Page 65 of Safe With Me

I opened my eyes and found Mike crouching in front of me.

“Jude said they brought in a few kids for graffiti and scratching up some cars tonight.”

He put his hands on my thighs and squeezed.

“But considering…just to be on the safe side, we’re going to dust it for prints in the morning. It’s not supposed to rain tonight, so they should keep. If it’s Ted, we can file a report and bring him in.”

I nodded. “This isn’t how I thought tonight was going to go.”

“Hey, don’t say that.” He gave me a crooked smile. “This doesn’t have to change?—”

“Mike, stop.” I held up my hands and shook my head. “I can’t believe I thought this was over. That maybe he moved on so I could move on. Now, I’m bringing this all up here to all of you, and I can’t?—”

“No, you’re not. He’s not going to terrorize you up here like he did in Philly. Nothing is going to happen to you because I will make damn sure he never comes near you. Look at me, sweetheart,” he crooned and took my face in his hands again. “You said you thought I was a good cop, right?”

“Of course you are. That has nothing to do with it. He threatened a friend I’ve had for a decade for just having dinner with me. If he ever hurt you…” I trailed off, a sob scratching at the back of my throat.

“He won’t. If he’s stupid enough to start shit up here, he’s going to be in for a very rude awakening. I need you to trust me. You’re safe here. You’re safe with me. Once we dust for prints, I’ll take your car to Aaron’s in the morning, and you won’t have to see that again.”

“We have to tell your father. He may not want me working for him, or near you or Keely?—”

“He’ll be worried about you and will keep an eye out around the office, which is a good thing. The more people who know, the safer you’ll be.”

“And the more people I’ll put at risk.” I let myself get lost in the deep blue of his eyes one more time as the disappointment seeped in. “You should go. Distance yourself.”

“If you think for one second I’m leaving you alone tonight, you’re crazy.”

“No, you’re crazy. And you’re wonderful, and I’ve loved every second I’ve spent with you, but you don’t need my baggage.”

“I needyou,” Mike said, grabbing my shoulders. “I’m crazy aboutyou. From the day we met and every goddamn moment since. Everyone sees it. My family, my friends, my parents—hell, even my baby sister. Because I can’t hide it, and I won’t.”

He snaked his hand around the nape of my neck, his eyes stormy and dark instead of their usual crystal blue. “Not anymore.”

Before I knew it, his mouth was on mine. I froze at first, still shaken over what had just happened and what it might mean. But it felt too good not to give in.

All the reasons I’d had for resisting had doubled tonight, but I couldn’t stop. Passion exploded between us as I slumpedagainst him, my lips parting on a moan as comfort and bone-deep relief flowed through me. I grabbed the back of his head, clutching him like a lifeline.

Just as I’d done the first moment we met.

He slipped the hair tie from around my ponytail and speared his hand into my hair, weaving a fistful around his fingers, pulling harder as the kiss became deeper and desperate.

My hands were all over his body as he lifted me off the couch, setting me on his lap and guiding my legs apart until I was straddling him. I clutched the back of his head, our lips still moving as he fisted the hem of my dress, gliding it up my thighs until it bunched at my waist.

The fear, both of dealing with Ted again and of losing Mike, had me feral and frantic to get lost in the thrill and safety of his hard body and taste of his kisses.

The right thing to do would’ve been to stop this, but I couldn’t let Mike go. Not tonight and possibly not ever.

We fell over, Mike rolling on top of me as he roamed his hands all over my body, grabbing my ass as he pressed his hard cock against my core, rocking against me with enough friction to draw a whimper out of me.

“I knew we’d be this good together,” he said as he dragged openmouthed kisses down my neck. “I’m fucking yours, Lila. Every inch of me is yours. So, you can’t leave,” he said before he came back to my mouth, his tongue swirling with mine as both of us chased what felt like an unquenchable thirst.

I was his too. I both reveled in and dreaded what that could mean. Maybe this was a kid’s prank, but even if it turned out to be nothing, it was a reminder that until Ted was either confirmed to be obsessed with someone else or far enough away from me, I was still at risk—and a possible danger to anyone with me.

I’d thought falling for someone would mean that I’d beaten what Ted had done and tried to do to me, but it only made it that much worse.

“It’s selfish to want you,” I said as Mike ran his lips down my throat. “But I don’t know how to stop.”

“I don’t want you to stop,” Mike said, his eyes full of all the lust and want I’d been afraid to let myself feel.

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