Page 37 of Getting Down to Business

“Thank you.”

He stood very still, unsure if this was a trap.

“I’m sorry. I thought you were trying to control where I lived and worked.”

Was this her issue with relationships? Had someone tried to control her? He couldn’t imagine Alyssa putting up with that.

“I’m not trying to control you. Was that a problem with someone in the past?” he asked, unable to help himself.

“No. But I’ve always been independent.”

“I hadn’t noticed.” He let the sarcasm ooze as he opened the door to the pub. The air conditioning rushed out, hitting him in the face.

There were two seats together at the bar, so he helped her get settled and then sat next to her. It was a different bar, but it felt very similar to the night they’d met. The night they first had sex.

He let out a disappointed sigh.

“Startin’ early?” Mac said as he put coasters down in front of them. He had a Scottish accent that made it difficult to understand what he said after a few drinks.

“On the way home. Mac, this is my roommate Alyssa. Liss, this is Mac, my favorite bartender in the city.”

“She’s a fine bit prettier than your old roommate.”

“Yes,” Grayson allowed.

“What’s your pleasure?” Mac asked Alyssa.

“For some strange reason I feel like a Scotch,” she said with a chuckle. “I’m celebrating, so give me the good stuff.”

“Aye, this one’s a heartbreaker, Gray. You’re in for it,” the bartender warned, giving Alyssa a wink. He brought their drinks and went to help the regulars at the other end of the bar.

“Starting with the hard stuff?” Gray asked looking down at her drink.

“I was hoping it would help me sleep.”

“You still don’t want to tell me what your nightmares are about? It might help to talk about it. Take the power away from your subconscious.” She raised a brow at him and he shrugged. “My older sister is a psychiatrist. Stuff rubs off.”

She took a sip of her drink and let out a big sigh.

“I dream that a man is attacking me.”

“I kind of gathered that by the way you kick and hit, and yell things like ‘No!’ and ‘Get off me!’ Who’s the guy?”

She shook her head and looked away.

“I don’t know. I can’t see his face, he’s wearing a—I can’t see.” It was obvious by her body language she didn’t want to talk about it, so he changed the subject.

He didn’t know what she needed from him, so he backed off.

Since she was a lightweight and her drink was kicking her ass, he bought them dinner. When they’d finished eating, he helped her up to their apartment.

She fell asleep on the sofa while he watched TV. She jumped when he woke her up to go to bed.

“You seem pretty sleepy, maybe tonight will be the night,” Grayson encouraged as he left her by her door. “Sleep tight.”

“Thanks. You too.”

Despite their wishes, Grayson was awoken by the screaming at 12:06 a.m. He sat up and waited until it stopped, then lay back down wishing he could do something, but he was powerless to help.