“Where’s Lord at?”
Reaper shrugged. “Probably in his office. You going to give her the tour?”
“Not today. Just breaking the ice,” Tank said. He led her away, and she nearly tripped on the unpaved ground like an idiot.
“Who was that?”
“He’s our top enforcer, but he has a soft spot for women, so I felt okay introducing you to him first.”
“And what does that mean?”
“Reaper has some hard limits. He watched his mom being abused most of his childhood, so he can’t stand to see any woman hurt. It can be a pain in the ass.”
“Why?”
“Because sometimes we have to do hard things.”
She didn’t ask for more clarification. Bell was already a mess of nerves just being here.
They entered a huge building. It was a mix of a hotel and dorm but more rough around the edges. He led her down long hallways and up a flight of stairs, finally reaching a room on the second floor.
“What’s this?” she asked.
“I told you. My room.”
He opened the door and beckoned her to enter. It smelled like him. That in itself calmed her a degree. The room was large with a big window that overlooked the yard they were just walking in. His bed was big, the blankets unmade. She imagined him sleeping there alone, and somehow her body reacted despite her nerves.
She walked around, looking at Tank’s personal things for the first time. He’d always come to her apartment. He seemed to know her inside out while she knew too little about him. At least he’d finally made the effort to introduce her to his life.
“You like?” he asked.
She turned to look at him. “It’s a great room. I think it’s almost as big as my whole apartment.” Bell giggled nervously.
“What’s wrong?” He approached her, cupping her face in both his hands. “This is what you wanted, isn’t it?”
She swallowed hard. “Yes. No. I don’t know.”
“Stop being scared. You did nothing wrong.”
“I don’t belong here,” she said. “I’m different than everyone here.”
“Bell, you belong wherever I am.” He leaned down and kissed her lips, soft and perfect. The kiss deepened, and her fears slowly faded. He had the power to make her feel safe when she’d always felt alone in the world.
“Stay here tonight.”
“Sleep here? In your room? I work tomorrow.”
“I’ll drive you in the morning.”
“But my uniform—”
He shut her up with another kiss, his tongue teasing her into oblivion. Before she knew it, he’d backed her up to his bed, his big body lowering over hers.
“Stay,” he whispered against her lips. Tank slid a hand under her shirt, squeezing her breast, his thumb running acrossher nipple.
“But—”
“Please.”