Page 8 of Going Down Hard
“Huh?” She gave herself a mental slap and smiled. “Sorry. Yes. Everything is fine. Well no, not fine, but…bloody hell.” She blew out a breath and Stone’s mouth curved up on one side, the dimple sinking deep, making her stomach flutter.
“What did Ford say?” he asked.
“That I should do whatever you tell me to do so you can keep me safe.”
The other side of his mouth curled up. Dimple times two andbam, there was that fluttery sensation again. “And will you? Do whatever I say?”
She eyed him warily. There was something in his smile—the twinkle in his eyes—that made her think he didn’t believe she would…and might enjoy it if she didn’t. An unexpected sexual jolt shot through her at the thought of him demanding her obedience.
Pushing her wayward thoughts aside, she concentrated on the more important aspect of his appearance and asked, “Can you keep him away?”
Stone’s expression turned serious as he took a step closer. Heat rolled off his body and brushed her bare arms. He leaned in and warm air fanned over her face, sending a shiver down her spine and a wave of goose bumps from her head to her toes.
“He’ll have to go through me to get to you.”
She believed him. Except…
“He got inside my house.” The words were little more than a whisper as they slipped past her suddenly trembling lips, and she swallowed, her throat constricting with the flash of fear that burst through her.
“I know.”
Her vision blurred. “He was at the hotel in LA.” Her nose tingled.Bloody hell. She wouldn’t cry. She hadn’t yet. She’d be damned if she let the emotion spill out now.
“I promise you. He won’t get past me.”
Had he moved closer?
“Okay.” She blinked rapidly, though the action didn’t stop a tear from escaping to slide down her cheek.
“Sophie.” Stone reached out and cupped her face, his thumb sweeping the wetness from her skin. “I promise. I’ll keep you safe.”
“I don’t understand why this is happening.” The fierce determination that had held her together for the last few days cracked. “W-what did I do?”
Stone pulled her into his arms and held her against his chest, her face tucked beneath his chin. “You didn’t do anything. This guy is sick and if he hadn’t picked you, he would have found someone else to fixate on.”
“I—” A sob broke loose, the sound raw and sharp as it ripped out of her throat.
“Ssh…” He rubbed his hands up and down her back. “You’re safe now.”
She didn’t need his reassuring words. For some inexplicable reason, the feel of his arms around her—the strength in his embrace—made her believe she’d not only be safe, but that she’d found the one place where she didn’t have to pretend to be strong.
In Stone’s arms, she could let down her guard.
It was as unsettling as it was comforting and tempting. Unable to resist the safety Stone represented, Sophie let all the emotions she’d bottled up over the last few days free. She looped her arms around his waist and held on as her walls broke wide open.
Sophie didn’t know how long it took before she’d calmed down, before she could take a breath without choking on it, but once she did and the dampness under her cheek registered, embarrassment flooded her. She hadn’t cried in front of anyone—never mindona perfect stranger—in years.
With a sniffle, she tried to pull away. “I’m sorry.”
“No. Don’t.” Stone’s arms tightened around her, held her against him. “Give yourself a minute.”
She laughed, the sound broken by a hiccup. “I think I’ve had my minute.”
“After the last few weeks, you deserve more.”
Did he have to be so sympathetic? If he didn’t stop she’d start crying again. Leaning her head back, she sought his gaze with hers. “I—”
She wasn’t ready for the tremor that shook her. Whatever it was that sparked between them, it was potent. At least it was on her end.
