Page 36 of Trick
It took us a few minutes to settle on Thai food, and after I placed the order I found Lauren sitting on the couch, holding Elvis and looking a little lost.
“Do you really think that email was a legitimate threat?” Her voice, normally vibrant and slightly husky, was soft now, almost timid, and it made me want to nut punch the person responsible for it.
“I’m not willing to take the chance.”
She took a deep, shuddering breath, then nuzzled the cat once before he wriggled out of her arms and ran out of the room.
“You have quite the protective streak, don’t you?”
I shrugged and nodded. “When it comes to women and kids, definitely.” I hesitated for a second, before adding, “My dadused to beat on my mom, and then he started in on me. As soon as I was big enough, I stopped him. There’s no way I’m gonna stand by and let it happen now.”
She looked shocked by my revelation. Hell, I was shocked at myself for mentioning it. I didn’t talk about that part of my childhood with anybody. Ever.
“I’m so sorry you had to go through that. I hope things got better for you and your mom after that.” Her voice was soft and tinged with sadness.
I nodded, and she must have sensed that I didn’t want to talk about it further.
She was quiet while we ate, answering my questions about her food likes and dislikes, but offering up nothing else in the way of conversation. Her mind seemed a million miles away.
When we finished, she showed me the guest room.
“I’m going to have a long soak in a bubble bath and try to relax before I go to bed. The TV remote is in the tray on the coffee table,” she gestured back toward the living room. “Feel free to stay up as long as you want.”
“Are you OK, darlin’?” I asked, and when she hesitated, I pulled her into my arms for a hug. She looked like she could use one. A moment later, she wrapped her arms around my waist and rested her head on my shoulder. I pressed a gentle kiss on her temple, enjoying the feel of holding her close.
She took a deep, shuddering breath, and then eased out of my embrace.
“Yeah, I’ll be all right. G’night, Trick…and thanks again. I know I was a pain in the ass about it earlier, but I really do appreciate everything you guys have done for me.”
With that, she went into her bedroom and closed the door. I was surprised, but damned happy when I didn’t hear it lock behind her. Maybe she was starting to trust me after all.
I returned to the living room and watched the last half of a movie I’d seen a dozen times before. When that ended, I scrolled on my phone for a while before resigning myself to a night spent trying to sleep on the tiny mattress, the size of which I’d outgrown by the time I’d turned fourteen.
I tossed and turned, trying and failing to get comfortable. I was worried about leaving Lauren alone, even once Brick got the system updated tomorrow. Hopefully, once Bull dug into her douchebag ex and that Dustin asshole she’d dated, we’d be able to have a little chat with the guilty party. And bywe, I meant me and my trusty Louisville slugger.
With that decision made, my mind drifted to other things. More pleasurable things, like what Lauren would look like in a bubble bath.
Sometime after midnight, I finally fell asleep to the thought of a wet, naked, luscious Lauren, lounging in the bathtub, and all the ways I could dirty her up.
When I woke up the next morning, I didn’t know what ached the most, my hard dick or my back, which had been contorted into an unnatural position for most of the night.
Either way, it was going to be a long fucking day.
I groaned as I got out of bed and stretched, hoping like hell that a hot shower would help ease at least one of my aches.
Chapter 12
Lauren
I woke to the sound of water being turned on in the shower. Startled into alertness, I raised my head from my pillow, then flopped back down with a groan as I remembered the events from last night.
Beau…the email threat…Trick.
Trick, who was in my shower right now.
Naked, with hot, steamy water streaming down over every inch of his bare skin, muscles rippling as he –
My disturbingly vivid fantasy was disrupted by the most off-key singing I’d ever had the misfortune to hear.
