Page 39 of Loving Lex

“Oh, God, baby,” she said, wiping at my sweaty face. “What’s wrong? What do you need?”

I gripped the sink. “Meds.” It was all I could get out.

“Okay. Let me help you. Come on.” She positioned herself under my arm and half dragged me to bed and forced me to lie down.

She left and returned a couple of minutes later. “Alright. I’m not sure which one,” she whispered. “This one says for pain. This one for migraine.” She called out the names and I indicated the one for pain. She gave me one and held a glass of water to my mouth so I could swallow.

“Thanks,” I whispered as I collapsed back onto the pillow. She undressed me and tucked me under the sheet.

“You’re welcome.”

I tried to focus on breathing as I listened to her move around the room. The shower came to life. A bit later, she came back and slid into bed, warm, naked, and smelling like lavender.

She curled around me silently and put a hand to my forehead as if to will the headache away. Something in her simple ministrations did so much, and that, combined with the medication, helped me to fall into a deep sleep, realizing that I was wrong.

I wasn’t falling for her.

I was already there.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Shay

Iwas soscrewed.

Not only was I now certifiably head over heels for a guy with way more baggage than me, but now I’d just spent the night doing my damn best to draw away all his horror and pain... and curl around him so completely that he’d never feel anything but my love.

Mylove.

Shit.

Tears filled my eyes as I clicked the door softly behind me. Life definitely had a sense of humor.

I’d woken to his soft snoring and just lay there watching him sleep for almost an hour. God, he was beautiful. Damaged and scarred in terrifying ways I may never fully grasp, but so fucking breathtaking. A lock of dark-blond hair had fallen over his eyes, and I’d carefully pushed it aside, marveling thatrealhad finally found me. Found, bound, and wrapped me with a bow.

I had a few errands to run, so I left him a note that I was borrowing his truck and plucked his keys from his pants on the floor. I didn’t think he’d mind, and I felt antsy. My fridge and pantry were embarrassingly bare lately. So much time eating and staying over at Lex’s had let some things go, and I needed to get some balance back in my self-sufficiency. Maybe I’d cook forhimtonight. Not that I had too many things in my arsenal of culinary knowledge, but I could knock out a killer chicken spaghetti.

Falling in love and cooking for my man?

“Who the hell am I?” I said on a chuckle, letting myself into my own apartment down the corridor. A musty, acidic odor made me wrinkle my nose as I dropped my messenger bag on my favorite chair. “Hello, Shay’s place. I’ve missed you, but you need some air freshener.”

“Good to know.”

I spun, the gravelly male voice just inches behind me. My heart slammed against my chest wall as fear-spiked adrenaline rushed my brain.

Eyes.

Dark. Sinister. Ugly.

That’s all I saw before a rough cloth was slammed hard into my face and a big hand held my head. I yelped, screaming into the rancid blackness, flailing to find contact, to strike back. I kicked and bucked, fighting him for all I was worth, satisfied when he grunted, and I felt him hit the wall and we stumbled into my coffee table.

I tried to bite him through the thick cloth, but it was useless.

My air was being cut off. I could feel it. I fought for a breath as he lifted me off my feet, his husky breaths heating my ear and another darkness swarmed my brain.

Rape.

He was going to do that.

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