Safe to love you (Ink Series - Spin Off Book 2) (4 page)

''Would you like to come in?'' I ask shyly. I’m not sure if I want him to come inside. I mean, this could be a disaster—what I’ve built this up to be inside my head, it might be better than reality. Presley comes in, smiling like he's won the lottery. To my surprise, he stops me in the doorway, puts his hands around my waist and holds me. We both want to feel it again, this connection between us. We stand together for quite some time; Presley smells so good and his chest is so comfortable to rest my cheek against.

''Well, well, well...that was fast, Abbie. You obviously dumped me for this shithead.'' I swiftly step away from Presley, knowing the night is about to take a turn for the worse. This is bad; this is really fucking bad. Dean is here, in my apartment. I’m freaking out in a very bad way.

I push Presley out the front door and close it quickly. I don't give either Presley or Dean any time to react.

''Dean, wh… what are you doing here?” I stumble. “I told you, we’re done.” I wait to see if he has something to say but he’s simply looking at me in disgust. “I meant it. It’s… It’s over. I’m not going to get back together with you, okay?'' My voice is shaking and weak. I’m scared, so fucking scared. By the grim expression on his face, I know he’s seriously pissed.

''You must be fucking kidding me, right? You're nothing without me! You have no friends, no family. You only have your job and this fucking place. You never go out; you're a hermit, a loner. I'm all you have, Abbie! You can’t just throw me away!''

Dean was right about one thing, I was a loner—but I was definitely going to throw him away.

I inhaled sharply, building up my courage to speak. ''Actually, I can and I am. You need to leave now, please, and give me my keys back. The security code of my apartment will be changed in the morning so don’t even try getting back in my apartment again.''

''Fucking bitch! Who the fuck was that guy? He’s the one from the concert, right? Were you going to let him fuck you?” Dean is standing in the middle of the living room while I’m still by the door. He's furious. His face has gone scarlet red and the rage in his eyes scares the shit out of me. My hands are trembling. I hope Presley has gone; I don't want him to hear all the mean things Dean is about to say to me.

''Answer me!'' Dean roars and the sudden noise startles me. He moves while I’m scrambling to get my thoughts together, and now stands two inches away from my face. Tears fill my eyes as I look into his, trying to connect with the Dean I once knew, but that man is long gone.

''No, of course I wasn’t,'' I protest shakily.

''You're a lying.'' He’s shouting so loudly, I'm certain the neighbors can hear him.

I squeeze my eyes shut hoping he’ll just disappear. Instead, a powerful slap connects with my face. The force behind the blow is so strong that it knocks me to the floor. I’m crying and shrieking, just begging him to stop. To my horror, Dean draws his foot back, intending to kick me in the ribs when the door bursts open and the doorknob slams into the wall.

Presley is standing in the doorway right next to me facing Dean and he looks utterly dangerous—they both do.

''Presley! Please, just leave!'' I don't want him to get hurt.

''Abbie, go into the kitchen,’’ Presley orders. His grey eyes are utterly terrifying, filled with anger and he’s staring at Dean as if he wants to kill him.

''Please…Presley,'' I beg.

'I’m not leaving, Abbie.
He
is.'' Presley lowers his gaze to mine for a split-second and his grey eyes soften, his protectiveness shining through.

Dean takes advantage and tries to hit Presley in the face, but Presley reacts swiftly and hits Dean first. Presley's a lot taller and stronger than Dean, and he grabs him easily by the neck of his shirt and pushes him out of the apartment. I’m surprised at the sight of Presley’s bicep, he’s fit. He closes and locks the door, leaning his forehead against it for a few seconds.

He finally turns to look at me and I notice his knuckles are bleeding. The side of my face is burning and I’m sobbing, a combination of fear and pain making me distraught. This is not how I wanted to spend this night, not after finding Presley when I thought all hope was lost.

''I’m not leaving you alone, Abbie—not after what just happened. Okay?” Presley informs me, as he leans over and helps me up. He brushes his fingers tenderly across my swelling cheek and lifts me into his arms, striding into the living room and lowering me onto the couch.

''Do you have ice, or something cold we can use as an icepack?''

“In the kitchen,'' I say. I’m about to scramble off the couch and get something myself, but Presley walks into the kitchen before I can move. This is so wrong, I feel like a complete moron. I can’t seem to stop crying. I'm ashamed of myself and humiliated by Dean’s actions.

''Hold this on your face Abbie.'' Presley hands me a bag of frozen peas. He tucks my hair behind my ear and presses a soft kiss on my forehead. ''I’m sorry; I snooped through all your kitchen cupboards, trying to find some Tylenol.'' He hands me a glass of water and a couple of tablets.

After I take the Tylenol, Presley sits beside me and gently places his palm against my cheek. ''I’m sorry. I know this is entirely my fault. I was acting like a fool at the concert. I didn’t think; I was being selfish wanting to meet you and I didn’t stop to think about what that bastard would do. I could tell he was jealous at the concert.''

''I broke up with him last Friday. I’ve been hiding in here all week. This was my first time outside in a week and he caught me out, getting in while I was gone.'' I’m trying to hold back the tears. ''But you should know this isn't your fault at all. I was at the concert too, I could've pushed you away, but I didn’t.'' A tiny smile makes its way onto my lips. ''That was the best kiss I've ever had,'' I admit quietly.

He blinks slowly and takes my hand in his. ''I’m so sorry he hit you; I shouldn’t have let that happen. I’m sorry.'' He kisses the hand he's holding.

I can’t help but smile again. ''Thank you.''
For everything. For saving my life. For existing.

He remains silent for a few minutes. ''If you want, I could call Alicia. Maybe she could spend the night with you?'' Presley glances at his watch. ''You could talk about what happened, you know, women seem to like doing that.” He shrugs, looking embarrassed. “I don’t know much about this stuff.'' He hesitates. ''Or maybe you could call one of your friends.''

''No, it’s fine. Thanks for the offer.” I lowered my gaze. “Besides, you heard him, I don’t have friends. I’m alone here in Seattle.''

''I could sleep on the couch, just to make sure he doesn't come back.'' Presley pauses, rubbing a hand across his jaw. ''I don’t think I would be able to forgive myself if I learn he came back and hurt you again.''

The thought is tempting and I readily agree. ''Yeah, that sounds good. I’d like it if you could stay.'' I squeeze his hand. I’m no longer capable of smiling, my face feels swollen.

''Look at you—you’re trembling, Abbie. Maybe you should take a bath and try and relax for a while. I’ll stay out here and watch TV.''

''Sure. Actually, that sounds like a great idea.''

A few minutes later, I’m standing naked in the bathroom staring at the mirror. A few hours ago, I’d thought I looked reasonably pretty. Now, I look like shit. My mascara is running all over my face, and my left cheek is in bad shape. Every muscle of my body is hurting and I can barely stand. My day took a turn I would have never expected and I wasn’t mentally ready for it. My mind and body are both completely exhausted.

Presley is sitting in my living room watching TV. I'd rather die than have him see me like this, but it’s too late to worry about it now. I'm an absolute mess, but having someone here for the night is comforting. What if Dean comes back? I hope he doesn’t.

There's nothing better when you feel like crap than soaking in a hot bath. It should relax my body and ease my pain. I add some vanilla and lilac essential oils to the water. I might look like shit but at least I’ll smell good. As if it’ll change anything…

Settling back in the bathtub, my thoughts turn to my father. What would my dad think? What would he have done about this situation? He would have either killed Dean or had him arrested. He never liked him. I should've listened to Dad on that one. I miss Dad, so much. He was the only good parent I’d had and cancer had to take him away from me. I’ll never stop missing him.

When he was alive, Dad worked as an investigator for the Washington State Police. He could've easily gotten killed in the line of duty, but he was always so careful. He was a great man, a very respected man, and a great judge of character. He warned me to be careful with Dean.

From my father, my thoughts turn to my biological mother, Erin. I haven't talked to her in months; in fact, I'm not even certain where she’s at. She’s never cared about me that much, and never acted like a real mom, so I’m certainly not going to ask her for advice. Last time I saw Erin was at Dad’s funeral two years ago. I’ve only spoken to her once on the phone since then. We have nothing in common and I’ve never forgiven her for the way she behaved after she and Dad got divorced. Erin dated a bunch of younger men and she’s been married twice since divorcing my dad. Erin needs advice regarding men even more than I do.

I’ve had enough of thinking and enough of the bath. I stand up in the water and step out of the tub, reaching for the towel.

Wow
, my head is spinning. My vision is suddenly blurry and I feel off-balance and nauseous. I slip on the wet tiles and hit my head on the corner of the vanity.

''God, dammit!'' I shout. I’m gonna be sick. I crawl to the toilet bowl and only just make it in time. The towel has slipped down to my waist; I'm trying to hold my own hair out of the way and I can’t stop retching. This is bad. Every part of my body is hurting.

And just when I think the night can’t get any worse, it proves me wrong.

Presley

I TRY TO
relax while Abbie takes a bath. I don’t know how long she’ll stay in there. I know she’s embarrassed and ashamed about the scene with Dean, so I imagine she’ll hide out for a while. She'll need my support when she comes back out of the bathroom. I just can’t leave her on her own. I’m determined to stay the night, and make sure she's doing fine before I’ll leave her tomorrow morning. Even the thought of leaving Abbie is painful. I don’t know what to think of my emotional reaction. I don’t even know this woman. All I know is that she’s unforgettable and passionate. I definitely want to get to know her better; I just hope she’ll let me.  We’ve gotten off to a very rough start, and she’s just broken up with an abusive boyfriend.  Maybe she’ll want to be left alone.

''God, dammit!'' I hear Abbie shout and instantly I’m on my feet and running to the bathroom door. What the hell's going on in there? Is she sick or something? I knock on the door twice and when there’s no response, I wrench it open.

Oh, fuck!
Her breasts are naked, a towel draped around her waist. ''Oh, shit, sorry, Abbie, I didn’t mean to… umm... shit, sorry.'' I try to avoid looking at her breasts again, but God help me, I just can’t stop myself.
Come on, Presley, pull yourself together! Stop staring at her tits and help her!

I snatched a towel off the towel rail and wrapped it around her shoulders, then wrapped my fist around her hair, to keep it back from her face. I rub circles on her back with the other hand. She keeps vomiting, and it’s causing her pain by the sound of it. Her body has been put under a lot of stress tonight. Poor Abbie, I feel so bad for her.

Eventually, she stops retching and I grab a face washer for her to rinse her face with. She’s got to be exhausted. I know I am.

''Do you want to get into bed now?'' I cringe, thinking it sounds like a sleazy line, but she looks so tired, I don’t think she even notices.

''Yeah, I think I will.'' I slip an arm around her waist, and support her as she walks into the bedroom. I don't want her to fall again.

She's gripping the towel to her chest as she sits on the bed. ''Presley, would you mind grabbing a t-shirt from the third drawer, and underwear from the top one?''

''Of course.'' I open the third drawer and grab a t-shirt with ‘Hello Kitty’ on the front. In the top drawer, I find a range of sexy underthings; thongs, lace, cotton, sheer. I pick a pair of pink boy cut underwear and hand her the clothes. I discretely turn away while she gets dressed and then help her get into bed. She is so fucking sexy; I can’t believe how lucky I am to be standing here in her bedroom.

''I’ll be on the couch if you need me for anything.'' I don’t know what else to do or say. Should I kiss her cheek? I’m not used to this situation. I decide to keep to myself and let her be.  The woman is sick and tired; she doesn’t need me pawing her tonight. I walk over to the door and turn off the light.

''Presley?'' Every time she says my name, my body reacts wildly. She’s driving me crazy. Or maybe I
am
crazy.

''Yeah?'' I answer quietly, standing in the doorway to her darkened room.

''Come here... closer.'' I do as I’m told, coming to stand beside the bed. ''Stay with me,'' she whispers. Her voice is so sweet and soft. How can I possibly say no? She wriggles across on the bed to make room. ''I feel safe with you. I just want you to be close by.''

''Uh... okay... sure.'' I feel like a horny teenager, about to lose his virginity. I pull back the covers and sit gingerly on the edge of the bed. '' Is it okay if I take off my jeans?'' I immediately regret asking the question, not wanting to make this anymore awkward than it already is.

''Of course you can.'' She's chuckling and it sounds so sweet. ''You’ve held me. You’ve kissed me. You’ve met my boyfriend, I mean ex-boyfriend, and seen him losing his shit on me and smacking me around. You’ve seen me vomit out my entire stomach contents, and you’ve definitely seen my boobs. I think you’ve seen far more in one night than you were ever supposed to.'' She smiled shyly. ''If you want it to be fair between us, you would have to take your shirt off and show me your chest.''

''I might scare you.'' I think about my tattoos and piercings – she doesn't seem like the type of woman who would be into them.

''Why would you scare me?'' She raises one eyebrow curiously.

''I’ve been told sometimes that I intimidate people.'' Well, maybe not Abbie, if her calm appraisal of me is any indication. I take off my shirt and let it fall to the floor. She’s watching me with those gorgeous green eyes and I know she sees right through me. And she’s not fazed in the slightest. Tattoos cover not only my arms, but my entire torso and back.

''You don’t scare me, Presley. But
that
,” she nods toward my nipples. “I mean come on, the tattoos I get, but piercing your nipples? That must have hurt like hell.''

''Yeah, it did.'' I repress a shudder when I remember the pain I went through, having it done. ''I thought I was going to pass out. Joshua, my brother, almost did.''

''Mmm hmm...'' she mumbles sleepily.

I start to slip off my jeans. ''Go to sleep, Abbie, we’ll talk more in the morning.'' I stare down at her and feel so guilty that my actions have caused this. I can't stop looking at her, she is so damn perfect.

After an hour of thinking and staring at the ceiling, waiting for sleep to come, Abbie rolls closer to me. She settles her head on my chest and intertwines her legs with mine. I didn’t expect it, and I’m certain she doesn’t realize what she’s doing. Despite how turned on it’s making me, I don't care; I’m loving every second of it. I place an arm around her shoulders and kiss her forehead tenderly, careful not to touch her swollen cheek.

I can’t fall asleep; I can’t stop myself from staring at her. She is so beautiful but filled with so much hurt. I hope she makes a full recovery from the abuse that bastard has inflicted on her, not only physically but mentally. My sister, Joy-Anna is always talking about love at first sight. When she first met Derek, she said she fell in love with him instantly. She felt her whole life being connected to his, told me that she had absolutely no control over it. That's how I feel about Abbie. I’ve only known her for a few hours but my heart and soul both seem to need her. On the other hand, there's an inner voice warning me to relax and take it easy, that I’ll come back to my senses in the morning.

I'm still watching her, studying her lips, her long eyelashes, and her perfect skin when I feel my eyelids getting heavier. I love the idea of falling asleep looking at an angel. I'm only praying she's not a broken one. Regardless of what happens, I want to help her regain her footing.

I really,
really
need to take a piss, but I don't want to risk waking her up. I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to hold it though. I’ve been awake for a while now, watching her. The photographer in me notices every curve of her body. I could make her look divine in a photo shoot, and I have an image in my head of the tattoo I wish I could see on her skin. I’m only daydreaming. I wouldn’t ask her to change a thing about herself.

I could so easily fall in love with her.
It’s too soon, Presley.

She's starting to move, stretching her limbs. I watch her slowly opening her eyes. She seems uncertain, a little anxious. Actually, she looks a little pale – I hope she’s not going to be sick again. She’s peeking at me with those amazing green eyes, and definitely blushing. I’m sure she didn’t plan to wake up and find herself wrapped around my body. I think it’s hilarious, but I try not to laugh.

''Are you alright, Abbie?''

She rubs her eyes sleepily, and then frowns as if she’s in pain.  Her cheek is swollen and bruised this morning.

''If I were you, I’d put the frozen peas on it again.'' I wait for her to respond, to say something but she remains silent. I turn on my side and lean my head on my fist, staring down at her. ''Are you okay, Abbie? Do you want me to leave? Say something, anything – please?''

At last, she speaks. ''I’m fine, honestly. I’m just surprised by how hot you look when you wake up.'' She grins, seemingly pleased with her joke.

''Wow... okay...”  Now it was my turn to be embarrassed. “I didn’t expect that, but thanks... you look good, too.''

She slaps my shoulder. ''Shut up Presley. I look like shit. Half my face is swollen, and I don't even think I can smile. ''

''Ice. I'm going to get you some ice.'' I pull the sheets back and get out of bed. I can feel her watching me. I’m only wearing boxers and I know I’m a reasonably toned guy, but her avid attention is making me nervous.

''Presley?'' She sounds as if she’s going to ask me something, and for some reason, that makes me even more fucking nervous. ''Thank you... for everything,'' she says. She’s sitting in the middle of the bed with the worst case of bed head I’ve ever seen, and even looking like she does – no makeup, black and blue cheek, hair all crazy – she’s seducing me as no other woman ever has.

''No problem, love.''
Love? Really, Presley? You are such a loser.

I walk out of the bedroom, and all I can think about is how badly I need to use the bathroom and how turned on I am. I could have gone to her bathroom, but it would have felt weird. There has to be another one. I take a quick tour of the apartment and find it. I’m astonished to see the quantity of books Abbie owns. It’s incredible. I’m having a hard time believing that she could have possibly read all of them… there must be hundreds. I find everything from Shakespeare to Nora Roberts, Nicholas Sparks, Frances Day, and Nathan Patterson. She has quite the collection, and doesn’t seem to have a particular genre. I get the impression she reads anything that can be read. I grab some ice before I return to the bedroom.

''There you go. Hold this against your cheek.'' I hand her a bag of ice, wrapped in a dishtowel. ''I know it’s none of my business, but I think you should probably call the police and file a report.'' For a moment I think she’s stopped breathing. She's watching me with tears trickling down her cheeks.

''I think I should too,” she agrees quietly. “That’s what my dad would’ve suggested I do.''

I get the impression her dad isn’t around anymore. I recall the words Dean said last night
“You're nothing without me! You have no friends, no family. You only have your job and this fucking place. You never go out; you're a hermit, a loner. I'm all you have, Abbie!”
Fear is visible in her expression, she’s scared. Her ex is obviously a total ass: possessive and jealous.

''Maybe you should apply for a restraining order, Abbie. It would be safer for you.''

I‘ve only just met her, I don’t even know if we have a future together. I want to believe we do, but I have no clue what the future holds. One thing I do know – I want her to be safe, and as long as Dean’s around, I fear she won't be.

''I’m not exactly what you were hoping for, huh? Go on, admit it'' she says, without meeting my gaze. “Bet you never thought I would be this complicated, huh?” I can hear the shame in her voice and the concern. She’s obviously under the impression that I’ll ditch her – decide she’s not worth the hassle. She’s dead wrong.

''You are exactly what I thought you would be, Abbie. You’re smart; I can tell just by seeing all the books you own.'' I touch her hand, trying to get her attention. I want her to look at me and be proud of who she is. ''You’re sweet, and you’re sensitive, and you’re beautiful. Probably the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen.'' I take a few seconds to watch her reaction, pleased when she attempts a tiny smile. ''You have a one of a kind smile and when I saw you again last night, when I touched you at the concert, I felt something. You're an incredible person, never doubt yourself.''

She's blushing again, and I love it so damn much. Her cheeks turn the perfect shade of red and it only adds to her cuteness.

There she goes, biting her lip again. I have to turn away before I’m tempted to kiss her, because if I do, it won’t be pretty this time, and it certainly won’t be gentle. The next time I kiss her, I may not be able to control myself.

Alicia

I haven’t heard from Presley since I saw him at Lucky 13 last night. I didn’t hear him come home either. I have to admit that I’m worried. Since the Kelly situation, he's been acting differently. That bitch totally used him. She needed a career boost and she only had to get him to take a few shots of her to get it. As soon as she got her photographs, she was gone, never to be heard from again. With Presley’s connections, he could have easily destroyed her career if he’d been vindictive. He isn’t that type of person though, he isn't nearly mean enough. I would have done it, that’s for sure.