Page 111 of Stay With Me

He barks out a humorless laugh. “No, sweetheart. It’s better forhimto stay away fromme. And most importantly, away frommygirlfriend. Perhaps he needs a reminder not to touch what’s mine...”

I groan at his implications. “See, this is exactly why I didn’t tell you.”

With a brow arched, he asks, “Have there been any other unwanted visits or letters since then?”

“No. I was only keepin’ the note in case of a restraining order, and I’d need proof for the sheriff.”

“Save everything.” He grabs my hands and holds them to his chest as he closes the gap between us. “If he does anything else, you need to tell me. Promise, Sunny.”

Reluctantly, I nod. “I just got pepper spray and kitty knuckles too. So you shouldn’t be too worried about me. I took care of him by myself.”

“But you shouldn’t have to nor do I want him around you. If he can’t get over you breakin’ up with him over two years ago, he’s unhinged at this point.”

My chest tightens at the words trapped in my throat. The ones where I confess we hooked up four weeks ago and that’s what prompted his obsession to get back together.

But the truth would only hurt him, especially seeing his reaction to Travis being near me. Tripp would want to kill him for real if he knew we’d slept together. And he’d most likely hate me for it, too.

“I can take care of myself,” I remind him. “But I don’t think he’s gonna bother me anymore, so there’s no need to worry.”

He takes my mouth and delivers the most delicious harsh kissI’ve ever experienced. Tongue lapping at mine, strong hold on my cheeks, moaning between breaths. My fingers dig into his hips as I cling to his body, desperate for more.

After breaking our kiss, he leans his forehead against mine. “I’ll always worry when it comes to you, Sunny. Even though I’ve witnessed you makin’ grown men cry—hell, women too—but that doesn’t mean I want you dealin’ with assholes on your own. We’re a team now. If someone’s giving you shit, I wanna know about it. Got it?”

Grinning, my heart flutters at him calling us ateam. I’ve never depended on anyone else except Noah, and even then, I don’t like her being involved in anything regarding Travis drama. I’d rather forget he exists.

“Okay, deal.” I wrap my arms around his neck and slide my fingers into his hair. “As long as that goes both ways and I get to know if any chicks are after you.”

“With you on my mind every second of every day, I don’t even pay attention to anyone else to know if they are. You never have to worry about that, baby.” He grips my chin and pulls my lips to his. “But in the event I get a stalker, you and your kitty knuckles will be the first to know.”

A laugh bubbles out of me at his smart-ass comment. “Don’t underestimate the knuckles until you see how much pain they can cause.” Then I lower my hand to his groin and palm the outline of his cock. “Especially here.”

His eyes widen and he shakes his head, grabbing my wrist. “I don’t trust you with sharp objects near my junk.”

I snicker. “Good, then you know to be scared of me and my weapons.”

“Cute.” He lowers his hand to my ass and gives it a little smack. “Now, didn’t you promise me a lingerie strip show?”

“Ha! After you taste test my drinks. Then if you’re a good boy, I’ll give you a personal viewing.”

Tripp buries his face in my neck and growls in my ear,pressing his erection into my stomach. “Then you better make it fast.”

I’m seconds away from saying screw it and tearing off his clothes before he backs away, then sits at the breakfast bar. I stare at how sexy he looks in his plain T-shirt and backward baseball cap. It’s basic, nothing special, but he wears it like a professional country boy model. And I’m tempted as hell to climb into his lap.

“What’s the first one?” he asks, knocking me out of my trance.

“Um...well, it’s a traditional peppermint mocha, but in mine, I put a pump of vanilla syrup for added sweetness and top it with whipped cream, dark chocolate drizzle, and candy cane pieces.”

He grins. “Sounds pretty good.”

“I hope so.”

He updates me about Landen while I set up my espresso machine. I feel terrible for what he’s going through, and I’ve tried reaching out, but he’s not wanted to talk. Watching him cry over Sydney was one of the saddest moments I’ve ever witnessed him go through.

After I steam the milk, I grab one of his mugs and line it with the dark chocolate. Then I pour the hot milk over the syrups and espresso and stir it up real good. Once it’s mixed, I swirl the whipped cream on top, add the drizzle, and sprinkle the peppermint pieces until it looks perfect.

“That’s quite the presentation,” he muses when I set it in front of him.

“Hopefully, it tastes as good as it looks,” I say, prompting him to try it. “Oh, wait, let me take a picture. I’m tryin’ to grow my social media pages.”