He sucked in a breath. “What?”
“I know you didn’t sleep the other night,” I responded. “Let me care for you tonight.”
“Come,” he said, standing. “Let’s go to bed.”
We hurried to the house, wrapped in large towels, and Artem waited while I threw on some pajamas before we made our way to his suite. Artem stepped back and let me in first, which signified that he trusted me in his personal domain. I gazed around the large suite, taking in the messy desk in the corner with the large monitors on its top. His room was a lot like mine, but larger, though his bed was all black, down to the glossy sheets that peeked from under the comforter. There was already a fire in the fireplace, and Artem strode to the bathroom, the towel clinging to his hips. “I’ll be right back.”
I couldn’t respond, my mouth dry as I took in the strong lines of his back, the massive tattoo that covered him from shoulder to shoulder. It would be far too easy to follow him, to join him in the bathroom and go at it like rabbits in the shower. Being so close to him tonight had only made me want him more, and I was starting to feel like a desperate woman, on the verge of throwing everything to the wind.
Artem cared about me. The thought secretly filled me with happiness and glee. To have a man like him care about me was beyond anything that I could comprehend.
But as I looked around his domain, I still didn’t know much about him.
Sighing, I climbed into the bed, immediately surrounded by Artem’s scent, and pulled the covers over me. Maybe it didn’t matter. Artem had promised me he would bring Noah home, and if he followed through with his promise, then I would know that he could be someone important in my life.
He already was.
I closed my eyes, and a moment later, I felt Artem climb in on the other side, shutting off the lamp and reaching for me. I snuggled against his warm body, resting my hand on his abdomen. “Your bed is much better than mine,” I said drowsily.
Artem chuckled. “Consider it yours, Emma.”
“Find Noah,” I said as sleep started to pull me under. “And I will.”
“I won’t let you down,” I heard him say. “Have faith in me, love.”
That night, my dreams were full of Artem and his grand smile as we walked the grounds of the mansion together, hand in hand.
Chapter 8
Emma
When I woke the next morning, I found Artem seated at his desk. “Good morning,” he said, leaning back in his chair.
I sat up in the bed, smoothing down my hair. How could he look so put together already when I probably looked like a nightmare? “Did you sleep good?” I asked, glad that he was away from the bed so he wouldn’t have to smell my morning breath.
“I did,” he replied. “Did you?”
I nodded, stretching my arms over my head. “Yeah, your bed is so much better than mine.”
“They are the same, Emma.”
I smirked. “I don’t think so.”
His grin warmed me all the way to my toes. “Well, you can sleep in here from now on if you would like.”
I threw back the covers. “I might just take you up on that offer, but right now, I need a shower.”
I was nearly to the door before Artem met me there, placing his large hands on my hips. “I enjoyed having you here last night,” he said, pulling me against him. “Thank you, Emma.”
I sighed and laid my head on his chest, wrapping my arms around his trim waist and breathing in his spicy scent. “Maybe this is another one of my favorites too.”
I felt him press his lips to my forehead. “Then you can do this as much as you like to, Emma.”
He was going to destroy me. I pulled away, knowing that I was interrupting his morning. “I’ll see you later?”
Artem tucked his hands in his jeans pockets. “Yeah, you will. Breakfast is already waiting in your room. I will see you in a little while.”
I was almost out the door before he called, “The cell phone.”
I looked around the doorframe. I knew he would want it back now that I was home, and I was fine with it. “I will bring it to you.”
To my surprise, Artem shook his head. “Keep it, Emma. I took the restrictions off it this morning. Feel free to call your family.”
My heart shoved into my throat. He was going to allow me to call my family? But I could give away our location. End this between us.
But then again, this was yet another measure of trust from Artem. He was trying to show me that he was giving me the room I wanted and trusting that I would make the right decisions.
Tears sprang to my eyes. “Thank you, Artem.”
He inclined his head. “You’re welcome, Emma.”
After a good shower and eating my fill of breakfast, I sat on the bed, staring at the phone. I could call anyone from the police to my mother, and Artem wouldn’t bat an eye.
The man was making me fall in love with him little by little if I wasn’t already there.
Sighing, I debated on not calling anyone. It was nice to just pretend that I knew how Artem felt. I could pretend that I didn’t need anyone else, but I would be lying to myself. I did need others in my life, and my husband was giving me that chance. While I had Noah and Gertie, I did have a family that was waiting to hear from me.
A family that had been through the worst imaginable pain of losing their daughter. I owed it to them to reach out, but I wasn’t going to give up Artem or whatever we were exploring between us. I couldn’t. It was the only thing that felt real right now.
They would think I was crazy for wanting to stay with my kidnapper, but he was also my husband, and though my earlier thoughts were to never see him again, after last night, I didn’t want to be separated from him. Artem was opening himself to me, and I couldn’t help but be thrilled about it.
I wanted to love him. I wanted to show him that someone cared about him and that it was okay to care for others. It didn’t make him weak; it made him stronger.
After a few moments, I dialed a familiar number and held the phone up to my ear, listening to it ring.
“Hello?”
“Harvey,” I said, his voice bringing tears to my eyes. “It’s Emma.”
“Emma? What the hell? Where are you? Did he let you go?”
“No,” I told him, trying to figure out how I was going to explain this one to my brother. “Um, Harvey, did you know that Dad called me?”
“No,” he said. “I didn’t. When did he do that?”
“A few days ago,” I responded, lying back on the bed. “He told me to run and that people could help me.”