Primal Instincts_ Volume 2(21)
Author: Nicole Edwards

 

“I’m sorry I left. I emailed Cheryl to let her know I wasn’t feeling well.”

 

I tucked my hands in my pocket. “Don’t apologize.”

 

She glanced behind her and then back at me. “Would you like to come in?”

 

I nodded, trying to make myself less intimidating since she seemed so small and fragile.

 

“My parents are out of town,” she explained. “I’m cat-sitting while they’re away.”

 

Journey closed the door, then fidgeted with her hands. I wasn’t sure if I made her nervous or if she was still reeling from what we discovered. I wouldn’t blame her either way.

 

“I wanted to check on you. I tried to talk to Wayne, but he disappeared. Nick’s lookin’ into what our options are.”

 

Her blue eyes were even brighter than usual. “He saw me.”

 

“He did.” It wasn’t comforting, but I refused to lie to her.

 

Her gaze skimmed my face. “He wouldn’t have if I hadn’t turned around to face Creed on your phone.”

 

I didn’t respond. I wasn’t sure any answer would make her feel better. I wasn’t one who made excuses for my actions. I knew that everything I did and everything I said could have consequences. And should I choose to take action, I had to be prepared for that. Journey was still so young and naive in some regards. She likely hadn’t thought past that room yesterday. Certainly hadn’t thought about one of her co-workers being a creep.

 

“What if he leaks the video?” she rasped, her tone bordering on desperation. “What if they saw you? If anyone at work sees it…”

 

I reached for her, pulling her into my arms, holding her close. I swallowed a groan when her arms went around me, her head crushing to my chest. She clutched the back of my shirt, holding on as though she’d fall apart if she didn’t. It triggered something inside me. Awakened something that had been asleep for so long.

 

“Hush now,” I said in an attempt to soothe. “We’ll figure it out.”

 

Whether she believed me or simply accepted words that had no backing, I wasn’t sure, but Journey remained where she was, in the circle of my arms while I ran my hand over the cool silk of her hair. It was futile to try to rein my body in. It had a fucking mind of its own. I wished I could say my body was the only part of me reacting. It would’ve been a lie, and I wasn’t at all sure what to fucking do about that.

 

I caressed her silky hair and held her with one arm crossing her back. We were touching from chest to knee, but I wanted to be closer. I pretended she couldn’t feel the hard ridge of my erection or hear my breaths becoming more labored. This wasn’t about me or my body’s ill-timed needs.

 

After a couple of minutes, she pulled back, and I reluctantly released her. I would’ve preferred to hold her just like that for a few hours because it was the first time I’d felt any peace in as long as I could remember. I couldn’t pinpoint what it was about this woman that found that dark, dank hole inside me and filled it with light. Whatever it was, willingly letting it go seemed like the worst fucking idea in the history of bad ideas.

 

“Can I get you something to drink?”

 

“I thought we could take a drive,” I offered. “Hawk insists I take you to dinner. He said you’d want burgers.”

 

Her eyebrows dipped low. “You’ve talked to him?”

 

“I have.”

 

“He hasn’t texted me. I thought he was mad.”

 

“He’s not,” I assured her. “It’s … complicated.”

 

“Creed?”

 

Perhaps she didn’t know him well, but she’d obviously gotten a glimpse at his true self. So maybe there was hope for all of us yet.

 

“About those burgers?” I prompted.

 

She smiled softly. “I’d like that.”

 

“Grab your shoes,” I told her. “I’ll be out front.”

 

I didn’t mean to seem hasty, but I didn’t trust myself with her right now. The urge to kiss her had gone from a meager desire to a swirl of darkness growing infinitely more powerful with every passing second. If Creed hadn’t permitted me to comfort her, perhaps my thoughts wouldn’t have derailed.

 

I shook my head as I descended the steps.

 

No. This had nothing to do with Creed. I’d pretended I wasn’t interested when I introduced myself at the coffee shop. It’d been futile because the moment Journey had called me to the carpet for jumping the line, I’d been intrigued. More so with every minute I’d spent with her.

 

I paced the driveway while I waited. It did little to help my wandering thoughts but did have an impact on my body. By the time she emerged from the house, I’d wrangled my dick into submission by sheer force.

 

The drive to my destination was unbearably long, thanks to traffic. In a city with too many people, it didn’t help that they all wanted to go somewhere, and they all wanted to do it at the same time as everyone else.

 

“I thought we’d eat at the beach,” I said as I pulled the truck into the drive-thru at In-N-Out.

 

“I’d like that,” she said, her gaze looming out the window as it had been for the entire drive.

 

I ordered our dinner, then sat in silence while we waited for it. Neither of us said anything as I drove to a section of the beach I went to when I wanted to be alone with my thoughts. It wasn’t private, but it was mostly secluded, especially this time of year.

 

I parked the truck in an empty lot, then grabbed one of the drinks and the bag of food.

 

Journey took the other drink, then hopped out of the truck, joining me on the driver’s side. She shivered, drawing her arms closer to her body.

 

“Here,” I said, passing her the bag of food.

 

She took it, and I opened the back door of the truck. I snagged two blankets—the kind you kept for emergencies but never had to use—from under the seat. A cool breeze was coming in off the water, and I didn’t want her to get cold.

 

We made our way down to a cropping of large rocks that worked nicely as a makeshift dining table. I spread one of the blankets on the largest rock, then gestured for her to take a seat.

 

“Do you bring women here often?”

 

I cocked an eyebrow, relieved that it made her smile.

 

“I know, I know. You don’t date all that much,” she teased, looking more at ease.