Page 63 of His Captive Pet

“Done? When did you start?” His heated question followed her when Kara opened the door. Aubree smiled at her and walked past her into the living room.

“Blake.” Kara greeted him and let him in the house as well. “Something wrong?”

“I’d like to use the phone, please,” Aubree asked with a grin. Kara wrinkled her brow and looked to Blake who stood at the door with his arms folded over his chest like some sentinel.

“She doesn’t need the phone. She needs some sense knocked into her.”

“Did you want to take your belt off here or should we go back to the cabin?” Aubree gestured to him. Maybe a bit too far. His lips pressed together and his eyes darkened. “A joke,” she added quickly and put her full attention on Kara. “Please. A phone?”

“Hey, are we leaving or what?” Addison walked into the room, tapping away on her phone. “Oh, hey, Blake, hi, Aubree.”

“Is Devin here?” Blake asked looking up the staircase.

“He’s out in the barn. The air conditioner units showed up yesterday, he’s making room for them in the back.” Kara kept her focus on Aubree. “We’re heading to town. Devin wants to buy a horse of all things, so I was thinking to get some new boots. Do you maybe want to come with us?”

What she wanted was a damn phone so she could get in touch with people back home. She wouldn’t be left here while Blake ran off like some white knight to save her. Not at least without her riding right along with him.

Aubree glanced at Blake who shook his head.

“Surely it’s safe enough here,” she asked him. “After I make my phone call, that is.”

“First we need to finish our discussion.” He pointed to the hall that led down to the kitchen.

“Go on, we’ll wait.” Addison gave Kara a shove into the living room.

Once they were in the kitchen, Aubree leaned against the sink and did her best to give him an angry glare. His only reaction was to go to the fridge and dig out a bottle of water, twist off the cap, and take a long sip.

“Blake, I don’t want to be stuck here. You told me about Kara and Addison. They can’t go back to Chicago. I don’t want that.” She wouldn’t allow it, either. She had a life in Chicago. If she still had her job, that is. If not, she’d go back out to the suburbs and open a practice, or rejoin a larger animal hospital. But staying in Michigan was not an option she would consider.

He put the water down and moved to her side, capturing her between his arms as he pressed his hands to the counter on each side of her. The aggravation she’d seen in his eyes as she walked out of the cabin was gone. He looked almost understanding.

“That’s not going to happen. I’ll find a way, but I can’t do that with you there. You have to stay here. I need you to be safe while I take care of this. You don’t have to stay in the cabin, you and Samuel can stay here in the main house. You’ll have Kara and Addison to hang out with.”

He was trying, she’d give him that, but it wasn’t going to happen.

“I’ll go with you. Why drag me up here if you’re just going to go back anyway?”

“Because here, you’re safe. Here they can’t get you.”

Protecting. Hiding her and protecting her were the same thing to him.

“But here I can’t do anything.”

He leaned in, pressing his warm lips to hers. “Exactly.” Another chaste kiss to the tip of her nose. “Go with the girls into town. You need some more clothes anyway. When you guys get back, we’ll figure this all out, okay?”

The gentleness in his tone ripped all the wind from her angry sails.

“We’ll talk, though, right?” she asked.

“Yes. We’ll talk.”

“Can I have my phone? In case I need to get a hold of you while I’m out?”

He laughed.

“Fine. And you promise not to call work or anyone else?”

“I swear it.” She wouldn’t. He said they’d talk, and she believed him. He wouldn’t bulldoze her over to get his way, and it was time to start showing him she trusted his word. Because she did.

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