Lauren

 

He slept like the dead. I remembered that from when we were younger, the way he’d accidentally fall asleep with me in my room and stay the night holding me. The more I shoved him, poked him, and tried to wake him up to send him home, the louder he would snore. A delicate game we played, always being close, spending as much time together as we could, yet never fully defining our relationship. I didn’t recall Michael dating anyone, or even mentioning other girls. I never let myself believe he and I were anything more than friends, really good friends. The idea of being rejected by him had been my motivation to keep things unsaid.

 

But now, I wasn’t sure if those words could continue to live in the silence. Shouldn’t we talk about what happened? Shouldn’t there be some sort of discussion about us having sex? Michael wasn’t my first, I hadn’t been a complete prude before he re-entered my life, but I never had a fling, or a one-night stand. What if that was all he wanted? How could I let him go again after finally finding him?

 

The hot water of my shower poured over me, taking away any scent of his body and soothing my sore muscles. Whoever attacked me had not only scared me senseless, he’d made me strain more than one unused muscle to fight back against him. When Michael saw the small cut on my throat, I thought for a minute he would go back down to the alley and punch the guy a few more times.

 

I heard the door creak when he opened it, and saw him poke his head through the opening. “Lauren? You okay?” That concern in his voice. No matter how much he said things wouldn’t ever be like they were in the past, no matter how much he tried shoving me away, I knew in that voice, he cared. At least a little.

 

“Just washing up. It was hot last night, I’m all sweaty.” I stood still for a moment, willing him to join me. The way his hands worked my body, his mouth teased me and caressed me, was something I could get used to. “You sleep okay?” I asked when he made no sound. Still nothing. “Michael?”

 

I pulled the curtain back enough to see the rest of the bathroom. He had left. Rolling my eyes, I went back to cleaning up and getting out of the shower. Just as I wrapped the towel around my hair, the door opened again and he stood in the doorway with his hands fisted on his hips, wearing only his jeans.

 

I thought I had seen a good bit of him the night before, but now, seeing him in the daylight, he knocked the breath out of me. What looked like an athletic build in the moonlight of my room, looked to be gladiator form in the natural light. Dark tattoos covered his biceps, a few different ones on his chest, and one ran down the inside of his arm, but I couldn’t make out what it said. His hard abs, perfectly cut, led down to his narrow waist. I swallowed hard when my eyes landed on the bulge in his pants.

 

“You’ve been in here all morning,” he accused me with his growl. “I’ve been waiting patiently, but no more. Get in your bedroom.”

 

I laughed and shook my head. “Nuh-uh. The last time you looked at me like that, you stole my towel and had your wicked way with me.”

 

“My wicked way? Oh, no, sweetheart. That wasn’t my wicked way.” His lopsided, easy grin sent a shiver down my spine, straight to where I wanted him the most.

 

“I’m no little girl anymore, Michael.” I put a hand on my hip and tried to glare at him. “You don’t have to treat me with kid gloves anymore.”

 

He shook his head. “You have no idea what you’re asking for. Let’s get you dressed and pack a few things. You can spend the day with me at the garage, then we’ll head back to my place.” He stepped out of the way of the door, gesturing me to move to do his bidding.

 

I sighed and refused to move. “Michael. I have a class this morning, then I’m working at the shelter this afternoon, and I have one office to clean this evening. I can’t play hooky just because you have it in your head that some guy is after me.”

 

His eyes darkened, but not in the way that suggested we go back to my room for more fun, but in the sort of way that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand at attention.

 

“I don’t think someone’s after you. I know it. And until he’s caught, until I’m satisfied you’re safe, you’ll do what I say, when I say it, with no back talk or complaint.” My jaw slacked. I gripped my towel harder around me and took a deep breath. In all the years I knew Michael, not once had he used that voice on me. I’d heard him use it on bullies at school, and once when he was getting my stepfather away from my room, but never had he turned his toe curling growl in my direction.

 

“I have class.”

 

“I’ll take you to class. Tony will pick you up from class and bring you back to the garage. There’s a specific repair this morning I have to handle myself. I will then drive you to the shelter for your shift and take you to the office you need to do your thing at. Hell, I’ll even help you so you’ll get done faster and get home for a decent night’s sleep. In air conditioning!”

 

The heat in my cheeks had nothing to do with my attraction to him, even in that moment when he was being unreasonably authoritative, but had everything to do with him stealing my freedom from me.

 

“Why would someone be after me, Michael? And don’t say the internship again.”

 

“Maybe one of the husbands of the women at the shelter?” I hadn’t thought about that. I wouldn’t admit it to him, but he had a point.