“I’m okay,” she said against his chest.
“You’re not. Yet. But you will be,” he promised. “Give me that, Josie. Give me the chance to show you that we’re right together. I get that you’re gun-shy right now and that you’re doubting yourself, but give yourself into my care. Give me that chance. You won’t regret it.”
She was silent for a long moment, one that had him on edge as he waited for her acceptance.
Then she gave it. One simple word, laced with uncertainty but quiet determination.
“Okay.”
His own chest caved in a bit. He breathed in and out for several seconds before squeezing her to him.
“Sleep now, Josie. Tomorrow we’ll decide what to do about your apartment.”
He held her just as he was doing until her body went lax against his and the soft, even sounds of her breathing filled his ears. And still he waited, tense, replaying every word she’d said earlier. The fear in her voice. The self-condemnation. The image of her lying on the floor, Michael standing over her while he hurt her made it impossible for him to sleep.
It was well past midnight when he quietly picked up his cell phone from the nightstand and punched Jace’s number from his contacts list.
“What the hell?” his friend mumbled into the phone. “This better be good, Ash.”
“I need an alibi,” Ash said.
There was a long silence.
“Jesus. Fuck! What the hell, man? Do you need help? What’s going on?”
Ash glanced down at Josie, her eyelashes resting on her cheeks, the shadow of a bruise still on her face.
“Not now. But soon. Right now Josie needs me. She needs comfort and peace. And she needs to know that I will never hurt her. For now, I’m going to spend every minute making sure she knows this. But then I’m going after the bastard who put these bruises on her face and I’ll need you to help provide an alibi if it becomes necessary.”
“Christ, Ash. What the fuck? Someone hurt Josie?”
“Yeah,” Ash bit out. “And I’m going to make sure he never touches her or any woman ever again.”
Jace blew out his breath over the phone as he grew quiet.
“Whatever you need, man. You have it. Never have to ask.”
“Thanks, man,” Ash murmured. “Talk to you later.”
chapter twelve
Josie stirred and tried to stretch but immediately ran into a hard body. Her eyes flew open and she blinked rapidly as confusion ran through her mind. Then she remembered. She was in bed with Ash. In Ash’s apartment. In his arms.
Her gaze met the hard wall of his chest, saw the rise and fall of that beautiful male flesh. She inhaled, savoring his smell. Her lips were so close that she could easily press her mouth to his skin. And she was tempted.
But they weren’t lovers waking up after a night making love. They hadn’t had sex at all. Yet. They didn’t know each other at all beyond a few pleasantries and one conversation over dinner.
And yet she was here in his bed after agreeing to move in with him.
She closed her eyes and wondered again if she was making the right decision. Her mind and heart argued incessantly, and she still wasn’t sure who was the clear winner. Maybe there wasn’t one. She was going to have to wing this, because there was no clear and easy “right” decision.
Hesitantly, she lifted her gaze, holding her breath as she looked up to see if he was awake. Her eyes met his and she felt the jolt all the way to her toes. He was definitely awake and he was staring intently at her. As if he could reach in and pluck her thoughts right from her head.
“Good morning,” he murmured.
She dipped her head as heat crept over her cheeks.
“Josie?”
She glanced back up to see the question in his eyes.
“What’s wrong?” he asked gently.
She swallowed. “This is hard.”
He slid his hand up her body, over her arm and then up to tangle in her hair before brushing his fingers over the curve of her cheek.