Page 22 of Hidden Monsters

“I can carry my own bag,” Orly protested, extending her hand out.

“I got it. Come on.” He caught her hand in his and led the way to the elevators, following the signs. They rode the elevator up and easily found their room. He unlocked the door and went in first.” Give me a second.” He opened the closet and bathroom doors, then pulled aside the long curtain to reveal a small balcony. “All clear. Come on in.”

Orly smiled at his protective instincts and slowly made her way into the room, unsure of how this was going to work. She didn’t want Luke sleeping on the floor, but she’d literally just met the guy this morning. She looked around the typical hotel room. It had a king size bed, a small table and chair next to the sliding glass door that led out to the small balcony, and a flatscreen television set on a large dresser opposite the bed. Luke set her bag on the bed and placed his on the chair. “Did you want to use the bathroom first?” He asked.

“Sure, thanks.” She took her bag into the bathroom. Much like the room, the bathroom was simple, but clean. It had a long vanity and a soaking tub, but Orly just took a quick shower, brushed her teeth and hair, and put on her favorite pajama pants and off the shoulder t-shirt she liked to sleep in.

When she stepped out of the bathroom, Luke was sitting on the edge of the bed with the hotel phone in hand. “I ordered some extra towels and room service for tomorrow morning. I figured we could just eat breakfast here before we head out.”

The way he thought ahead and took care of her was both comforting and unnerving. Orly never had someone in her life like that, and half the time she wasn’t sure what to say or do about it.

“Are you okay?” He asked, when she didn’t respond.

She nodded. “I just - you’re so perfect.”

Luke threw his head back with a laugh. “Sorry, I wasn’t laughing at you. It’s just I’ve been thinking the same thing about you all day.”

Orly felt her cheeks warm. “I’m really not. My life is a total mess.”

Luke stood and closed the distance between them, his gaze never leaving hers. Her knees nearly went weak with the way he was looking at her, so much passion, so much desire. His hair was mussed from the wind and the stubble on his face cast a shadow on his creamy skin that had so obviously been kissed by the sun. “Messes can be cleaned up,” he said in a primal and stern tone that sent delicious tingles coursing through her body. “And they don’t take away from the masterpiece.”

***

Luke had spent plenty of days stuck in a car with someone, but he’d never laughed as hard or had nearly as much fun as he had with Orly. Once the ice was broken between them, she’d impressed him with how easy going she was despite her circumstances. He had a feeling that was the first time he’d gotten a glimpse of the real Orly and he wanted to see more of that fun loving woman. He loved her singing along to the radio and she’d even laughed at his not so funny attempts of making fun of the GPS system’s voice whenever it mispronounced street names.

Overall, it had been a great day, even if he was exhausted and ready for a hot shower and a good night’s sleep. The chemistry between them was off the charts and he knew she felt it too, but he would never push her for anything she didn’t want. He didn’t know much about relationships, mostly because he was married to his job, but his parents had always been each other’s best friends and their marriage had lasted well over forty years.

“I won’t be long,” he said, snatching his bag off the chair. He didn’t miss how her gaze followed him and he smiled to himself, feeling her stare on his back as he went into the bathroom. He hoped she liked what she saw, because he’d watched her back and her front all day, and he definitely liked everything he saw.

He brushed his teeth and showered, then pulled on a pair of clean sweatpants and a plain white t-shirt. When he returned to the room, Orly was sitting in the bed on the far side of the room. Her legs were tucked under the blanket and her golden curls were flowing over her shoulders. She looked like an angel. He reached for a pillow on the side of the bed closest to him and dropped it to the floor.

“You don’t have to sleep on the floor,” she said, looking at him with those soft caramel eyes he knew would forever be his kryptonite. “This bed is huge. There’s plenty of room for both of us.”

He sighed. Sharing a bed with her would be the best kind of torture, even if they both stayed on their side of the bed. “Are you sure?” He’d slept in far worse places than a hotel room floor before and the last thing he wanted was for her to be uncomfortable.

Orly smiled. “I’m pretty sure the car we just spent all day in is half the size of this enormous bed. And we’re both fully dressed.”

Not sensing any discomfort from her, he put the pillow back on the bed and sat on top of the covers, resting his back against the headboard, stretching his legs out in front of him. As soon as he was settled, she reached for his hand. He liked that she was being assertive. He’d been the one taking her hand all day, so knowing she craved his touch as much as he craved hers was a relief. Her hand was small and delicate in his, but it was her small sigh that drew his attention. “What’s on your mind?” He asked. It had been a long day and he’d been careful not to touch on any sensitive topics.

“I just like knowing you’re really here. It sounds silly after we just spent the whole day together, but I’m used to things and people just up and disappearing or changing on me. I’m afraid I’ll wake up and be back in one of those crappy motel rooms - alone.”

Luke gently squeezed her hand. “I told you before and I’ll tell you again. You’re not alone and you never will be again. You have my word on that.”

She looked up at him with something that looked a lot like defeat, then rested her head on his shoulder. “You don’t understand. Russell always finds whoever he’s looking for. He’s very good at his job. And he’ll never let me be knowing what I know.”

Luke’s eyes narrowed. “And what is that exactly? What do you have on him?”

Orly drew in a ragged breath. “I saw him kill a woman. I mean, I didn’t see it exactly. She was calling out for help and I heard her. When he killed her, I was in her head. For a few seconds, I saw what she saw. Him.” Orly shuttered and Luke wrapped an arm around her, pulling her to him. “She was so scared and the look in his eyes was murderous. I didn’t even recognize him at first. He stood in the shadows where I couldn’t see his face, but right before he pulled the trigger, a passing headlight illuminated his features. That’s when I saw it was him. I was shocked and horrified. I left him that night, but I was stupid and didn’t have a plan. Big mistake. He found me the next day and literally dragged me back.”

“What happened then?” Luke asked, his stomach already turning at what he suspected she was going to say.

“He turned on me. Called me a witch, a traitor. I’d told him about my ability before so he put two and two together. He became this controlling angry person I didn’t even recognize. I was heartbroken. The day he found me was the first time he hit me. At first, I kept trying to convince myself it wasn’t so bad. That I could have a life with him. But things just kept getting worse. And well, you know the rest…” Her voice faded as she struggled to maintain her composure.

Luke tried to keep his anger in check, but it was nearly impossible now that he had this precious woman in his arms. He couldn’t imagine all she’d survived at that monster’s hands. No one would ever lay a hand on her again as long as he drew breath. “Bastard,” Luke spat out. “How could someone who cares about you turn on you like that?”

Orly shrugged. “He felt betrayed. I get that. I mean what would you do if I told you I quote unquote saw someone you knew kill a woman in cold blood?”

Luke saw this for the test it was, except there was no test here. Not for him. He shifted so he was facing her and took both her hands in his. He wanted to be looking her in the eye when he answered. “I’d send you as far away as I could and then I’d investigate it until I could either prove your theory or explain it.”

---