“I was still your second call, so I will take it,” he says with a smirk.
“I’m probably on edge—this time of year does that to me.”
He glances over at me from the driver’s seat. “What time of year?”
The panic crawls up inside me. It’s not that I don’t want to tell him—I can’t. I still carry so much shame and fear. “I’m not ready.”
He nods and doesn’t push me for more information. “All right.”
We drive the rest of the way to the island in silence, and I can’t help but wonder if I am losing it. When he pulls up to his house, he grabs my hand.
“Trust your instincts and never doubt yourself. If you feel like someone was in your loft, I promise I will find out who it was. And trust me, it won’t be pretty when I do.”
“Thank you, but you can’t hurt someone on my behalf.”
Clay chuckles. “You don’t get it. If anyone tries to hurt you, Kayla, I won’t just hurt them. I willkillthem. I don’t know what type of men you are used to, but I’m sure you have figured out by now we are not normal.”
“I appreciate your concern, but no one is going to prison for me. The police can handle it if youfind anything.”
He makes anmmhmmsound and gets out of the truck. I slide out and follow him inside.
All the lights are off when we walk in, and I follow Clay upstairs and into his room. I haven’t been here yet, as I’ve either stayed in Vero and Brawley’s room or the guest room.
Clay’s room is just as I imagined: clean and organized, with no clothes thrown around—not even a laundry basket. There’s not even a little clutter on his dresser. Everything screams,I have no personality.
“You can have the bed,” he says.
“I can’t believe I’m in your bedroom.” I flash him a grin.
“Don’t push it, or I will make you sleep on the floor.”
“Hah! I would never! I’d slip in between Vero and Brawley—they would keep me warm.”
“Then you would have to explain why you’re here. So why don’t you get undressed and lie down.”
“Such a gentleman, demanding I take my clothes off.”
“Don’t even pretend you wouldn’t get naked for me without me even asking.”
That makes me laugh. “How about we don’t start this again—I’m too tired. But you can sleep in the bed with me, since we are not children.”
“I sleep naked.”
“You’ve had your cock inside me. I’m sure I will be able to refrain from touching it.”
Clay pulls his shirt over his head. “Please feel free to touch it if you really want to.”
He throws his shirt at me and I catch it, then he goes into his bathroom.
I hear the shower turn on and I have a fuck-it moment; I’m not sleeping after a seven-hour shift without showering first. I don’t bother knocking, pushing the ajar door further open, and Clay rubs a circle on the glass door so I see his face through it.
“You’re keen. Couldn’t wait to see me naked, huh?”
“Don’t flatter yourself. I smell like stale beer and have been on my feet since my shift started. Move over,” I say as I get undressed.
“You know we have more bathrooms, right?”
“I do, but you are not naked in them. While your personality may need work, I don’t know if you’re aware, but you are pretty to look at. Plus, it’s conserving water, so be a hero and help save the world, Clay.”