Over the Fence (20 page)

I drove up in front of the lab and got out of the car just as Kourtney exited the building with two other people. A man and woman accompanied her, and I was surprised to see Kourtney was wearing sunglasses. She hadn’t been wearing them this morning. I pushed off the car and held out my hand, unsure if she would take it, but was grateful when she allowed mine to grasp her shaking one. I pulled her close and wrapped my arm around her as the man stepped forward, his hand extended. “Mr. Fraser, I’m Jason Benson. You contacted me this morning.”

I shook his hand. “Thanks for your prompt attention to my email.”

He nodded. “Happy to help. Kourtney is an important member of the staff, as well as a friend of my fiancée.” He indicated the woman who was standing to his side, staring between Kourtney and me in amazement.

Smiling, I offered her my hand. “Nathan Fraser.”

“Annie Baker.” She cocked her head to the side. “Kourtney hasn’t mentioned you.”

Inside I snorted, not surprised. Kourtney wouldn’t have any reason to mention the guy she fed at night over the fence.

“We’re pretty private people, and still new in our relationship.” I smiled warmly, and fibbed a little. “She has spoken about you often.” I turned back to Jason. “I know Kourtney isn’t happy about the situation, Jason, but I wanted to take every precaution.” I tucked Kourtney closer. “She is too important to me to take any chances.”

Annie’s eyebrows shot up and she stared at Kourtney, her facial expression saying everything.

Lucy, you got some ‘splainin’ to do!

Jason’s face was far more impassive as he studied us. “Of course. We take care of the women in our life, yes?”

“Yes,” I reaffirmed. “Thank you again. I hope you both have a pleasant weekend.” I began to step back with Kourtney. I wanted to get her home so she could yell at me and I could start trying to get her un-angry with me. I hadn’t expected to be in the doghouse this soon. I was sure I had a good week before she got mad with me.

Annie stepped forward and gave Kourtney a quick hug. “You’ll be okay?”

“I’m fine—you’re all making too much of this situation.” Kourtney’s tone was low and raspy sounding.

Shit
, she was so mad she’d been crying. That explained the glasses.

All three of us sighed at her words. Jason shook his head. “Nathan is right, Kourtney. Better safe than sorry.”

I opened the car door and let Kourtney slide in, closing it and walking around to the driver’s side. I wondered if we would make it home before the yelling commenced. I was pretty sure I was going to hear the words “privacy” and “violation.” As well as “get out” and “leave me alone.” I slid in and started the car, pausing before I drove away. “Do you need anything on the way home?” I asked quietly.

“I do need to stop at the grocery store, if you don’t mind?” Her reply was just as quiet.

I nodded. “Sure.”

I followed her around the store, holding the basket. She didn’t have a list, but she moved quickly through the aisles, picking up specific items. I was smiling as I noticed the makings for what I was sure was macaroni and cheese, and I knew she had remembered our texts, even if she was angry. Maybe she wouldn’t kick me out after all. I admired the view as she walked ahead of me—her pretty skirt flowed over her hips and rounded backside, swirling about her shapely legs as she walked. I also noticed a few other guys checking her out and I glared at all of them.

Fuckers. She was mine.

I only had to convince her of that fact.

The drive home was silent and I parked in her driveway. “Do you want me to come in now so you can yell at me or should I go next door and change first?”

She turned toward me, but didn’t say anything except to shake her head and open the door. I grabbed the bags and followed her, depositing them on the counter and leaning back beside it.

For a minute there was silence. Then she removed her glasses, tossing them on the counter behind me. Her vivid eyes blazed at me, awash with emotion, the redness telling me how much she had been crying.

“Why are you so worried?”

“I need to keep you safe.”

“So you told me.” She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “The question is
why
, Nat? You don’t know me. Why would you care so much about my asshole of a brother and how he treats me?”

I gaped at her. “I don’t
know
you?

“You live alone, and unless I’m mistaken, you’re as alone as I am. You’re a brilliant medical researcher, but you can’t use a computer to save your life. You’re very kind and loving. Despite your horrible, shitty upbringing, you give to people unconditionally and respond with your heart.” I took hold of her hand, running my thumb over her knuckles. “I love our conversations. How you call me out when you disagree with me. How you respond to my teasing. How witty and smart and funny you are.” I softened my voice. “I don’t think you see yourself clearly because you’ve been hurt too much.” I touched her cheek with my finger. “You’re very shy—and also very sweet and brave. You cook like a dream, wear funny, fuzzy socks all the time, love the color red, and take care of me better than I deserve.”

I yanked my hand through my hair in exasperation. “Maybe the past few weeks haven’t been a conventional start for a relationship, but we have gotten to know each other, Kourtney. There’s barely a day since you moved in where we haven’t spent some sort of time with each other. I’ve talked to you more than any other person in my life in the past few years. And the last few days without you, have been some of the loneliest of my life. I missed everything about you.”

I moved closer to her. “Maybe I don’t know all about you
yet
, but what I do know, I like—very much. And no matter how mad you get with me, I’m not going to let someone hurt you when I can do something to stop it. I’m sorry I embarrassed you at work. I know you’re a very private person and don’t want the attention. It wasn’t my goal.” I shrugged, unsure how to explain it. “I . . . I needed to do whatever I could do to make you safe.”

We stared at each other and Kourtney’s eyes filled with tears that slid down her cheeks. I pulled her to me. She wrapped her arms tight around my waist, and buried her face into my chest as she began sobbing. I held her close, nuzzling her hair, shocked at her surprising reaction. I expected yelling and accusations, not tears. I stood, swaying us from side to side. She cried, the quietness of her tears somehow sounding even more painful than last night, but I knew she needed to get it out and I had to let her. I rubbed small circles of comfort over her back and rested my forehead on her hair. I whispered her name, crooning to her as she began to calm. Finally, she moved back, her eyes still swimming with tears as she tried to offer me a small, tremulous smile.

“Better now?”

“Sorry,” she whispered.

“No, Kourtney. It’s okay to be mad.”

“I’m not,” she insisted, interrupting me. “I’m not mad.”

“You’re not angry with me?”

“No. I’m not normally this way. I rarely ever cry. But I can’t stop crying today and I didn’t want everyone to see. It was an awful day, Jason came to see me and people kept asking questions, then—” Her gaze dropped.

My gut tightened. “Then what?”

“Andy called me.”

“How did he get your number?”

“He has my contact information. He knows where I work. It’s not as if I’m in the Witness Protection Program or something. I only moved to another town to get away from them. I hadn’t given him my home address; although he must have looked it up. I thought with Dad in a care home he wouldn’t bother me anymore.”

“What did he say?” I asked.

“He was his usual . . . charming self.”

“Kourtney, tell me.”

She sighed in resignation. “He called me a bunch of unpleasant names and said to tell you to watch your back. He assured me you’d come to your senses soon and once you’d gotten over your fat fetish you’d be long gone and I’d come crawling back to them anyway. He says he’ll be waiting.” She looked up at me, her lip trembling. “He called me a ‘lousy sister’ and a ‘horrible daughter’—all the usual things. He reminded me I was a loser, and ‘once a loser always a loser.’”

I stared at her, shocked. I could feel my anger raging toward the asshole. My hands tightened into fists at my side; I wanted nothing more than to drive them into his face for his hateful words. I pushed my anger down and shook my head. “You are
not
a loser—and don’t even get me started on the fat comments. That fucker needs a lesson in manners.”

Kourtney shrugged. I hated seeing the look of utter resignation on her face. Her lips were still trembling as she looked at me. “I don’t care what he says about me. I was so scared, Nathan, thinking he would hurt you. I didn’t know if I should call you or what to do. All I could think about was how you didn’t ask for any of this, and now because of me you could get hurt.” Her voice shook. “I can’t let that happen.”

“It won’t.”

“He’s violent at times,” she explained. “He loses his temper.”

I cupped her soft cheek. “That’s why I have to keep him away from you, Kourtney.” I paused. “Did you think about the restraining order? At least talking to the police about it?”

“A little.”

“And?”

“I don’t know,” she replied. “I just don’t know.”

I was grateful it wasn’t a direct no. I’d discuss it with her tomorrow.

“I have to know you’re safe too, Nathan. If you were hurt because of me . . . I’m not sure I could live with myself,” she told me.

Embracing her, I sighed. “My brave girl,” I crooned. “He won’t get near me and he won’t hurt me. I promise, but thank you.” I wasn’t going to argue with her; she had been overwhelmed all day and struggling with her emotions. I was relieved she wasn’t angry with me.

She shuddered in my arms.

“How about a hot bath?” I remembered how my mom always enjoyed soaking in a warm bath after she had a rough day. “I’ll look after dinner.”

“Um—”

I held up my finger. “This is highly talented. I push a few buttons and soon food arrives at the door.”

She grinned, her lips still trembling. “Magic again?”

I nodded. “Let me take care of you tonight, Kourtney. We’ll have dinner and relax. Talk if you’re up to it, or watch a movie. As long as we’re in the same room, I don’t care.”

She stared at me, clearly unsure how to react to someone wanting to take care of
her
.

Finally, she nodded. “That sounds nice.”

Leaning down, I kissed her nose. “Okay.”

I knocked on the bathroom door. “You decent, Chefgirl?”

“Um, I’m in the tub, Nathan. I don’t usually have clothes on.”

I chuckled at the sarcastic remark from behind the door. “You got bubble action?”

“Yes?”

“Pile them up then, I’m coming in.” Grinning, I opened the door, striding in with a glass of wine in my hand. “I come bearing gifts.”

I stopped cold at the vision before me: Kourtney in the tub. Her eyes were wide with panic as she stared at me, her skin wet and glistening in the light, and frantically gathered up a large pile of bubbles, trying to hide herself. Her hair was piled up on top of her head, damp tendrils hanging around her face. She was utterly captivating. I swallowed the sudden lump in my throat.

“What are you doing?” She hissed. “I’m in the tub.”

“I can see that.” I smirked. “How hot do you have the water, Kourtney? You’re doing a great imitation of a cherry tomato right now.” Leaning down, I dipped my finger in, only to find a pleasant warmth, not the boiling temperature I expected.

“Hmm. The temperature is fine. Why are you so red? Are you okay?”

“Nathan. I. Am. In. The. Tub.
Naked
.”

“You’re all covered up.”

“
Underneath
the bubbles I’m not.”

“Ah. I see. I have embarrassed you,” I mused. “How ungentlemanly of me.”

She glared at me. I offered her the glass of wine. She accepted with a frown, putting it down on the ledge of the tub.

“I’ll even the playing field.” Looking innocent, I smirked and dragged my shirt over my head, throwing it over my shoulder.

As I reached for the button on my jeans she sat upright, the bubbles beginning to dislodge around her body. Her voice was a few octaves higher and way louder than I was used to hearing. “
What
are you doing?”

“Getting naked. I thought it would make you feel better. We’d be equal.” I winked as I started pushing off my jeans.

“Stop! Stop it right now!” She looked at me with shocked eyes.

“What?”

“I don’t want you naked!”

“That’s what your mouth is saying. But your eyes are saying something altogether different.”

She snorted, backing up to the edge of the tub as she gathered more bubbles up against her in defense. Internally, I grinned. They really weren’t doing much to hide anything, but if she felt better I would let her build her useless wall of suds. I was quite enjoying the view.

“And what are they saying?”

“You want me to join you in the tub.”

“They are not!” she squeaked.

“No?”

She shook her head. “No.”

I sighed. “Deny it all you want. You’ve wanted me all wrapped around you since we had to get out of bed this morning.”