Page 43 of Hiding Rose
He kissed my cheek and smiled. "If it's how you feel then it's not ridiculous. However, I would rather wait to make love to you until you're able to forget your doubts about anything other than how much I love you, and how I'll always protect you."
“I won’t lie; I want to be with you. Who knows, maybe if my leg hadn’t started up we would have finished what we started. I guess we won’t know until we’re in the moment, but I know I…” I tried to stifle a yawn, but couldn’t finish my sentence.
He smiled and caressed my face. “I think it’s time for bed. I’ll get your crutches and you can clean up and take your meds, or do I need to carry you?” he asked, lifting the icepack off gently.
“Your guess is as good as mine,” I said, laughing. “It feels okay right now, so I’ll try to walk.”
He helped me to the edge of the bed and then handed me the crutches, keeping a hand at my elbow when I stood, until I had tested the leg and it held.
“I’ll wait until you’re out and in bed before I leave, okay?”
I grasped his shirt in my fist and held tight. He lowered his forehead to mine and rested it there. “Will you stay with me tonight? When you hold me in your arms I forget about everything but how you make me feel. I can relax and sleep without worrying about being alone or scared.”
He kissed my lips and nodded against my forehead. “I thought you’d never ask.”
A scraping sound brought me out of dreamland and I lay still, listening for the sound to happen again. It came again and I nudged Sawyer. “Hey, someone is outside my door scraping.”
He sat up instantly and held his hand out for me to stay. He listened and when he heard it, he climbed off the bed and held his finger to his lips, as he tiptoed to the door. He deactivated the alarm from inside and in one deep breath, threw the door open and grabbed whoever was standing outside. A tussle ensued, but Sawyer had the guy up against the outside of my wall in three seconds.
“Who are you and what do you want?” he asked the clearly freaked-out kid.
I stood in the hallway with my crutches, the door propped open as the elevator door opened. Security ran out of the elevator and stopped short at the scene in front of them. “We saw him trying to break through the card reader,” Mike said. “What’s his story?”
Sawyer never took his eyes off the kid. “Don’t know, how about you cuff him and we’ll take this inside.”
Mike cuffed the kid, and Sawyer hauled him past me and threw him into a chair. Mike grabbed his walkie talkie and instructed the other security guard to call Gideon. I objected, loudly. “Don’t bother Kate and Gideon,” I begged, but Leven shook his head.
“Too late, he already knows, dispatch called him while we were in the elevator.”
My shoulders sagged and I thanked him for coming immediately. He assured me Gideon would be right up and Mike was staying until we decided if the cops should be called. Mike and I walked into the apartment, leaving the door propped open for Gideon. Sawyer was standing over the kid who was dressed in a strange bellhop uniform unlike any worn here.
Sawyer spoke first. “What’s your name and why were you trying to swipe into this room?”
The kid stayed mute and Sawyer flashed a frustrated glance at Mike, who stepped forward. Mike was almost six four and over three hundred pounds. No one messed with Mike.
“The man asked you a question. I suggest you answer or I’ll call the cops now and have you arrested for stalking, breaking and entering, and attempted kidnapping.”
The kid sputtered. “But I wasn’t doing any of that!”
Mike shrugged. “Cops won’t know that and they’ll take my word for it.”
The kid’s shoulders slumped. “Fine. Whatever man. All I was trying to do was put a note under her door. I wasn’t trying to slide into her room. I didn’t even know there was a card slide until I got here.”
“What kind of note?” Sawyer asked. “And why were you putting a note under her door?”
“I didn’t read it. Someone paid me to deliver the note; I assumed it was a simple message.”
Mike laughed with amusement. “Sure, because it’s almost two a.m. Everyone delivers simple messages at two a.m.”
The kid rustled about with his arms still cuffed behind him. “All the guy said was to deliver it while she was sleeping. So, when my shift ended, I ran over here to drop it off.”
Gideon jogged in the door as I sank to the bed. “What’s going on?”
Mike motioned at the kid. “Some guy paid him to deliver a note to Rosie.”
Gideon stepped up and braced his hand on the kid’s shoulder. “You must work for Akoni Resorts?” The kid nodded and Gideon eyed him. “The guy who paid you. Is he staying there?”
Akoni Resort was across the island, but still on Maui. I held my breath and when the kid nodded I felt the room spinning. I moaned and Sawyer was at my side immediately, putting my head between my legs.
