Page 37 of Filthy Lovin Heroes

“Piper, I can’t make love to you. I want to more than anything, but it’s just not right.”

“Tyler, please, fuck me, I want to know what it’s like to have you inside me.”

He brushed my hair back from my face. “You are so beautiful. You steal my breath.”

My phone started vibrating. It was the absolute worst fucking time. Story of my life. I didn’t want to move, but then again I wanted to make sure everything was all right with Harrison’s family.

Reluctantly I untangled myself from Tyler. I grabbed my phone off the bedside table and headed into the bathroom.

Everything changed when I closed the bathroom door and read the message.

I went cold all over. Every ounce of pleasure drained out of my body. I was numb, but I let out an agonized moan.

Within seconds, Tyler pounded on the bathroom door. “Piper! What is it? Let me in.”

I opened the door, shaking like I’d been standing in a freezer. Tears flooded down my face, and I didn’t bother to wipe them away. “He…He’s got my number.” I thrust the phone to Tyler as I stumbled past him fleeing the bathroom.

I was shaking so hard my teeth chattered. I huddled against the wall in a corner by the bed where I could see the window. I had to know I was safe. It wasn’t over. That knowledge had me curling into a ball.

“What are you talking about?” Tyler looked at my phone.

I knew what he was seeing—a picture of the two of us from last night of me kissing him at the baggage claim.

“Fucking paparazzi.” He spat the words. Disgust made his lip curl. He dropped the phone on the nightstand.

I couldn’t stop shaking. Tyler gathered me up into his arms. “They’re maggots, but they won’t hurt you. I’m so sorry about that. It’s a sad fact of my life.” He pushed my hair away from my face.

I shook my head, pushing back my tangled curls more. “It’s not the paparazzi, Tyler. It’s him.”

Tyler stilled. His voice was deadly calm when he spoke. “Who is him, Piper?”

“Will Laurent. He’s been stalking me. I left Vermont. I got a new number. He shouldn’t be able to find me.” Now that I started to speak and Tyler’s arms were around me, the words tumbled out. “Everything was ruined.”

“Start at the beginning, Piper.” Tyler put me in my bed and wrapped me up in the comforter then he put his arms around me again. My panic dropped a notch. If I could only stay like this forever.

I took a shaky breath then continued. “I did an internship in New York last summer at the Met’s Costume Museum. Will worked at the museum as a security guard. At first, he seemed nice by walking me back to my sublet when I worked late. But then he started following me everywhere I went. He said we were a couple, but we never were. I didn’t—couldn’t think of him like that. Anyway, I told him we weren’t and that I didn’t want to see him anymore. That’s when the notes and photographs started. It was relentless. I ended up leaving my internship early. I thought it was over when I went back to Vermont, but he showed up there too. I called the police but Will was good at not getting caught.” I caught my breath on a sob. “I thought it was over when I came out here.”

“What did Harrison do about all this? Why wasn’t I told?” Tyler asked. His voice was deadly quiet, but I heard the steel in it.

“I asked him not to. I wanted to handle it myself. Then a few months ago Will showed up at my apartment disguised as a delivery man. He tried to kidnap me. I fought him off.” I touched my cast lightly with the fingertips of my other hand.

“You didn’t fall off a horse,” he said flatly. “He broke your arm.”

“I fell down the stairs trying to get away from him. A neighbor came to help me. Will escaped. The police have been looking for him, but he vanished. Now he’s here in LA.”

“One thing is for sure. You’re not going anywhere until this fucker is apprehended.”

Emotions churned through me. On the one hand, I wanted to be with Tyler, but I absolutely didn’t want to be a burden. I wanted him to want me there not feel like he was duty bound to protect me. I knew that was his nature from when we first met.

“I can’t stay here forever. The police have tried to find him, but he’s very good at evading them.” I chewed my bottom lip. I hated feeling hunted.

“I’ll hire private security. I swear to you, we’ll find him before he bothers you again. Trust me.”

And so help me, I did.

Three

Tyler

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