Page 8 of No Limits

“I just hate being away from you. But yeah, that’s probably a safer idea. I’m sorry I got caught up for that long.”

He’s going to keep apologizing until he’s sure I’m okay. How do I convince him I am? He can read me better than anybody. He’ll know I’m lying. I guess all we can do is wait it out.

We go to bed as soon as we get home. It’s late and I stayed awake on the car ride back, even though my eyelids were heavy.

But I wake sometime later with a jolt, sitting straight up in bed as my heart pounds against my rib cage. Lochlyn sits up behind me slowly, kissing along my shoulder.

“You’re okay, baby.”

I take his hand and hold it against my chest. The actual situation wasn’t that scary. A guy was hitting on me, it’s happened before. But it was the environment, the late hour, the alcohol I could smell pouring off of this guy. And mostly the fact Lochlyn wasn’t around.

My dream twisted it into a much different situation where I was being dragged away by this guy, and I was screaming for Lochlyn, but he couldn’t hear me and kept talking. He wouldn’t even look my way and I was pulled further and further from him.

And it scared the crap out of me…clearly.

Lochlyn wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me into him, kissing any skin he can find. I relax against him, the heat from his bare chest and his sandalwood scent enveloping me and easing my muscles.

“Want to talk about it?”

“It was just a nightmare. I know the actual situation wasn’t that scary, but you weren’t around, and that made me lose my sense of safety.”

He hangs his head on my shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

“We just have to find a way to navigate these things. Either I don’t go with you, or I fully go with you, meaning if you need to talk to a band, I accompany you to the room or whatever. I don’t care if security makes me wait outside and they’re there.”

“Deal.”

He seals it with a quick kiss on my neck.

“Now come here and let me hold you while you fall back to sleep. Because I’ll always protect you, Shay. From anything and everything.”

That’s something I’ve always believed. And while tonight wasn’t a big deal, it rocked the sense of security. Mostly because he wasgone. Had it been a bigger issue, a bigger concern, would he have been there? Would he have been able to keep me safe?

Despite all that, right now, I’m safe and warm in Lochlyn’s embrace, and I decide to let that ease my tight muscles as I drift back to dreamland.

Chapter 4

“Shay!Shay!”Lochlyn’svoiceis so loud it booms through the house, which is likely his intention since he usually sneaks up on me.

Breathless from running, I reach the front door. “What? What is it?”

“They’re letting me represent Play it Louder. They’re my first official band, baby. And to celebrate, I am taking you out to dinner.” The smile on his face is breathtaking, and the twinkle in his eyes is the one reserved just for me.

It makes my heart flutter and a smile spread across my face. I launch myself at him, and though he catches me, he steps back and makes an ‘oomph’ sound. “I’m so proud of you, Lochlyn. So incredibly proud.”

Proud doesn’t even begin to cover it. Lochlyn has taken what was forced on him and turned it into something he loves, something that makes him happy to get up and go to work, to work late hours, and to give his one hundred percent. He followed the plan he was pushed into and made his own at the same time.

On top of all of that, I know this means so much to him. It’s what he’s been pushing for, what he’s been waiting for and slamming the ground for. Every single struggle and all the late nights have culminated in this…promotion of sorts.

“Go get ready. We’re going for dinner.” He smacks my ass as I start up the stairs. The fact that he’s home for dinner at all makes me smile, but he wants to take me out to celebrate.

I dress quickly, choosing Lochlyn’s favorite dark jeans and a shirt that can be made either fancy or casual, depending on whether I add heels or flats. The infinity necklace Lochlyn gave me years ago is always around my neck, so the only other thing to add is the tennis bracelet he got me for our second anniversary.

“Heels or flats?” I hold up a pair of each when I get back down to Lochlyn, who’s reading the newspaper on the couch, his suit jacket opened to reveal a sky-blue shirt that brings out his eyes.

“Let’s say heels so we can go somewhere fancy if we want.”

“Not too much walking, or you’ll be carrying me.”

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