Page 27 of The Protection Agreement

“Morning.”

“Where’s Lexi?” He asks

“Still sleeping,” I say.

It doesn’t take long for Chef Wayne to come in, all chirpy.

“Good morning! I got everything Lexi wanted and a bucket-size of sprinkles.”

“Let me know when breakfast is ready,” I say, leaving and heading to my office. I can’t go and see her again. I just might pull her into my arms and ravish her. She is Jonah’s girl.

I fire up my desktop and realize that I need my laptop. I don’t want to go back to my room, so I make some calls to several people, till I hear her boisterous laugh with Chef Wayne confirming she’s in the kitchen. I return to my room to grab the laptop.

Chapter fifteen

Lexi

The day goes by fast as Ice, Chef and I get comfortable with each other. They soon find out about my weird love for sprinkles. When I drown my ice cream in sprinkles, Ice and Chef each had a look of crazy woman or weird woman, but I laugh it off. Sooner they know the better. Once lunch and dinner are prepped. Before Chef leaves, I make another list of items I need to make puff- puff. Chef asked what puff-puff is and I got on YouTube to show him, he seemed interested and agreed to bring all the ingredients the next day.

Ice decides to help me with my puzzle, so we went to Bruce’s office and brought the table to the living room, made room for it and started a movie. We soon have our own rhythm. Talking and laughing. We had lunch together. But I didn’t want to eat dinner without Bruce. When it got much later, Ice insisted that I eat, which I did after a few cries of my stomach growling and Ice laughing at me.

I fell asleep on the sofa when Bruce came to pick me up, not knowing about my quick reflexes. I punched him hard in the face.

“Shit!” I hear Ice and my eyes fly open to see Bruce massaging his jaw. I sit up quickly.

“I’m so sorry. Amrit trained me to always do that. I’m sorry,” I shakily say.

“It’s okay, now I know.” I watch his hand massaging his jaw and I feel bad. I don’t know if I should try to touch it, but I do take his other hand in mine, and our eyes meet for a moment. I have missed him. He squeezes my hand and I respond by squeezing his back.

“You okay, boss?” Ice asks. I drop Bruce’s hand fast and avoid his eyes.

“Goodnight, Ice,” he snaps.

“Night, boss.” He leaves.

“It’s okay, Lexi,” he gently says to me. “I thought you had taken your meds, and I wanted to get you bed.”

“I don’t take my meds unless I certain of my safety and I’m comfortable. You weren’t back yet, so I didn’t take it.”

“Good, come on, let’s get you to bed.”

We both stand, and I stumble, but he catches me. The warmth of his arms around me, a reassuring hold, sent a jolt of awareness through my entire being, awakening me to him. My heart pounds, I struggle to breathe, my gaze fixated on his lips, ignoring every instinct that’s screaming caution. A shiver course through me, my nipples hardening, and before I could even fully grasp the urge, I close the small distance between us. My arms are right on his chest, and I can feel the frantic thumping of his heart. He completes the gap and takes my mouth in his. Like a watered flower, I open to him, kissing him back. He takes full possession of my mouth, his tongue moving with a sweetness and strength that intoxicates me. I grip his shirt tights as he cups my ass. A low moan escapes my lips. And I pull back from him, as a tingling sensation courses through me, a residual effect of his kiss and touch.

What have I done?

What you’ve been dying to do.

Jonah warned me.

The air crackles as we stare, a shared realization dawning that we've crossed the line that we both know we mustn’t cross. I see the certainty of it in his eyes – it's no longer a question of if, but when.

Though my walls felt like they were collapsing, I manage to pull out of his arms, move past him and go to my room without saying goodnight, leaving him standing there. I feel like a nervous teen, choosing to run away confused instead of expressing the impact of that kiss. After endless replays of our kiss, the weight of my transport items settles in my hands as I make my way to his room, I opened the door gently and paused, what if he kicked me out? thought crosses my mind

“Take the sofa Lexi, goodnight,” he says in a deep voice, coated with frustration.

I make myself comfortable on the sofa, roll onto my side, and say, "Good night, Bruce." It's clear that neither one of us is going to get any rest. We both know it, I also know it would be brutal for me tomorrow.

Chapter sixteen