Finally, she pushes away from me and swallows. “Thanks for that. I haven’t seen Jeremy since I threw him out of my apartment more than a month ago. I don’t know what he was doing here tonight.”
“So he doesn’t threaten you on a regular basis?”
“No.” She straightens her shoulders and lifts her chin. Good girl.
“Okay. Let’s get you home.”
“What?” She frowns. “Why?”
“Because you were just attacked in the alley, Addie.”
“I have work to finish.” She reaches into her car to retrieve her iPad and walks toward the restaurant. “I can’t go home.”
And the stubborn woman is back.
I follow her in, watching her like a hawk. She marches right over to Ashley, firing up her tablet, but her fingers are a bit shaky.
I should scoop her up and take her home, but she wouldn’t let me get three steps away without giving me what-for.
She’s so freaking hot.
“What’s going on?” Kat asks, watching both of us.
“Addie—” I begin, but Addie cuts me off with a glare.
“Nothing.” She turns to Ashley and the two proceed to discuss the schedule for next weekend.
“What’s up?” Mia asks. “Is everything okay?”
“Jeremy was in the alley,” Addie admits, not looking anyone in the eyes. “He was being a drunk idiot, and Jake scared him off.”
She’s purposefully leaving out the part where he was about to beat the shit out of her.
But, none of my business.
I simply shrug and down my drink, then push the glass over to Kat, gesturing for another.
“Thanks so much,” Ashley says with a smile and then heads out, leaving the four of us alone.
“You gonna tell us what happened?” Kat asks Addie, who has yet to look up from her iPad.
“What happened with what?” Addie replies.
“God, she’s stubborn,” Mia mutters, then lets her long, dark hair down. She scratches her scalp and sighs in ecstasy. “That feels better.”
“You have beautiful hair,” I say. I’m usually attracted to brunettes, and Mia is a very pretty woman. She’s also curvy, a little curvier than Addie, and much shorter, with long, dark hair and gorgeous dark eyes. The smile that tickles her lips is one of pure female satisfaction.
“Thank you.”
“If you’re done flirting with the owners, you can leave,” Addie says. I glance up to find her scowling at me, which only makes me smirk.
“I’m leaving when you leave, beautiful.”
“He is flirty,” Kat says to Mia, as if I’m not sitting right here.
“I am not.”
“Okay, beautiful,” Kat replies with a smug smile.
“Well, I’m leaving now,” Addie says and flips her iPad closed, then marches off to the office to collect her things.
“Is she okay?” Mia asks. “Honestly.”
“She is now.”
Kat and Mia both glare at me, but before they can say anything else, Addie returns.
“You don’t have to walk me out.”
“Hmm.” I lift my guitar and don’t comment further as Addie leads me out the back, into the alley, toward her car.
I just happen to be parked next to her.
Wordlessly, she slips into her late-model Jetta, just as I lower myself into my Mustang. I pull out behind her and we drive through downtown, which is still very active on a Saturday night, and through the hills of west Portland, to a nice, gated community of apartments. I follow her through the gate, and once she pulls into her garage, I park behind her and get out of the car.
“Why are you following me?”
“I wanted to make sure that asshole didn’t follow you,” I reply, my fingers itching to tuck a stray piece of her hair behind her ear. “And I want to make sure you’re okay.”
“I’m fine.”
“You need to tell the others that he assaulted you.”
She doesn’t even try to pretend that she doesn’t understand. “They don’t need to worry.”
“They need to know, in case that asshole comes to the restaurant.” She frowns and looks down, but I’m a persistent asshole. “Addie.”
“Fine, I’ll tell them. But you’re being silly. I’m fine.”
But she swallows hard and her eyes still look scared.
“Invite me in.”
“Excuse me?” She crosses her arms, facing off with me in the middle of her garage. And now I can’t stand it anymore. I step forward and gently tuck the hair behind her ear, then drag my fingertip down her neck to her bare shoulder.
“You have sexy shoulders.”
“I can’t have you here.”
My gaze finds her ice-blue one. “Do you have a curfew?”
She doesn’t smile. “I think I’m going to fall apart, and I can’t have you see that.”
“Ah, baby.”
“I don’t want you to see me fall apart.”
“Okay.” I sigh. “But I need to make sure you get inside okay, and I need to get you settled.”
And I don’t even understand why. Why the need to comfort and protect her is so damn strong. I’ve never felt this way about anyone besides Christina before, and even that isn’t this strong.
But I can’t stop it.
“I don’t need anyone to take care of me.”