Maverick stopped at the doorway and watched as Griffin approached me. “Did something happen to Wyatt?” he asked. Tension radiated off of him as he stood there waiting for me to respond. My mind went blank. I didn’t know how to answer him.
“Umm… Wyatt’s fine.”
“Then, what are you doing here?” he questioned. I couldn’t tell if he was mad that I was there, or if he was just worried. Either way, my heart couldn’t stop pounding.
“I’d like to talk to you for a minute, if that’s okay?”
“About?”
Damn. One word… that’s all I got. Embarrassment washed over me and I couldn’t stop my eyes from roaming back to the men at the end of the bar. They’d stopped talking among themselves and were now totally focused on us, a couple of them were getting a kick out of our little show. I instantly questioned coming to him for help, and the thought of being wrong about him, made me feel hopeless.
Feeling overwhelmed and scared, I stuttered, “I don’t know. Maybe I’d like to know why you’ve found it necessary to follow my son around and give him a phone without even telling me about it.”
Before I had time to register what was happening, he took a hold of my hand and pulled me out of the bar towards the parking lot. When the door slammed behind us, I started in on him again, “It’s just not right. You can’t just do that without asking me first, or at least having the common courtesy to tell me what the hell is going on. I don’t even know you!”
His fierce expression faded when he asked, “He didn’t tell you?”
“Uhhh… No!” I answered sarcastically. “That’s why I’m here. I have no idea what the hell is going on between you two, and any time I ask Wyatt about it, he says, ‘it’s in the vault!’” The corners of his mouth slowly curved into a sexy grin, and the tension he was carrying in his shoulders seemed to instantly melt away.
“Your boy did good; he keeps his word,” he said sounding pleased. “I told him to keep the phone in the vault… no talking about it, but I meant to his father. Not you,” he explained.
“He said that he’s supposed to call you if he needs help?”
“Yeah… that’s why I gave him the phone.”
“You didn’t think that maybe you should talk to me about that first?” I asked.
“Not at the time. Wanted him to be able to reach me if he needed me and knew that giving him that phone would be the easiest way to do it. That’s why I told him I was giving it to him… so I could be there… make sure nothing else happens to him or you.”
“What? Why would you do that? You don’t even know us! You can’t make promises like that to a boy like Wyatt. He’ll think you meant what you said.”
“I did mean it,” he clipped. “Meant every word.”
I was lost for words and stood there stunned with disbelief. I looked up at him, studying the determined look on his face, and for some strange reason, I believed him. “But why? Why are you doing all of this?”
“I’ve seen the police reports… your medical records. I know what your ex did to you. I know you were able to fight your way out, but you couldn’t do the same for Wyatt. I can see the fear in your eyes. I know you’re worried that he’ll hurt him like he hurt you. I’m going to make sure that he doesn’t.”
There was a storm raging behind those beautiful gray eyes – a storm I could see myself being pulled into, even though part of me thought I should fight it. I stared at him in awe, realizing that I knew nothing about him, but there was something that drew me to him. Why was he so touched by Wyatt? What had happened to him to make him want to protect a little boy and his mother? I wanted to ask, but I was afraid. All I knew was I needed help, and for some inexplicable reason… I trusted him. I don’t know what came over me, but I suddenly had an all-consuming need to touch him. His eyes widened with surprise when I placed my hands on his shoulders, standing high on my tiptoes, and pressed my lips against his cheek.
Chapter 8
Stitch
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