Page 10 of Guilty As Charged
We got to the house about an hour ago, and since then, I’ve been showing Abbie around and helping her settle in. There’s a husband and wife that live at the edge of the property and take care of the place when I’m not here. When I texted them that I was on the way, they were kind enough to restock the kitchen. What I didn’t mention was that I was bringing someone with me, so they only got one bedroom ready.
“Are you sure it’s okay to put my stuff in here?” Abbie looks around as I place her bags on the bench at the foot of the bed.
“Absolutely. I showed you the other rooms. I’ll find one to crash in.”
“But there aren’t any beds in them.” She bites her bottom lip nervously.
I wasn’t in a rush to furnish the place since it was only me that came up here when I needed some alone time. “It’s fine, really. I promise.”
“Spencer, there’s no way I’m staying in your house and making you sleep on the floor. I can’t even make myself feel better about you sleeping on the couch because it’s not big enough to hold you.”
“People really have no idea how difficult it is to find a couch big enough for a seven-foot person to stretch out.” I’m teasing, but it has the opposite effect, and she frowns. “That was a joke. I promise I’ll be fine.”
“No,” she says with finality, and it surprises me. “If you’re sleeping on the floor, so am I. Besides, I know this bed is yours and not just a random one because it’s as big as a boat.”
She’s right; I had this one specially made to fit me. Just like the other beds in all of my houses. “You’re not sleeping on the floor.” The thought alone raises my hackles. She deserves to sleep on a bed made of clouds and angel feathers.
“Then I guess we’re sharing.” She crosses her arms over her chest defiantly and scowls.
I move closer and lean down so she can see me narrow my eyes at her. “Is this our first fight?”
That does it. She bursts into laughter and shakes her head at me. “You’re ridiculous.”
“What’s the point of life if you can’t be silly?”
Her smile softens as she looks up at me, and there’s something in her eyes that makes my chest tighten. “I don’t know if I’ve ever heard another person say that out loud before.”
“But you have?” I ask, and she nods. “Looking back, I think that’s what drew me to you in the first place. To your page, I mean.” I feel heat creep up my neck, and I bring a hand up to rub the back of it. “Well, that and how beautiful you are, obviously.”
“Don’t tell me the seven-foot-tall bad-ass lawyer slash bodyguard is getting shy.” I love the way her eyes light up when she’s poking at me. She can do it forever if it makes her this happy.
“Hey, I’ve got a soft center like any good snack.” When I wink at her, she snorts a laugh and then slaps a hand over her mouth like she didn’t mean for it to happen. “Wait, did you just snort?” I pretend to be shocked as I grab my chest.
“No, no, no. That was an accident.” Her cheeks flush with embarrassment, but she’s trying not to laugh again.
“Well, I guess I know what I’m doing for the rest of the night.” She looks at me questioningly. “It’s now my mission to make you do that again to prove it wasn’t an accident.”
“You’re the worst.”
She pretends to scowl as I take her hand and pull her from the bedroom. She’s so fucking cute I’ve got to get her out of here before I toss her on the bed and climb on top of her.
“Come on, I want to show you something,” I say and lead her down the hallway.
“Is it your creepy basement?”
“You wish.”
I swear I hear another snort, but when I look back at her, she’s glancing around suspiciously. “This old house makes weird noises.”
“Yeah, it’s the oddest thing. The sounds are similar to snorts.” We’re both laughing as I push open the door to the studio.
“Oh wow.” Abbie walks in and goes straight for the drafting table. “Is this yours?”
“No, the previous owner left it here. She was an architect, and this was her summer house. She said out of all the rooms, this one had the best light.” It’s dark now, but this room is at the corner of the house with windows on two sides. “During the day you can see the lake.”
“I can’t imagine having something so peaceful.” Abbie’s voice is almost reverent as she looks around the room at the soft furnishings.
This is what I want to give her. Peace. I want her to feel safe and protected so that she has the freedom to do what she loves. Everyone deserves that, but I have an overwhelming need to provide it for her. Maybe that’s selfish, but seeing her relaxed and happy makes me want to do it even more.
