Stalking His Claim - Lucy Darling Page 0,18

briefs. She holds her hand out for the towel. I turn to give her privacy as she wraps it around herself. “Use me.” I hold my hand out for her to brace herself on as she steps out. I grab another towel for her hair.

“Thanks.”

“Sit on the bed,” I tell her, grabbing the kit. I drop it on the bed as she sits down. I jog over to my closet, stripping myself of my underwear and pulling on some sweatpants. I grab a shirt for her. She’s drying her hair when I walk back out. I drop the shirt down next to her before going to my knees to take care of her cuts.

“Why are you home?” I look up at her. Her tone is off. I can see an underlying sadness in her eyes. I want to take it away from her, but I need to know what’s wrong first.

“I told you. This is where I belong.” I put the cream on her knee.

“You canceled our movie night because you had a work trip.”

“Didn't go.” I peel off the back of the bandage, sticking it on. “Have you eaten? I’ll make you something and grab something for the pain.” I stand up.

“Where did you go then? You’re home late too.” She’s got her chin tilted up. She’s pissed. I almost smile. I’ll take her being mad over sad any day.

“I went to dinner with James.” She lets out a small gasp like I struck her. I furrow my eyebrows, unsure of what the hell is actually going on here.

“Your knees?”

She shakes her head no. Her eyes are filling with tears. “You call your girlfriend ‘James’?” she shouts.

“I went to dinner with James. You know I don’t have a girlfriend.” I have no clue what she’s talking about.

“Don’t lie to me. I saw you.” I drop back down to my knees so that I’m eye level with her.

“You’re going to have to break down what you think you saw because I was with James. If you don’t believe me I’ll call the restaurant now and get the security footage.” I have no doubt that place has cameras everywhere. Is this why she was crying? Because she thought I was out with a woman? That thought does something funny to me inside. I know I shouldn’t be happy that she’s jealous because it upset her. But the fact that she doesn’t want anyone else to have me is music to my ears.

She bites her bottom lip, her eyebrows furrowing together like she’s thinking. “You had fries,” she finally says.

“No, James ordered. I didn't eat the fries.” She knows that. For some odd reason eating a fry without her felt wrong. It’s become a little game between us. Well, her teasing me. I rather enjoy it.

“I saw the woman in the pretty suit. She was sitting with you and James was nowhere in sight.”

“I'll tell you-” I trail off when it hits me.

“You remember now? Is it hard to recall what you did twenty minutes ago?”

It takes everything inside of me not to smile. Never in my life have I seen her be a smart ass. Hell, I’ve never even seen her worked up and mad. It’s fucking sexy and adorable all at once. Only she could pull those two things off together.

“James went to the bathroom.” Tinsley rolls her eyes.

“While he was gone Kelly Blackburn popped in to drop off some files for him.” Her eyebrows lift high.

“As in John Blackburn’s wife, Kelly?” she asks. I don’t think she’s ever met Kelly. She has met John a handful of times. The man never fails to mention his wife. So Tinsley knows that he’s madly in love with Kelly.

Tinsley has even commented on it and how sweet it is. That a woman could only hope to have a man love her the way that John loves Kelly. Now that I think back on it, her eyes would always remain on mine while she was saying it.

“The one and only.”

12

Tinsley

“Oh.” I feel a tiny bit embarrassed at my overreaction. Oops is the only thing that comes to my mind at the realization that I had basically gotten myself all worked up over nothing.

In saying that, I still have a lot of questions for Reed but decide to let them go for tonight. Wanting the comfort that he is currently providing me right now. I relax, letting the anger fade away. Now that I’m calm, I remember the fact that we took a bath