Page 44 of Heart of Stone
My declaration seemed to put Natalia at a loss for words. She dropped her gaze to her lap and fidgeted with her hands resting there. When she finally returned her attention to me, she said, “So, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow at work?”
Shaking my head, I replied, “You’ll see me when you wake up tomorrow.”
“What?”
“I think it’d be wise for me to spend one more night here with you.”
Her lips parted, and even though I waited for a few beats, Natalia couldn’t seem to bring herself to respond. I figured a little bit of clarification wouldn’t hurt.
“I’m not planning anything nefarious, Natalia. You can go sleep in your bed, and I’ll take the couch. I think you’re doing well enough that you don’t need me sleeping in the chair in your bedroom, but I don’t think it’d hurt to have me here in case anything pops up. Plus, the couch is between the front door and your bedroom.”
Natalia’s body tensed, her eyes roaming over my face as her expression grew curious. “Reid…”
Her voice trailed off, but I could sense she’d come to a realization and drawn some conclusions. “What is it?”
“You’re still concerned that Tim knows I’m here and is going to come after me.”
I couldn’t lie to her. While a good chunk of my worries came from wanting to see to it that she didn’t have any physical or emotional troubles throughout the night, the truth was that I hadn’t stopped thinking about this monster coming here to finish the job he’d started. Natalia seemed convinced enough that there was no need to be worried, so long as she was here, but I hadn’t quite gotten there and didn’t feel the same level of confidence.
“I just want to know that you’re safe. That’s all.”
“I’m going to be okay.”
Nodding, I insisted, “Of course, you will. Because I’m going to spend just one more night here with you to be certain that’s the case.”
“I’m not going to be able to convince you otherwise, am I?”
I shook my head. “No. Sorry.”
Having made that much clear, and with that understanding between us, we got ourselves ready for bed.
And now that a new day had dawned, I realized I was going to have to come up with a plan to ease myself out of this with her, away from my constant need to stay close just to keep hersafe and protected. Surely, Natalia was going to lose her patience with me if I decided to take up permanent residence at her place.
Slowly.
I’d have to slowly put some physical distance between us for short periods of time today. I could only hope I’d be able to convince her.
A creak on the floorboards alerted me to the fact that I was no longer the only one awake. I quickly sat up, my eyes meeting hers.
Even with the bruises still lingering, I thought she was stunning. If I didn’t think it’d freak her out completely, I might’ve allowed myself more time to simply take her in. Instead, I stood from the couch and moved in her direction. “Good morning.”
Natalia’s expression warmed. “Good morning, Reid. Did you sleep okay?”
“I did. And you?”
“It was great.”
I smiled at her. “Good. And how are you feeling otherwise today?”
She nodded, glanced down at her body, and back up at me. “The best I have in days.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
For a moment, we stood there, merely staring at one another as an awkward silence settled between us. Unsurprisingly, it was Natalia who broke it. “So, I was hoping that you’d allow me to make breakfast this morning as a token of my appreciation for all that you’ve done over the past few days.”
“Well, I don’t want you to think that you have to repay me in any way simply because I did what anyone should’ve done in this situation, but I won’t complain about it if you want to make breakfast. I’ve tasted your food before, and I wasn’t the least bit disappointed.”
That admission forced a smile onto her face, and Natalia’s eyes danced with delight. “I remember how aggressively you ate that meal. I’m not sure if breakfast will top it, but I’ll do my best.”
