Page 64 of Not Your Hero

I pull her into me, letting her head rest on my chest. I breathe her in and hold her as tightly as I can without hurting her.

I had plans for her tonight. I had plans on fucking her senseless, but I think she just needs me tonight. She needs me to hold her, to let her know I’m here for her, and I’ll keep her safe when it comes to him.

I pull away and grab her hand in mine, leading her out of the living room and up the stairs to my room. Once we’re inside, I close the door and walk her toward the bed, stripping her out of her clothes before doing the same to myself.

I pull back the blanket and motion for her to climb in, which she does, and I move in behind her. Once we’re both in the bed, I pull the blankets up and over us, pulling Emerson on top of me. Her head rests on my chest, the rest of her body pinning me to the bed.

“Gannix?”

“Yeah, baby?”

“Will you hold me like this forever?” she whispers, almost as if she didn’t want me to hear the words.

“Forever.”

Chapter 32

Emerson

I fell asleep on his chest last night. He didn’t want anything from me but to hold me, and I let him. It felt … right. It was nice just having his arms around me the way they were. I listened to the sound of his heart beating under my ear for a long time before sleep took over.

I roll over and groan when I hear a noise in the room. Prying my eyes open, I see men by the window. I startle and pull the sheets up to my neck.

“They’re just unsealing the windows,” I hear Gannix. I glance over to see him smiling at me from the end of the bed.

“Why?”

“Things have changed, Emerson, and I know you like sleeping with the window open,” he says, reminding me he knows more about me than I think he does.

“You don’t think I’ll leap out of it?” I tease him. He chuckles, causing me to smile.

“I’d hope not. We’re on the second floor.”

“Thank you,” I tell him as he walks around the bed and leans down to press his lips to mine.

“You’re welcome.”

“Are you working today?” I ask him.

“No. I thought we’d go out.”

“Where? Is that a good idea?” I ask, glancing around the room.

“It’ll be fine. And I want to take you out, Em. I have men watching out for us,” he adds. I figured he would. I didn’t think he’d be that careless.

“Where to?”

“Lunch and then shopping. You need more clothes than what I have here,” he says.

“No, I don’t.”

“Yeah, you do. If you’re going to be attending functions with me in the future, you need more dresses.”

“Yeah, because the last one turned out great,” I say sarcastically. Gannix chuckles, causing me to smile.

“I think, in the end, it turned out well. You’re here, aren’t you?”

I nod as the men finish up and walk out of the room. I’m guessing to go to the other rooms. I climb out of bed, wrapping myself in the sheet as I walk over to the window they left open. The breeze comes in and blows my hair away from my face, and I find myself smiling.

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