Laryn wouldn’t let him drive if he was impaired. Though, he couldn’t imagine drinking so much that he’d had such an extreme blackout. He liked the occasional beer and shot, but he wasn’t the kind of man to drink to excess.
So what thehellhappened?
Spitting out a mouthful of toothpaste and froth, he leaned down and picked up his wrinkled-beyond-belief flight suit and hung it on the towel rack next to the shower. He turned on the water, then used the toilet while he waited for it to heat.
He was forced to use Laryn’s shampoo, as well as her shower gel—which he saw was called Sugar Cookie—and he smiled at the thought of smelling like her. Some men would be turned off by that, but not Casper. He was secure in his masculinity. And besides, who didn’t like cookies? There were worse things he could smell like.Hadsmelled like.
By the time he stepped out of the shower, he felt a hundred percent better. More stable. But now he needed answers. Answers only Laryn could provide. He pulled his underwear back on and zipped up his flight suit—wishing he had a pair ofcomfy jeans and a T-shirt right about now—then hung up the towel he’d used and opened the bathroom door.
Laryn stood in her kitchen and sipped the cup of coffee she’d poured herself. She’d changed into a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. Not because she was cold, but because she felt as if she needed to put on some armor. Last night had been…well, frankly it had been a dream come true. Sleeping in Tate’s arms had satisfied a long-held dream she’d had since she’d started working with him, as well as fulfilling an innate desire to be needed.
And there was no denying that Tate had needed her last night. Every time she woke up and tried to scoot out from under him, he’d gotten extremely agitated. He only calmed when she continued to let him hold her. At one point, he’d rolled Laryn onto her side—effortless for him, even in his sleep—and then curled against her backside, spooning her, and nothing had felt more right.
But now in the light of morning, she was going to have to tell him that he’d been roofied. She’d have to explain everything she’d done, and hope like hell he wouldn’t be upset with her for not calling one of his friends, or hell, even the cops.
In hindsight, she felt so stupid. It was likely the drugs wouldn’t be in his system anymore, so there wouldn’t be proof of her story. Even his friends hadn’t seen him so out of it he could barely stand. Basically, it was her word against Barb’s. For all anyone else knew,shewas the one who’d drugged him.
They could’ve driven to her place because he’d insisted on staying with her until Altan was investigated. Then Laryn could have slipped the drug into a drink when they got back to her apartment. She had no proof at all that Barb had roofied him, other than her instincts and how disoriented he’d been after that shot.
She’d messed up. Big time. She was disappointed in herself. She hadn’t been thinking clearly, had only wanted to get him away from Barb and back to her apartment, where she knew he’d be safe. But her actions meant that he wouldn’t be able to prosecute, and Barb would get away with what she’d done.
She’d worked herself into a ball of anxiety by the time Tate sauntered into her living room. Other than being a bit wrinkled, he looked a thousand times better. More like the man and expert pilot she’d gotten to know over the years.
Which was a relief—and also a letdown. She kind of liked the vulnerable man he’d been with her last night and this morning.
After handing him a steaming cup of coffee, she blurted, “I’m sorry.”
He froze with his cup halfway to his lips, then leaned against the counter opposite where she was standing in the kitchen and took a sip of the hot brew. “This is amazingly good. Much better than the crap they have at the hangar.”
He wasn’t wrong, but Laryn wasn’t in the mood to beat around the bush. “Last night, Barb put something in your shot. I didn’t see her do it, but she was watching you way too closely and seemed extremely satisfied after you drank it. You started acting out of it, and when we went to the car, Barb was there, offering to take you home since you were so ‘drunk.’ But youweren’tdrunk. I saw what you had last night, and it wasn’t nearly enough to make you as incoherent as you were. I know the signs of someone being roofied, and my dad pounded into my head never to drink anything that I didn’t see poured myself.
“I told Barb to fuck off, and then you passed out on the way to my apartment. I got you inside to the bed, and you were pretty much out of it. I didn’t undress you. You did that yourself. I swear, I didn’t touch you or do anything inappropriate. I wasn’t going to sleep in the bed with you but in your dazed state, you kind of knocked me over. You didn’t hurt me,” she rushed to assure him, when he seemed appalled, “but I was basicallytrapped under you, and I was tired from the trials and the stress of worrying about them, and you and Pyro, and I just fell asleep. Nothing happened, Tate. Iswear.”
She was breathing hard by the time she was done. Relieved to get the bulk of the explanation over with. He was sure to have questions, but those would be easier to answer than trying to explain why he’d woken up practically naked in her bed.
Peering up at Tate, she noted he didn’t seem agitated or upset, which was a relief. In fact, he was still leaning against the counter separating her kitchen and living room, drinking his coffee.
“And which part of all that are you apologizing for?” he asked calmly, when she was done word vomiting.
“Well…for not calling one of your friends for help. Not calling the cops. Not beating the shit out of Barb and making her admit to what she did,” Laryn said with a miserable shrug.
Tate set the mug of coffee on the counter, then he pushed off and walked around it, stepping into her personal space. He put his hands on either side of her neck, his thumbs resting on her lower jaw, and tilted her head up even more, so she had no choice but to look him in the eyes.
“Do I look like the kind of man who normally needs taking care of?”
Laryn swallowed hard. She couldn’t read him. Had no idea if he was pissed off at her or what he was getting at with his question. She shook her head as well as she could with Tate’s hands holding her still.
“Right. Ever since my mom left when I was four, I’ve been pretty independent. My dad brought Nate and I up to think for ourselves. We had chores to do around the house when we were five. I was making my own lunches at seven. I had my first job at fourteen, so I could contribute to the household expenses. When I joined the Army, I was the first one up in the morningsand I always made it a point to help the privates who were struggling.
“When I woke up this morning, I panicked. I had no idea where I was and had no memory of what had happened. Then I turned my head and sawyou…and I relaxed. Well,afterI fell on my ass. When I had a second to think, I had no doubt that I was safe because you were there. Am I pissed about being drugged? Fuck yes! Am I upset about how you handled it? No. Not even a little.”
“I should’ve called the police.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. You made the decisions you did and I’m here. Safe. Thanks to you.”
