Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 53807 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 269(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 179(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53807 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 269(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 179(@300wpm)
CHAPTER 6
The car! Where was her car?
Aspen slowed down as she looked around for a split second but couldn’t delay long. He was right behind her. The pounding footsteps sounded so close. Fumbling with her key fob, she triggered the panic alarm, hoping that she’d just parked in a slightly different spot. Nothing but her breathing and the sound of their feet hitting the pavement filled her ears.
“You can’t escape this time!”
She felt the scrape of his fingertips on her back. Pushing herself faster, she had to get away from him. The bucket banged against her thigh, slowing her down. Aspen grabbed one bottle from the supplies and dropped the bucket behind her.
Please trip!
His hand caught her shoulder, and Aspen screamed.
Sitting up in bed, she pressed her hands to her heart, trying to keep it from beating out of her chest.
“Aspen?”
At the sound of his sleep-deepened voice coming from the main bedroom, Aspen realized she must have actually yelled.
Without hesitating, she threw herself out of bed and ran for safety. Ran to him. Tripping over Rexy positioned in her doorway, Aspen thudded into the wall, struggling to regain her balance. Instantly, the big dog was by her side. He woofed in concern. She ran her hands over him, but Rexy didn’t seem to have any sore spots.
“I’m here, Aspen,” Jerico assured her as he appeared in front of her in the doorway to the main bedroom. Still caught in the nightmare’s grip of terror, she dashed into his open arms.
“Little girl,” he said softly, as he hugged her tight against his hard body.
His strength reassured her as she looped her arms around his neck to plaster herself even closer to him. “Dream. That man from the alley. He got me this time,” she stammered.
Jerico picked her up and carried her to the bed. Sitting on the edge, he cradled her, setting her on his lap. She could feel his heat radiating through his thin sleep pants.
“You’re safe, Aspen. No one can get you here,” he promised as he rubbed her back.
“Promise?”
“Yes. I promise. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Exhaling a shaky gust of air, Aspen laid her head against his bare chest. His heartbeat under her ear was steady. His skin felt warm and slightly furry. She felt her panic receding.
He didn’t rush her, but simply held her in his arms, rocking her slightly from side to side. When she felt his lips press to her hair, Aspen shifted away from him and lifted her lips for a kiss.
His mouth was hot. Comfort vanished in a flash as heat flared between them. She tightened her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss.
“No!” A protest escaped from her lips when he ripped his mouth from hers.
“I won’t make love to you for the first time simply because you need a distraction, little girl. That’s not fair to either of us.”
When she pulled back from him in embarrassment, he held her tight against him. “I will make love to you soon, Aspen, but once I do, I’ll never let you go. Are you ready for that level of commitment?”
The conviction in his voice pulled her out of her negative thoughts that he didn’t want her. She met his gaze and shook her head. “Not like this.”
“Tell me what happened tonight.”
Glossing over the events, she shared the attack.
“Then you got lost going home.”
“I actually drove on autopilot as my mind whirled in circles. I caught myself a block from my apartment. Going home didn’t sound like a smart idea.”
“No. Besides, this is your home now.”
“You can’t want me here for long. I’m a mess with all sorts of garbage happening in my life.”
“So, we’ll fix it all. You’re here and you’re safe. Now, let’s fix the situation at work. Is there a guard on duty in the lobby where you work?” Jerico asked.
“No. The doors are locked and only people with the keys can get in after hours. I was late tonight because there’d been a party in one office. It took me a while to get it all cleaned up. The regular crowd in that area had disappeared because of the hour. Usually, I walk back to my car with other people milling around.”
“And you went through an alley to get to your car.”
“That was stupid,” she conceded, hearing the unhappiness in his tone.
“You were tired, and you’ve probably done that a million times before.”
She seized on those excuses. “Exactly!”
“And each time, you put yourself at risk. We’ll talk more tomorrow after you get some sleep. Will you sleep with Daddy tonight?”
“Daddy?” she echoed.
“Yes. Come on, sweetheart.” Jerico gathered her back into his arms and stretched out on the pillows. He held her cradled against his chest as he tugged the covers over them.
Brushing his fingers through her hair, he asked, “Can you sleep like this?”