Page 32 of Crude Heir

He strides over to the window and pulls back the curtains, letting the shadow of the windowpane crawl up along the floor. “I’ll leave the door open so you can get some light from the living area,” he says, heading out of the room.

How many times can I say thank you? “I appreciate it.”

Stopping at the doorway, he turns. “Call out if you need anything.”

“I will.” He disappears around the corner, leaving me to sleep. I pull my legs up until I’m in a fetal position, needing comfort.

I haven’t had this panic attack in years. Fear and confusion close in on me in the dark. I can’t seem to run from the anxiety. There were times when I’d swear I heard wailing echoing in my head.

I bury my nose in the pillow, turning my mind to the image of a Dutch tulip field. Bright colors, open space, blue sky. The page my grandmother kept from an old calendar always makes me feel better. I take a deep, calming breath, and I’m immediately pulled back to the present.

Derrick. I have the scent of him taking over my senses. How could it not? I was in his shower, using his towel, I’m wearing his shirt, and I’m sleeping in his bed.

Even though the covers were folded back, the bed barely looked disturbed. Part of me wonders if he’s that controlled even in sleep, or if he’s actually stayed here. A guy who looks like that, with as many women interested in him as he has, doesn’t sleep alone unless he has to.

Yet, even with him touching me earlier, he chose to stay in the other room. I peek toward the open door. Light is comingin from the living area…the place where Derrick is spending the night.

I chew on my lip for a bit. I’m not sure how I should feel about him giving up his bed for me. A little over twenty-four hours ago, I was thinking about him while snuggled in my own bed. That particular fantasy ended in a spectacular orgasm. I press my thighs together at the memory. But tonight, I can’t do that. Not when the star of said fantasy is just a few yards away.

I close my eyes. Yet, letting myself relax here is harder than I expected. Is it the night? The place? What happened? Or him?Stop it.I press my palms to my breasts.Stop-stop-stop.

I turn on my side, struggling to find a comfortable spot. Time drags on but my mind won’t shut down. My thoughts go to money, invoices, time cards, the power outage. That has to be it. With the electricity out, there’s no fan, which means no noise. It’s too quiet here.

I flip to the other side, hugging the pillow in the process. I need to get some rest. If Derrick’s able to help me get into the system and download a report, tomorrow will be a long day.

Chapter 13

Derrick

I’m the biggest fucking bastard.

Nicole was coming out of some kind of panic attack and all I could think was how good she felt in my arms. Her voice was tiny and terrified after whatever terror she had to face, yet my damn cock got so hard it was painful.

When I couldn’t stand it any longer, I put her in bed, my bed, on my pillow, then turned around and left. It was all I could do not to climb in there beside her. What’s worse, she probably would have welcomed the comfort.

I adjust, blowing out a breath as I finally get some needed relief. Reaching back, I flip the switch off so the lights won’t wake her once the power comes back. Then I walk across the room, careful to keep silent so I don’t disturb her. Moving back and forth, I pace the living area like a caged animal. This room doesn’t normally seem so small.

I set my computer bag on the floor and stretch out on the couch, putting a throw pillow under my head.

My damn mind’s been with Nicole since she turned on the shower. How the hell was I supposed to concentrate knowing she was naked in the other room? Soapy hands moving over all the luscious body parts that have claimed my attention for far too long.

Then the water stopped. I knew she was out on the bathmat, naked. She’d be running a towel over her body. Getting ready to get dressed. That should have helped, but it didn’t. Not when the clothes she’s about to use to cover those heavenly curves are mine.

I turn to check the hallway. This is the farthest I can get from the bedroom, and it still seems too close. If she was to stick her head out, she’d see the damn tent erected in my jeans. With an internal groan, I push my head back against the pillow. I’m the one who’s supposed to make her feel safe.

That sobering thought stops me in my tracks. When she panics, she’s frozen in place, barely making a sound. What if she wakes up in the middle of the night and doesn’t know where she is? I should move closer.

I jerk up from the couch and take in the three-piece living room set. Moving this would only cause questions, and likely make some noise. My focus goes to the overstuffed chair. That’ll do. I flip the chair around and set it down by the window before settling into it stretching my feet out to the wide, brick windowsill.

I let my head fall back to the headrest and close my eyes, trying to block her out. My mind goes to the work I’m supposed to be doing for Kelly Oil. Software integration. Cables. Troubleshooting problems at the office.

A distant roll of thunder has me checking over my shoulder, straining to hear if she’s in distress. Nothing. After a few seconds, I turn back to the window, staring out at the driving rain.

She mentioned her fear is triggered when she’s in a small space and total darkness. What could have happened to cause such a visceral reaction? That’s not plain fear of the dark; it’s closer to terror. How does she cope when nobody else is around? I imagine her place has a window in the bathroom so she can at least see the sky, if not the stars.

With the torrential downpour flooding the city, I should have expected the power to go out. The northern part of the city has been without electricity since this morning. But I hadn’t truly considered how it would affect her. She was in the wrong place atthe wrong time, and now she’s stuck here until tomorrow, if not longer.

Even though I started out by dragging her out from behind the desk, she was a trouper. Walking down flight after flight of stairs to the parking area is no small task. Especially for a woman as petite as her.

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