Until Cobi (Until Her/Him #7)(25)

“You’re not slutty, and I would never think you are. What happened between us was good, so don’t try to twist it in your head into something bad, ’cause that will piss me off,” he growls, his eyes blazing with something I have never seen before. “We’ve got chemistry. It was bound to happen. Was it too soon? Maybe. Will it happen again? Fuck yes, it will.”

“I…” Holy cow. Why the heck did I open my mouth? “I don’t know if that’s smart, Cobi.”

“You don’t have to know, because I do.”

“You seem… umm… pretty sure.”

“Never been more sure of anything in my life.” He pulls his eyes from mine then finishes wrapping my foot, having no idea the effect his words have had on me. When he’s done, he leaves the mess on the counter and picks me up, carrying me to my bed. Stopping at the side of it, he holds me in his arms then grumbles something I can’t make out before carrying me to the living room and placing me on the couch. “Stay here, I’m going to clean up the glass. You got an extra set of sheets somewhere?”

Stunned, I nod then point him in the direction of the hall closet where I keep my towels and extra bedding. I listen to him moving around, and then hear the sound of my vacuum start up. I watch the clock on the wall as I wait for him to finish, wanting to get up and help but having no doubt if I tried he’d carry me right back in here. When he’s finished, he comes back to get me then carries me to bed, setting me down. I’m surprised at the way he made the bed; most men I know of wouldn’t bother tucking in the top sheet or folding down the edge of the blanket.

“Thank you, again.”

“It’s not a big deal.” He shrugs as he takes off his badge, dropping it to my bedside table then doing the same with his cell phone.

I glance at both items then look up as he’s unclasping his belt and sliding it from his jeans. “Are you staying in here?”

“Yep.” Well, okay. Now what the hell do I do? I should play the non-hussy and tell him to sleep on the couch, but offer him a pillow and blanket, since he’s been so nice. I should probably do that, but I don’t. I don’t, because the reality is I want him close. I feel better when he’s around, safer even from my own mind when he’s near me.

“Okay.” I scoot over to the middle of the bed, and he smiles a soft smile before rolling over to turn out the light.

When he comes back, he lies down then tugs me into his side, leaving me no choice but to curl into him. Then he picks up his phone and I watch him set an alarm.

“That’s just four hours from now,” I inform him as he clicks off his phone and drops it back to the side table.

“Yeah, but I gotta get to work in the morning. Before that, I need to head to my place to shower and change.”

“I’m really messing with your life.”

“Yeah you are,” he agrees, and guilt hits me hard and fast. I know he has his parents; I know he has a cousin, aunt, and uncle. I also know he has a place of his own. Still, he’s spent the last three nights with me, taking care of me and bringing me dinner. “Don’t twist that, Hadley.” His arm tightens around my shoulders. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. There is nowhere else I want to be.”

My chest feels funny, as I wheeze out, “You kind of freak me out.”

“I know.” He lets out a breath. “You’ll get used to it.”

“Will I?”

“Yeah, eventually.” I hear a smile in his voice, and I want to look at him to see his expression, but I don’t. “Sleep.”

“You know, you’re also kind of bossy.”

“Figure you’ll get used to that too.”

I don’t snort or roll my eyes, even though I want to. I definitely don’t tell him that I won’t get used to it because this won’t work between us. As good as this feels, I need to fight it. I need to remember where I come from, who I come from. I know that if Cobi ever finds out about my family, his opinion of me will change, and he will look at me like every other man I’ve told about my past has—with contempt and horror.

“You’re safe, Hadley.” He reads the tightening in my body, thinking I’m scared, and my eyes squeeze closed. Seriously, he’s sweet.

When his lips brush the top of my head, I burrow closer to him without a word, telling myself that tomorrow I’ll pull away and put up my walls against him. But tonight, I’m going to sleep in his arms and pretend this could work out, like if he found out about my past he wouldn’t care.





Chapter 7


Hadley

WHEN MY CELL PHONE buzzes in my purse, I continue to work and ignore it like I’ve done all day today, feeling nauseous when the buzzing stops then starts up again. Yesterday morning, Cobi left early, giving me a sweet kiss to my forehead then lips before telling me that he would see me later. After he was gone, I laid in bed for a long time in a sleepy, happy daze, still feeling the lingering of his soft kiss to my lips.

It wasn’t until I got up, had a cup of coffee, and in my happy haze answered my phone that reality came crashing down around me. Normally, I never answer when I see one of my parents is calling, but I answered without thinking and immediately wished I hadn’t. At just ten in the morning, my dad was drunk and probably high. He slurred as he asked me if I had really been shot at by—in his words—some fucked up doctor.