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I finally got an inkling of where I was as Ja, Bianca? What can I do?"

I gasped in several breaths before I could speak "Shower I need a shower I need to wash the blood off"

He didn’t ask any us both into the shower in a flash He turned the water directly onto me, and the cold water that hitme a few steps further away froasping breaths as I beca further and further out of the nightmare realm

"Can you talk about it?" James asked His voice was so vulnerable with his concern for me that I couldn’t resist him

"It’s the same old dream about my mother’s death I was in that room, not three feet froates open, and I told hiory detail, of both the dream and the horrific event He didn’t speak at all, justtouches while I spoke I was surprised to feel otten it all out It had actually helped to tell him about it

He helped me out of the shower and dried us both off We lay in a naked snuggle on the bed with only a sheet covering us He was on his back and had pulled me almost on top of him

I rubbed my cheek overit over his arm

"You’ve done all you can You told the police everything you saw It’s not your burden anymore, Bianca"

"Yes, I know I haven’t had that nighto I think it was learning about her, his wife, that got ain I need to tell her what he did, to warn her I don’t know the woman, but she deserves that much Lord, I don’t want to speak to her I don’t want anything to do with her"

"You could always just send her an e you don’t want to"

I mulled that over It seemed so cowardly to be afraid of a simple phone call "I’ll call her tohtened onto my twisted senses "I need to stay in New York this week Will you come back to be with ht about it It didn’t take"Yes Do you mind if I invite Stephan? You have plenty of room, after all"

I had felt all of the anxious tension leave his body when I agreed to come "We have plenty of room," he chastised "And yes, of course Invite Javier, too, if you like Or anyone you want, for that matter I’ll have to work quite a bit anyways I’ve been putting so to

And god only knohat a s on the Manhattan property I would feel better if you had so I wouldn’t want you to get bored, though you do have a studio set up for painting downstairs I never had tih time How many days can you take off this week?"

"I can fly into New York Monday ht back on Thursday I can take a week off froan to wonder if Stephan could work his own overtime with Javier, instead of me My boyfriend was filthy rich It seemed silly not to at least keep ed so drastically froo that I felt al to continueto compromise to please Jaave me a soft kiss for my concession "I would love that Thank you"

I sighed, plunging in deeper "It see considered

My straight tihtto see if Stephan ork his extra shifts with Javier I’d be willing to bet he won’t mind the idea"

"Thank you," he said with quiet sincerity "I’ll make sure to ainst hiood Good about him Good about us "You already have"

"You ood I’ve been alone for so long, since my parents died, really But I don’t feel alone with you I feel like I have a faain You’re my hoether"

I placed a kiss onoff I didn’t even knohat time it was, but I wasn’t worried I knew James wouldn’t let me oversleep More and more, I just trusted him

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

I couldn’t stop yawning as I got ready for work the next odly hour He was alert but quiet as we both got dressed He wore an elegant pale gray suit It was so pale it allance

He paired it with a brilliant turquoise dress shirt with a stark white collar A skinny tie as white as the collar hung to his pale gray belt The pant legs were very narrow and fitted, and he’d chosen faded gray lace-up dress shoes The full effect was devastating Only James could have pulled it off

He approached ed into my uniform dress shirt He held up a tiny silver object in front of my face It took me a moment to place it as a small lock "May I lock on your collar now?"

I stiffened, but tilted ive him access "Yes," I said