She moaned against my chest. “I’m too tired.”
The soft side of me wanted to let her stay. She would be harmless in the bed beside me, fast asleep through the entire night. The following morning, I would wake up to the peaceful expression on her face. But the hard side of me always prevailed, and I knew letting her stay wasn’t an option. “That’s okay. I’ve got you.” I lifted her from the couch and carried her toward the garage.
Lighter than air, she nearly had no weight. But when she struggled in my arms, I could feel the strength of her frame. “What are you doing?” She was slowly stirring, coming back to reality.
“I’m taking you home.”
“What time is it?” She squinted at the clock on the microwave as we passed. “Oh, it’s midnight. I’ll just stay here, then. Not much point in going home right now.”
I kept going because she wasn’t staying here. “I don’t mind, sweetheart.” I grabbed my keys off the counter and walked into the garage.
She wiggled in my arms until she moved down to her feet. The look she gave me was like a laser beam. With high voltage and magnitude, she peered at me like a woman who could read my mind. “Do you not want me to sleep here?”
This was dangerous territory, and I would’ve rather avoided this conversation if possible. Things were going well between us, and I didn’t want to move backward. “No. I just have to up early tomorrow—earlier than usual. I’d have to take you home around five, and no one should be awake that early.” I relied on my charming grin to persuade her, using all my ammunition to get out of this war zone.
She must have seen something reassuring in my gaze because she bought my story. “Alright. I’m not a morning person, so I wouldn’t appreciate that very much.”
Crisis averted.
When I walked her to her door, I heard the loud bass coming down the hallway from one of the neighbors. At midnight on a Tuesday, it was obscene. The music amplified against the walls and must have disturbed the entire building.
Rome acted like she didn’t notice anything. She got her key in the door and unlocked it. “Thanks for giving me a lift.”
My eyes moved down the hallway and landed on the nearest door. I was pretty certain it was coming from that apartment. “Is this normal?”
“The music?” she asked. “Yeah, I just try to ignore it.” She walked inside and set her purse on the entryway table. “I have a white noise machine, and it covers most of the sound.”
I wanted to write her a check then and there so she could get the fuck out of that place. It was full of drug dealers and assholes. I didn’t want her sleeping there alone, not when I didn’t know if she was safe. I could tell her to move, but I knew she wouldn’t take the suggestion well. And I couldn’t have her stay over with me, or I’d have a meltdown. So there was no solution.
“Well, goodnight.” She stood on her tiptoes and gave me a soft kiss on the lips.
The embrace didn’t dim my anger. Usually, the touch of that full and wet mouth took me to a new place. But now, I was too annoyed to appreciate anything about her beauty. “Goodnight.”
When she pulled away, she searched my gaze. Her eyes darted back and forth as she focused on mine. She picked up on my mood, feeling it through her skin like heat waves. “What is it?”
My eyes broke contact, and I stared across her tiny apartment. The veins in my forearms bulged, and my temple started to pound with a migraine. I was a man who always got my way, and the fact that I had to hold my tongue made me sick. “Have you considered moving?” I phrased it as politely as possible.
“Because of the music?” she asked. “He usually turns it off by one, so it’s not a big deal.”
It was a big fucking deal. She practically lived in the projects, and a beautiful girl like her shouldn’t sleep in a place like this unprotected. If she lasted this long, she obviously knew how to look after herself, but that wouldn’t stop the nightmares from killing me. “Because of everything.”
She crossed her arms over her chest, the fire slowly coming into her eyes. “What are you saying?”
She already knew, so what was the point in me hiding it? “I don’t think this is a place for a single woman—that’s all.”
“It’s fine.” Her voice was cold like chipped ice. “It’s in my budget, and there aren’t many bugs, so I’m grateful. A lot better than where I came from.”
Just because she was used to shit didn’t mean she should keep living in it.