Page 22 of Take Hold of Me

7

Emilie

The rideback to my house is tense. Wills sits with his jaw clenched, his shoulders set in a rigid line. Neil, sitting opposite me, tried to engage Wills a couple of times before he gave up. I did not try, as I know Wills would not open up in front of an audience.

My heart breaks for the torment he is putting himself through. The man he attacked was just trying to get an autograph. I called the Agency and they are all over clean-up.

Wills is out the door almost before the limo stops. “It was nice meeting you, Neil,” I offer as I slide across the seat.

Always the gentleman, Wills stands on the pavement with his hand outstretched, waiting to assist me out of the limo. I place my palm in his and rise, stroking my thumb over his skin. He pulls back and uses that hand to close the door, leaving me to drop my arms by my side. After he bangs on the limo’s roof, it pulls away.

My heartrate picks up. I need to get him to open up. Otherwise, I fear he will disappear and I will never see him again.

“Wills, can we discuss tonight?”

He reaches into his pocket, pulling out his keys. “There’s nothing to talk about.” Leaving me, he heads toward his Jeep.

“I want to help,” I blurt.

He stops as if he hit a brick wall. “I’m fine. I don’t need any help.”

I rush over to him. “This cannot be healthy for you. Let us talk about it.”

“Listen, I don’t want to go over it. You’re home. Safe—not that you ever were in any danger. I’m going to let you be.”

“Not like this,” I cry.

We are both breathing as if we ran a four-minute mile. We need to find a neutral place to talk. “How about we take a walk on the beach?” Knowing that my permit status does not let me drive after dark, I try to interject some humor. “I will even let you drive there.” I touch his forearm. “S'il vous plaît.”

I suck in my breath while I wait for his response. The slumping of his shoulders is all the affirmation I need.

Given the time of night, the drive to the beach is shorter than the usual twenty minutes. I leave my Jimmy Choo’s in his Jeep and enjoy the sand soothing my feet after dancing in the high heels. The almost full moon casts a silvery beam across the ocean. It would be romantic out here on the deserted beach. If only.

After a couple of steps, his cell phone rings. He glances at the screen and then looks at me. “It’s the police.”

I nod and he picks up the call. We continue walking toward the ocean as I listen to his side of the conversation. Which consists mainly of “yeses” and “I see’s.” Arriving at the shoreline, I follow him as he turns left. The water rushes over my feet, causing me to jump from the cold.

Next to me, Wills puts his cell into his back pocket.

I need to break through his walls. “What did the police have to say? Is the man going to press charges?”

He stares straight ahead. “No. He said he understands my role as your so-called bodyguard and how his actions could have been misconstrued.”

I release a pent-up breath. Publicity will be contained—which is good for both his and my careers. “At least that is one worry off our plates.”

He nods once and slips his hands into his pockets.

I run my fingers through my hair. His kisses told me that he feels the same way about me as I do for him. How can I get him to open up and let me help him? Obviously, the trauma Cole’s stalker inflicted is very raw. I have a niggling suspicion that I may be out of my depth.

Stormy blue eyes meet mine for a second before flicking back to the sand. His hands remain in his pockets. “All I saw was an unknown man pursuing you. He was after you, and it was my job to stop him.”

“Well, you certainly did that.”

His jaw tenses. “I was wrong about him.” He bends down and picks up a shell. Throwing it into the waves, he says, “I can’t trust my instincts anymore, Em.”

“You just need to relax and stop beating yourself up.”

He increases his pace, fists flexing. Next to him, I lengthen my stride to keep up with him. “Please. Tell me what I can do to help you.”

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