Page 33 of Zen's Crash

“The more protection, the better. I thought I’d gotten to grips with what happened, but this has brought everything back.”

I crawl back on the bed and slide beside her. “Have you thought about getting back into therapy?”

“My therapist said I didn’t need to come back. She said I had all the tools I needed and that I just needed to use them.”

“Yeah, but that was before you found out your dad’s killer was possibly a serial killer who might be stalking you. There’s a lot more going on than before.”

She pulls her long dark hair over one shoulder and begins smoothing it down as she thinks over my words. “Maybe you’re right. I’ll think about it some more. If I decide I need more therapy, I’ll call and make an appointment.”

“Our club has a contact at the local women’s shelter. They have a therapist who specializes in trauma. Some of the old ladies have talked to her and found it helpful. If you want, I can set something up for you?”

“That’s a generous offer. I’ll think about it, Zen.”

“I’m not trying to push you. I just want you to know that professional help is out there if you want it.”

Ignoring my straining cock, because now really isn’t the time, I change the topic. “The day is still pretty early. Want to head over to my shop and you can check out our spare parts?”

“There’s no time like the present, I suppose. Give me a minute to get dressed.”

I have to say one thing about Lexi—she’s not shy about her body. She walks over to her closet, strips down to her skin, and quickly gets dressed again. I grab my phone and try to distract myself from the sight of her lovely body by scrolling. It doesn’t work, but I don’t think she notices me stealing glances at her either.

Chapter 13

Lexi

We head to Zen’s place with me riding on the back of his bike. I haven’t forgotten how he accused me of stealing. He was rude, demeaning, and he wouldn’t listen to reason. But his behavior has moved him from the ‘arrogant prick’ category squarely into the ‘slowly redeeming himself’ category.

He hasn’t apologized for what he said, and that bothers me more than a little. However, he’s gone all-out helping me stay alive now that we’ve discovered the truth behind my dad’s paranoia. If I’m being honest, I’ll admit that discovering the truth has really freaked me out. The icing on the cake is finding out the little voices I’ve been hearing every so often were not a figment of my imagination. If Zen hadn’t insisted on coming to my place to search for clues, I might still be in the dark about that.

I have a lot to be thankful for with this man, so I’ve decided to give him some grace. That thing that happened back in my room was a one-off situation that I don’t plan to repeat. Sure, he’s incredibly attractive, and I love the way he touches me. I even appreciate that he didn’t end up waving his ginormous cock in my face after giving me a head-spinning orgasm. He was cool, laid-back, and tried to get me to see a trauma counselor. Zen is either the most amazing man on the planet, or I’m a terrible judge of character.

When we pull into his shop, I actually recognize it. I shopped for a hard-to-find part or two here before. Though I’m pretty sure I’d remember if Zen had been in there.

Zen helps me off the back of his bike, and we go inside. “I’m gonna give you the grand tour, and by the time I’m done my club brothers should be here with your computer.”

“I hope they’re careful with it,” I tell him, ever worried that something might happen to my baby. I understand that strapping it to his bike would be ridiculously risky, and driving separately is a no-go because we agreed to stay together, so having the men tasked with protecting me and my house bringing it is the next best thing.

Zen distracts me by pulling me deeper into his shop. I take a look around and exclaim, “Wow, this place has changed a lot since I was here last.”

Zen grins. “Yeah, we’ve been working hard to make this place a success.”

We walk up to the counter, and both the guys are staring at me like I’m the hottest girl they’ve ever seen. Or maybe it’s because I’m wearing a nerdy t-shirt—I can never tell.

Zen speaks up. “Walter and Rob, I’d like you to meet Lexi. She’s mine, so don’t even think about hitting on her.”

I lean over the counter slightly, only realizing afterward that my cleavage was on display. Annoyed that Zen is lying to his employees, I shake my head and say, “That’s not true. I don’t belong to anyone but myself.” My voice is light and playful, so the guys are rightfully confused about whom to listen to—me or Zen.

Zen grabs me by the hand and pulls me towards the back of the building. We go through some doors and pass through a break room. “This is where we make pizza and stuff.” We keep walking, and then he opens the door to a supply room, and I’m in heaven.

I walk in and do a full circle, taking in shelf after shelf of computer parts. They’ve got old hard drives, graphics cards, cooling fans, and every other part a woman like me could ever wish for. Pure happiness blooms in my chest at the thought of all the computers I could build with this stuff.

Practically vibrating with excitement, I tell him, “Remember that scene inBeauty and the Beastwhere the Beast shows her the library, and it makes her the happiest girl in the world? This is the Lexi equivalent of that moment.”

Zen just looks around proudly at his virtual horde of computer components. “You are the first woman in my life who’s recognized the value of all these parts.”

“I’ve got a great idea,” I tease him. “How about I live off my inheritance, and you let me come here and build computers all day for you to sell in your store?”

He walks over and wraps me up in a hug. “Do not tempt me. If you give me half a chance, I’ll join you in building the biggest, best custom-built computers every day, all day long.”

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