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chapter 16: The Pledge

Nathan

"Sleep," I said, when she shifted her hips in my direction.

"Not likely," she breathed.

"You're exhausted. You'll be asleep before you know it. Just relax," I coaxed.

She shifted again and I tightened my hold on her.

"I'm not all that tired. We could if you wanted," she whispered in the dark. I might have taken her up on it if not for the stifled yawn I heard from her.

"Sweetheart, when we go again, I want you to be completely alert. Now, go to sleep," I encouraged.

I thought she was going to argue more, but she relaxed against me. "Thank you for an unforgettable night," she said.

I chuckled. "Anytime. Thank you for being you."

"Mmm-hmm," she said as sleep dragged her under.

A moment later, her body fell completely relaxed in my arms, letting me know she was out. I was still filled with a little too much adrenaline to sleep. Of course, it wasn't much of a hardship to hold her slender body in my arms, and I didn't mind being awake for it. She was equally beautiful in her sleep and by far the most engaging woman I had ever been with, making all others pale in comparison. Her quick wit and honesty on most issues pulled me in, making me want to learn everything about her. I couldn't help wishing she would trust me enough to confide her secrets. Her lies about never having a serious relationship had bothered me more than I had expected. I knew my response had confused her as I had fought to control my anger. The fact that she felt she had to lie made me want to hunt my employer down and beat him to a bloody pulp. What had he done to her to make her want to run away? I lay there for what felt like hours pondering several scenarios through my head, trying to make sense of why she was hiding the truth. Finally, my own exhaustion got the better of me, and I gave up trying to solve the mystery for the night. My last coherent thought before I succumbed to sleep was that it would be a cold day in hell before I allowed anyone to hurt her again.