Stripped_For The Very First Time by Penn Rivers

Author:Penn Rivers [Rivers, Penn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-03-15T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

KANAAN

I pulled up to the Sapphire at noon, finding Gemma’s Charley parked in its usual spot at the back of the lot. Raw with worry, I gripped the steering wheel until it squeaked under my knuckles.

She hadn’t given me details about what had her in tears. I only knew she needed a place to stay. And I was going to give it to her.

Stopping next to the Honda, I hopped out of the cab and met Gemma as she was taking her suitcase out of the trunk.

“I got it.” I switched out with her, and our hands brushed. She jumped back like she’d touched a live wire.

I loaded it into the bed of the truck before finally looking at her. She was free of makeup, her eyes were bloodshot, hair piled on top of her head in a messy bun, wearing ripped jeans and a baggy sweatshirt. And still. She was my fucking air. My blood pumping in my veins. The most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.

My stomach clenched. If anything happened to her…

Nothing would. She was with me now, and I’d make sure of it.

“Come on.” I grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the passenger door and shutting her in before getting behind the wheel.

As I weaved the busy side streets toward the highway, I waited for her to tell me what had happened. But she offered no explanation.

Glancing over, I found her staring out the window, jaw rigid, shoulders tense. She was so deep in whatever shit was bothering her, I didn’t know how to reach her. Or if I even should. Maybe she needed me to just say nothing.

“How far is your place?” she asked, clearing her throat twice to get the words out.

“Fifteen minutes. Give or take.”

She nodded, pulling at her earlobe, a nervous gesture. She’d done that at the diner that first night. It had brought my attention to her simple silver stud earrings.

“Stopping by the store on our way,” I added. “I wasn’t ready for you.”

“Oh. I don’t need anything. I’ll be easy.”

I hid my grin by pretending to look in my side mirror. Nothing with her was going to be easy. But I was ready for it. More than ready for this chance with her.

What wasn’t ready, was my refrigerator.

“I’ve been needing to go grocery shopping,” I explained. “I have a package of pepperoni and a container of lemon yogurt I’ve been putting off eating. I’m thinking those two things wouldn’t make an epic meal.”

I looked away from the road and found her gaze. No window this time. Good.

“I call dibs on the lemon yogurt,” she said.

“It’s yours,” I agreed low. Everything was hers. She just didn’t know it yet, and I couldn’t admit it anywhere but in my head.

Three minutes on the interstate and an exit later, we were pulling into the grocery store. Gemma was edgy, her eyes darting all over the lot.

“Do you think it will take long?”

“Give me ten minutes. You wait here, okay?”

She nodded, but I didn’t want to leave her looking like that.

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