Page 197 of Fixation

He won’t be able to save me.

Oh my God.

“Help!” I scream, banging on the window. Pleading with strangers to do something. “Help, I’m being taken against my will!”

“Kitten.” A large, warm hand covers my mouth. Silencing me.

The man on top of me smells good. A woodsy scent. A clean one. His palm is familiar.

I twist my head to look at him.

The moon’s silver beams illuminate Anderson’s dark eyes.

“You’re safe,” he whispers in a hoarse, sleepy voice.

Nevertheless, my frantic gaze darts around the room. I remind myself of where I am. That it’s safe in Anderson’s bedroom. The safest.

This is the seventh night in a row that I’ve slept here with him.

That I’ve been waking up from terrible nightmares.

“You’re safe,” Anderson repeats, slipping his hand off my mouth. Curling it around my throat in a possessive, grounding grip.

Thin layers of clothes separate our bodies as he flips us so we’re both on our sides then he presses my back to his front.

Slivers of relief trickle through the panic as my back molds to his firm chest.

His lips are on my shoulder, grounding me. “Was it him?”

He could’ve asked,Was it himagain?

He didn’t. Waking up to my screams isn’t tedious for him. He isn’t exasperated by it. Not once has he sighed or groaned or told me to go back to bed.

Anderson hasn’t just been patient with me.

He’s done so much more than that.

Together, we sat with our lawyers and detectives. He held my hand while I recounted my version of the events. I told them the truth, that if Anderson hadn’t done what he did, I wouldn’t be here.

Through it all, Anderson was by my side, his fingers laced through mine.

Once they realized the gravity of the situation, the detectives told him the case was closed. Once that was settled, Anderson asked everyone to kindly fuck off.

Since then, he’d taken care of me in every sense of the word.

He doted on me, keeping me in his bed all day.

When my doctor cleared me to return to work, he brought me my phone and laptop. He assisted me with my phone calls and emails. There were so many of them. More than usual, since arrangements had to be made for the launch of my new collection.

Thanks to him and Emersyn, orders are being fulfilled, and my customers are happy. The business is running as it should.

My soul and body were in the best shape they had ever been. I was bathed, fed, and kissed.

I let him love me. Let him hug me.

Let him tie me up.

Like I did earlier tonight.