Layers Peeled (6 page)

“I couldn’t
just let them take her.”

“I understand.
But I can honestly say I can’t wait until you’re living with me.
That way I can keep my eye on you two twenty-four/seven.”

“I’d like that
very much.” I leaned my head back.

“Me too.”

“And I promise
to be careful next time,” I said.

“I know you
will, but let’s try for there not to be a next time.”

“You know
you’re asking for the impossible?”

“I’m just
asking you to be cautious; otherwise I’ll hire someone to follow
your every step, which I know is not what you want. Now rest.”
Tristan pressed the down arrow on the remote and the bed buzzed
backward.

Exhausted I
closed my eyes. “Okay.” How could I argue with him? The man at my
side was not only caring but also understanding. He wanted to keep
me safe without being overprotective. My eyelids felt heavy, and I
dozed off feeling the gentle rub on my tummy.

* * *

Within two
days my belonging were packed and being shipped to Tristan’s
apartment by an entourage of movers and personal assistants. Since
I still had a couple of weeks off before returning to work, it gave
me time to get used to the idea that I would once again be living
with Tristan Cross – and this time not for a job or a secret
mission. He wanted me with him. In the back of my mind I’d wondered
whether we’d be moving in together if I wasn’t pregnant, but I
didn’t want to spoil the good mood he was in. My gut said yes, yet
I didn’t dare face the reality that he was only with me for the
baby, so I pushed the thought aside.

As I stood in
the doorway of my old apartment, I noticed Laura’s eyes gloss
over.

“I’m so going
to miss you.” She rammed into me.

I winced. The
stitches on my arm wouldn’t be removed for a week, and the wound
was fresh. Each time I moved it felt like the gash tore apart. And
I still had the pleasure of looking forward to explaining my
injuries to the family. Hopefully it wouldn’t be long before the
bandages came off. I hadn’t told Laura about the baby either, which
added another layer to the guilt of leaving my friend. She never
mentioned what she’d seen in the alley. I wondered whether I’d
misread her expression, but perhaps she was waiting for me to tell
her in my own time. That’s the kind of friend Laura was. Her
inquisitive cop nature was usually reserved for work and only used
for personal reasons if she knew it would help her friends.

“Sorry.”

I patted her
back. “No problem. We’ll see each other at work, everyday.”

In reality,
sharing an office at Cross Enterprises, we’d probably see each
other much more than we had at the force where we’d worked opposite
shifts. Tristan had this planned even before our undercover
operation to rescue Kendra began. He’d wanted to surprise me. Laura
was going to be my partner in crime (Tristan’s words, not mine).
She was supposed to set up the department and prioritize the cases.
As soon as I returned, we’d organize stings to find the girls. We’d
also be working with James, who had apparently been dating Laura.
The thought of why she hadn’t mentioned James before cooled off my
guilt. It seemed I wasn’t the only one with secrets. But I knew
she’d tell me all about her escapades with the hunk in due
time.

I was happy
for her and hoped she’d one day find the kind of man I had: a
caring and devoted one with whom she wanted to stay for more than
one night. One who understood her and accepted her for who she was.
So far the secret dates Laura had been going on seemed promising.
After all, they’d gone out more than once. And I definitely
wouldn’t miss finding anonymous men’s skid-marked underwear in our
laundry basket.

“I know we
will. As much as I’ll miss the action, I can’t wait to work regular
shifts. But a desk job is not really your thing. Aren’t you afraid
you’ll get bored?”

“If it means
more girls can be saved, no way. And you’re forgetting we’re
supported by Cross Enterprises. There’s nothing boring about
that.”

“Yeah, I’m
excited.”

“And you can’t
complain you’ll be working with Jaaames...” I teased.

“He’s pretty
cool.”

Her cheeks
flushed red. Wow, when had Laura become Ms. Blush?

“I wanted to
tell you earlier but didn’t want you to suspect I was affiliated
with Cross Enterprises. Tristan insisted our surprise at the office
worked.”

I recalled the
day I’d been fired and re-hired, told Tristan I was pregnant, and
let him have his way with me on his desk. A warm feeling returned
to my belly, and I wondered where Tristan was and how fast we could
get to his apartment.

“No worries.
And you know you’re more than welcome to visit us at the apartment.
Anytime.” I hugged her tightly.

Laura had that
conspicuous look on her face. As if she was hiding something.

“What is it?”
I asked her.

“Nothing.” She
let go and turned back to the couch.

“You’re
lying.”

“I’m just sad
you’ll be so far away.”

“It’s a
twenty-minute drive.”

“Right. A
twenty-minute drive,” she repeated.

“Ready?”
Tristan picked up my purse and held out his elbow for me to take. I
refused to use a wheelchair. The leg might be aching like a
thousand stinging bees (make that hornets) all at once (not that
I’d been stung so many times), but I was not handicapped.

“As ready as
I’ll ever be,” I yawned.

Outside, the
last leaves were falling from the trees. The smell of pumpkin pie
and turkey filled the street. I’d sort of forgotten it was already
Thanksgiving. I hadn’t celebrated the holiday since that day
thirteen years ago when my mother had been hurt, but now I wished I
could enjoy my family’s company. After all, there was so much to be
thankful for: my mother’s safety, Tristan, and the baby growing in
my womb. And where exactly was all this moonshine coming from?

That afternoon
we were going to break the good news to Maggie and John – Tristan’s
parents – my mom, and the rest of the family about baby Puss, as
Emma called it. I really preferred Betty at this point, but knowing
Tristan’s little sister she’d text a new name to me within a couple
of days.

Of course
Tristan’s Bentley was parked in front of the apartment. He opened
the door and I crawled inside, acutely aware of the pain my arm and
leg were in. It would only get more difficult to get in once my
belly grew.

We drove in
silence. The leather seat hugged my body like a memory foam bed
mattress, and my eyes felt heavier every minute. I lost myself to
the eighties music Tristan turned on, and once Enya’s tunes played
I felt my eyes lower, just for a moment—or so I thought.

When I opened
them again, Tristan’s head was resting against the side of his
seat, looking at me as if he was seeing me for the very first time.
The car purred quietly. Warm air from the controls tossed his hair
like fluffy feathers. We were parked somewhere outside, but I
couldn’t keep my eyes off Tristan. His strong, freshly shaved jaw
curved up, sending the scarred upper lip off center. It was my
favorite look of his: a sexy, lopsided smile decorated his
face.

“You’re
tired,” he said.

“It’s the
hormones. One moment I feel like I could sleep for twelve hours,
and then other times when I look at you all I want to do is f...”
My hand flew up to my mouth.

Wow, shut up,
Allie!

“Do what?”
Tristan didn’t miss a beat. The lust in his voice tickled my ears,
and I pressed my knees together.

“Perhaps we
should get you home so you can sleep?”

When had his
definition of sleep changed to fuck? The way he said it, I was
certain that’s what he meant. He shifted his gaze to the front
window of the car.

I lifted my
head, wondering when Tristan would drive again. He reached forward
and smudged away the fogged windows. I must have been sleeping for
a while and didn’t expect him to stop until we got to his
underground garage; yet here we were, parked on a paved driveway,
outside a mansion that resembled a Victorian-style country home. I
knew we couldn’t be that far away from the city. Where were we?

But Tristan
had already opened my door.

“You had plans
I wasn’t aware of?” I asked, wondering whether we were stopping by
one of his acquaintances or for a quick business meeting before we
went to his downtown apartment.

“You could say
that.” He took me under my arm and led me toward the double door
entrance. A white Bentley was parked closer to the three-door
garage. Whomever owned this place at least had the same taste in
expensive cars. The smell of the ocean filled me and I heard waves
gently crash in the distance. Around us the property was bordered
by trees and shrubs, without another house in sight.

What a
peaceful location,
I thought.

It had to be a
lawyer or at least some sort of a financial mogul living here.

Tristan took a
deep breath in, and instead of ringing the door bell like I
expected him to, he lifted my hand and flattened my thumb against a
keypad.

“
Welcome
home, Ms. Green,”
the intercom speaker said in a soft
voice.

“Tristan, what
is this?” I felt my jaw drop to the concrete steps.

“Our home.” He
pushed the door open and scooped me up under my knees, ever so
gently, to not press against the bandaged cut.

“What are you
doing?” I gasped, feeling myself lean against his chest.

Without saying
a word, he carried me over the threshold as if we were married.
Then he pressed his lips to mine, stealing a passionate kiss, and
whispered into my mouth, “I’ve always wanted to do this.”

My arms
wrapped around his neck, bringing his lips back to mine. Had he
just bought us a house? I forced the tears of happiness back. I
didn’t want to cry now, but how could I not? This was
unbelievable—he was unbelievable. Feeling my tongue touch his lips,
begging to be welcomed further down into his mouth, drove me insane
and was better than chocolate cake (which I craved now as well).
This new pregnancy heat wave I was riding was out of this world. I
couldn’t get enough of him. Tristan opened his mouth and deepened
our kiss; his fingers digging into my skin touched my core. I held
onto his face, losing myself in the warmth of his lips. Every
single time Tristan kissed me felt like our first time. I could
stay like this forever, but my bladder disagreed, and I slowly slid
out of his arms down to the wooden floor. The faint sound of
dripping water tortured me, but I had no time to find its
source.

“Bathroom?” I
stepped from one foot to another. He pointed to the right and I
rushed into the powder room, which I’d have to revisit later to
truly appreciate its size. After a quick relief, I stepped back
into the beautiful foyer in awe. A chandelier hung above, composed
of an intricate web of deer antlers, dangling from underneath the
peaked roof of exposed beams. My gaze followed the length of the
wood toward a railing. Upstairs, beyond a balustrade, was a sitting
area complete with plush couches and shelves stacked with books. I
could only see a bit of it from where we stood, and I couldn’t wait
to go exploring. In front of me, a waterfall feature trailed a
steady stream, and I understood what had triggered my bladder
earlier. The whole entrance was encased in a fresh bouquet of
smells. A floral aroma mixed with wood and an ocean breeze floated
through the room. I noted a fall flower arrangement on the side
table, right below a mirror. Brown and orange tones stood out all
around us as if the place had been specifically decorated for the
queen of fall.

“So when you
say it’s our home, what does that exactly mean?” I asked pacing
cautiously across the wooden floor, trying to comprehend what
Tristan had just said while examining the luxuries around me. This
couldn’t be true. Who in their right mind just buys a house like
this?

He wrapped his
arms around me from behind, saying, “It means it’s our home. You
and me, and Puss.”

“Is this the
secret Emma’s been keeping?” I remembered his sister mentioning
something about secrets and moving closer to home when I was at the
hospital, but my mind had been preoccupied back then with the news
of my pregnancy and trying to figure out where I fit into Tristan’s
life. No, this couldn’t be true. Things this wonderful were meant
to happen only in movies.

“I don’t
deserve this,” I whispered, not realizing I’d voiced my thoughts.
My gaze strayed from left to right and up and down trying to take
it all in. How big was this place?

“Allie,
please. I really want you to feel like it’s your home, our
home.”

And he meant
it, too.

“Are we close
to your parents? I heard the ocean.”

“Yes. I wanted
to surprise you. And it’s a five minute walk to the Cross’s. Right
next to Julian’s house.”

I never knew
Julian lived beside his parents; but then again, I’d never
asked.

“When did you
do this?”

“When you were
in the hospital. Right after the shooting. I’d been waiting for
this property for a while, and it came on the market in perfect
time.”

“Before you
found out about Puss?”

“Yes,” He
turned me around to face him, confusion filling his eyes. “Did you
think I only wanted to move in with you because of the baby?”

My heart
screamed no, but Tristan was right. I’d never admitted just how
much I wanted Tristan to want me only. I should have never doubted
his intentions, thinking he cared for me because of the baby. I
needed him to want me for me, not just for the baby. And he had.
But deep inside, I still wasn’t sure of his exact feelings. As
evident as his care and passion were, my heart chose to hold on to
doubt.

Could Tristan
really want
me
? And if so, how come I felt so confused? I
wanted to be with Tristan like nothing else in my life. I needed
him and me and our little bundle of joy to be a family. I’d loved
our Betty or Barney or Puss the moment I’d found out I was
pregnant. And I loved their daddy too.