Hold Close (Biker Daddy Bodyguards #2) - Sue Brown Page 0,10

back. That was Craig’s goddamn job. He could do that. That wasn’t what he’d told Jamie though, was it?

He checked in with the team outside and told them they were settling down for the night. Then he went upstairs and went through the same routine of checking the windows in all the bedrooms. He had to take a deep breath and force himself to go in the master bedroom.

Christ! The room looked exactly as it had the day he walked out, down to the bedding half-strewn across the floor and clothes everywhere. They’d never been a tidy couple.

“Oh baby, do you ever come in here?” he murmured.

“No.”

Craig turned and saw Louis in the doorway, still dressed in his hoodie and sweats. “I thought you’d be asleep.”

“I was waiting for you,” Louis said. “I need your help.”

“You know how long it takes me to check everything.”

Louis nodded. “I remember. Have you checked here?”

“Not yet. Go back to the room, and I’ll help you undress.”

“I’ll see you in bed.”

He vanished, leaving Craig staring after him. It was a turn of phrase, that’s all. Louis didn’t mean anything by it. Just a slip of the tongue.

Craig strode over to the window and checked it, not surprised to find it locked. He looked in the closet, flicked the switch to turn on the light. And blinked. Some of his clothes were still there. A neat little pile of T-shirts, sweats, and shorts. He took them with him, glad to have something clean to change into. He didn’t run out of the master bedroom, but he didn’t amble either.

When he’d completed his circuit, including dropping the clothes in the bedroom he was supposed to sleep in, Craig went into Louis’s room. The door was open, so he figured he didn’t have to knock.

Louis was propped up on his pillows, reading a thick book Craig could guarantee was either a biography of an obscure actor or a fantasy novel. He loved both. He wore reading glasses too.

“The glasses are new,” Craig commented.

Louis blushed, obviously self-conscious. “My optometrist says I read too much.”

“You look good in them.”

“Even with the bruises.”

“Even then. You’re one of the most handsome men I know.”

“Thanks.” Louis blushed even harder at the praise. “You’ve got new ink.”

Craig looked down at his arms. “Yeah. It’s spread a bit since we were together.” He’d been trying to express some of his pain through the ink. He wouldn’t tell Louis that yet.

“Let me help you undress.” Craig suggested.

Louis took off his glasses and put his book down. Each movement was slow and deliberate.

“Have you taken your pain meds?” Craig asked.

“Not yet. They knock me out.”

By the time Louis was dressed in a T-shirt and sleep shorts, he was sweating and pale. Craig stood over him while he took the pain meds and then settled him under the covers.

“I feel like a child,” Louis murmured.

“I’ll check this window.” Craig strode over to the window, not wanting to stray into that territory.

“It’s locked,” Louis said.

“But I’ll check it anyway.”

He did. It was locked. He checked the closet. Then he turned back to Louis.

“If you need me, just call.”

Louis looked resigned. “You’re going to sleep outside my door, aren’t you?”

“Night, Lou.” Craig walked to the door, hiding the smile curving his mouth. Louis knew him far too well.

There was a long sigh behind him, a yawn, and a soft, “Night.”

Craig shut the door with a click and headed toward the guest bedroom. He changed into sweatpants and T-shirt from the pile he’d found in Louis’s closet. The smell of the laundry detergent was a familiar aroma. He sniffed again. The clothes smelled very fresh considering they’d been sitting on a shelf for three years. Craig pulled the T-shirt over his head and went to clean his teeth.

Grabbing the pillow and comforter, Craig left his bedroom. He flicked the light switch and settled down outside Louis’s door. It didn’t bother him to be roughing it. He was used to sleeping on the floor or in chairs, and could fall asleep at the drop of a hat. He listened intently but he couldn’t hear anything from Louis.

He closed his eyes, marveling for a moment before sleep claimed him that he was back in Louis’s house again.

The cry woke him. Craig sat bolt upright. One more cry before he was fully awake. Craig wrestled free from the comforter and threw open Louis’s door. The room was in darkness and Craig couldn’t see a thing. He turned on the light, assessing the situation.