Page 125 of Already Home

“It was nice to see you,” she said, feeling awkward.

“You can say good-night to me later,” he told her. “I’mfollowing you home.”

“You don’t have to.”

“I want to.”

“But...”

“Let him.” Serenity had appeared at her side. “It’s all right,”the older woman added. “You can trust him, Violet. He won’t hurt you.”

“Good enough?” he asked.

Feeling nervous and ashamed but also a little relieved, Violetnodded.

He put his hand on the small of her back and urged her out thedoor.

“I’m perfectly fine,” she said as she stepped into thenight.

“Maybe this isn’t about you,” he told her. “Now drive.”

Sure enough, Dragon followed her home. Violet expected him towalk her to the door, then leave. Instead, he followed her inside, then closedand locked the door.

He glanced around the small apartment, then set his keys andcell phone on the coffee table. He took her purse from her and put it next tohis stuff. “How many nights have you been back in your apartment?”

“Three.” She wasn’t worried about his actions. Morecurious.

“Are you sleeping?”

She thought about the long nights, watching the hours pass byslowly. Painfully. It wasn’t that she was afraid, it was the memories crowdinginto her mind that made it impossible to relax.

“I didn’t think so,” he told her. “You look exhausted. Go washyour face and get ready for bed.”

“It’s eight o’clock.”

“So? Are you telling me you’re not ready to drop on yourfeet?”

Until he’d said the words, she’d managed to fool herself. Butwhen he spoke, she felt fatigue overwhelm her, and it was all she could do tostay standing.

“Okay,” she said. “You’re right. I’ll go to bed. Thanks forseeing me home.”

“Don’t try throwing me out,” he told her. “I’m notleaving.”

She stared at him. “You can’t stay here.”

“Sure I can. Violet, you need to get some rest. The way I seeit, the best way to do that is to make you feel safe. I may not be an obviouschoice, but I’m still a good one. I’m perfectly trustworthy. Ask my mother. I’mgoing to stay here with you so you can relax. When we know Cliff has moved away,I’ll disappear and you never have to see me again if you don’t want to.”

He was being nice to her. That was tough for her to take. Nicewas fairly rare when it came to the men in her life. Cliff was proof ofthat.

She knew she could have thrown him out. All it would have takenwas her to insist. She wasn’t afraid of him...she just wasn’t used to anyonetaking care of her.

“Then I guess you should make yourself comfortable,” she said,and went into the bathroom.

She carefully washed her face, then stared at the multicoloredbruise on her cheek. No hiding it now. Her pj’s from the previous night werehanging on the back of the door, so she slipped them on and went back into theliving room.

While she’d been busy, Dragon had obviously returned to hiscar. A small suitcase stood by the door. His suit jacket and shirt were hungover the back of a kitchen chair, his black loafers tucked neatly by therefrigerator. He’d changed into sweats and a navy T-shirt. Even barefoot, helooked tall and powerful and just a little intimidating.

She didn’t know what to do or where to look. It wasn’t that hefrightened her, it was that she was afraid if he was too nice, she might startto lose it.

---