Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

T he car! Where was her car?

Aspen slowed down as she looked around for a split second but couldn't delay long. He was right behind her. The pounding footsteps sounded so close. Fumbling with her key fob, she triggered the panic alarm, hoping that she'd just parked in a slightly different spot. Nothing but her breathing and the sound of their feet hitting the pavement filled her ears.

"You can't escape this time!"

She felt the scrape of his fingertips on her back. Pushing herself faster, she had to get away from him. The bucket banged against her thigh, slowing her down. Aspen grabbed one bottle from the supplies and dropped the bucket behind her.

Please trip!

His hand caught her shoulder, and Aspen screamed.

Sitting up in bed, she pressed her hands to her heart, trying to keep it from beating out of her chest.

"Aspen?"

At the sound of his sleep-deepened voice coming from the main bedroom, Aspen realized she must have actually yelled.

Without hesitating, she threw herself out of bed and ran for safety. Ran to him. Tripping over Rexy positioned in her doorway, Aspen thudded into the wall, struggling to regain her balance. Instantly, the big dog was by her side. He woofed in concern. She ran her hands over him, but Rexy didn't seem to have any sore spots.

"I'm here, Aspen," Jerico assured her as he appeared in front of her in the doorway to the main bedroom. Still caught in the nightmare's grip of terror, she dashed into his open arms.

"Little girl," he said softly, as he hugged her tight against his hard body.

His strength reassured her as she looped her arms around his neck to plaster herself even closer to him. "Dream. That man from the alley. He got me this time," she stammered.

Jerico picked her up and carried her to the bed. Sitting on the edge, he cradled her, setting her on his lap. She could feel his heat radiating through his thin sleep pants.

"You're safe, Aspen. No one can get you here," he promised as he rubbed her back.

"Promise?"

"Yes. I promise. I won't let anything happen to you."

Exhaling a shaky gust of air, Aspen laid her head against his bare chest. His heartbeat under her ear was steady. His skin felt warm and slightly furry. She felt her panic receding.

He didn't rush her, but simply held her in his arms, rocking her slightly from side to side. When she felt his lips press to her hair, Aspen shifted away from him and lifted her lips for a kiss.

His mouth was hot. Comfort vanished in a flash as heat flared between them. She tightened her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss.

"No!" A protest escaped from her lips when he ripped his mouth from hers.

"I won't make love to you for the first time simply because you need a distraction, little girl. That's not fair to either of us."

When she pulled back from him in embarrassment, he held her tight against him. "I will make love to you soon, Aspen, but once I do, I'll never let you go. Are you ready for that level of commitment?"

The conviction in his voice pulled her out of her negative thoughts that he didn't want her. She met his gaze and shook her head. "Not like this."

"Tell me what happened tonight."

Glossing over the events, she shared the attack.

"Then you got lost going home."

"I actually drove on autopilot as my mind whirled in circles. I caught myself a block from my apartment. Going home didn't sound like a smart idea."

"No. Besides, this is your home now."

"You can't want me here for long. I'm a mess with all sorts of garbage happening in my life."

"So, we'll fix it all. You're here and you're safe. Now, let's fix the situation at work. Is there a guard on duty in the lobby where you work?" Jerico asked.

"No. The doors are locked and only people with the keys can get in after hours. I was late tonight because there'd been a party in one office. It took me a while to get it all cleaned up. The regular crowd in that area had disappeared because of the hour. Usually, I walk back to my car with other people milling around."

"And you went through an alley to get to your car."

"That was stupid," she conceded, hearing the unhappiness in his tone.

"You were tired, and you've probably done that a million times before."

She seized on those excuses. "Exactly!"

"And each time, you put yourself at risk. We'll talk more tomorrow after you get some sleep. Will you sleep with Daddy tonight?"

"Daddy?" she echoed.

"Yes. Come on, sweetheart." Jerico gathered her back into his arms and stretched out on the pillows. He held her cradled against his chest as he tugged the covers over them.

Brushing his fingers through her hair, he asked, "Can you sleep like this?"

"I don't know."

"Let's try." He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Think happy thoughts. Can you see Rexy? He's worried about you."

Aspen peeked over Jerico's body to see Rexy's snout lying on the edge of the bed. The dog watched them carefully to make sure Aspen was safe. She reached for the fluff on the top of his head and petted Rexy.

"I'm okay, Rexy. Just a bad dream. Go back to sleep."

The dog yawned widely and sank down on the floor. They could hear the rattle of his collar with the tag Aspen had purchased for him as he settled.

"Rexy is going to think about meadows to romp in and his favorite treats. What are you going to imagine?" Jerico asked.

"Banana splits and baseball games," she answered instantly.

"Good choices. Close your eyes, Aspen."

With visions of banana splits flying through the air as men ran around the bases in tight pants, Aspen fell asleep in his arms.

Warm lips pressing against hers woke Aspen up. Recognizing Jerico's taste, she responded eagerly. Damn, he tasted good.

Aspen had roused several times during the wee morning hours and each time she'd found herself held tight against his body. That feeling of protection allowed her to push her worries out of her head and drift back to sleep. That man in the alley didn't seem so scary with Jerico by her side.

"I'm sorry to wake you up. I'm tied up at a meeting with the brass this afternoon. One of my team will pick you up at a quarter to four to take you to work. I'll be there to bring you home."

"I can drive myself," she told him.

"Do you want me to have a car in the driveway all afternoon or can you be good and say thank you?"

His firm tone told her all she needed to know. "Thank you."

"Good girl. Go back to sleep."

She smirked at him. Like she could sleep now.

"No getting out of bed until at least six," he decreed.

"What time is it?" she asked, propping herself up on an elbow to look around the room for a clock.

"Five-fifteen."

"That's an actual time people get up?" she asked, shaking her head.

"Six o'clock," he repeated.

Aspen flopped back down to the pillows. She'd wait until he left and then she'd get up. Closing her eyes, Aspen could smell his masculine scent on the pillow. She pulled it close and snuggled into the crisp covers.

When she thought to check the time again, Aspen was amazed to find it was ten o'clock. Stretching her arms and legs in different directions, Aspen felt better than she had in days. Who got to sleep until ten?

Woof!

"Good morning, Rexy. Want to go potty?" she asked and slid to the edge of the bed to get up. "Let me run there first."

In a few minutes, they both felt a lot better. Aspen changed from her baggy nightshirt to a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. Once back in the kitchen, she noticed a note on the island.

Eat. Drink. This is your home now.

Remembering his yummy eggs, Aspen opened the refrigerator to see more food than she could imagine two people eating in a week. He must have gotten a truckload of food delivered yesterday. Quickly, she scrambled some eggs, throwing in some cheese to try to rival his. It didn't, but that was okay. They were still delicious.

She looked around for a coffeepot and didn't see one. Searching through the cabinet, there was no sign of any type of coffee or brewer. Didn't he need caffeine as early as he got up?

Resorting to a glass of water, she filled a tumbler from the dispenser on the fridge. There was a paper on the table, folded open. It made her smile. Her grandparents still got the paper, but most people just read it on their phone, if at all. Obviously, Jerico was an old-fashioned kind of guy.

Aspen took a bite of her eggs, pulled the newspaper toward her, and discovered that the base put the paper out. A circled section caught her eye. It was a help-wanted listing.

Custodial staff needed on the base in the following locations. Please apply online.

Below, there were several areas listed. She could do all those jobs. Aspen grabbed her phone and navigated to the listings on the internet.

Between bites of her breakfast, Aspen typed in the link and filled in her information. She hesitated when they asked for her address. What was the address here?

A pile of envelopes sat on the island. Aspen grabbed one and added the address to the application. In just a few minutes, she pressed the submit button. She'd never thought of applying there.

About forty minutes later, her phone rang. She had an interview at noon.