I heard in her words that she wasn’t just talking about losing her mother or father. She was talking about losing me all those months. Pulling her toward me, I wrapped my arms around her and whispered what I’d wanted to say since the first day away from her. “I’m sorry I left. I didn’t think there was any other way. I didn’t mean to hurt you, Nina. I thought you’d be safer without me around.”
She sniffled once and then again, signaling she was crying. “I might have been safer, but I needed you and you weren’t there. Then when Jordan left, for the first time in my life, I was alone. Every night I’d scroll through my messages to you, forcing myself to believe that you got every one and wanted to respond, even though you didn’t.”
I tilted her head back, cradling her face in my hands. “I did get every one and every time my phone vibrated, another piece of my heart was cut out knowing that you were unhappy. I know I fucked up, but I promise if you give me the chance, I’ll be the man you deserve. Maybe not right now, but I won’t give up until I’ve become that man.”
Nodding, she smiled. “Okay.”
“But you need to accept that life with me is going to be hard for a while. I stayed away because I’m a target. I don’t know why yet, but Karl is playing some deadly game and I’m the prize. That means you’re in danger too. We may have to leave home and hide out in places that are nothing like the hotels I own until Daryl and I figure out what’s going on.”
“I don’t care how hard life is with you. All I know is it’s impossible without you. You’re the one I want to spend the rest of my life with, Tristan. So what if that means we have some rough times? Every couple faces those.”
“Not every couple has to deal with someone wanting to kill them, Nina. I need you to understand that things could get rough. I’ve made sure that if anything happens to me, you’re taken care of for the rest of your life. I promise you don’t have to worry about that.”
A look of horror crossed her face. Jumping to her feet, she cried, “Don’t say that! I just got you back. I can’t think of you being gone again.”
Taking her hand, I looked up into those eyes so sad and worked to fix my blunder. “Baby, I wasn’t saying I was going anywhere. I never want to leave you again. It’s just that I need you to know I’ve taken care of everything.”
“Well, now I need you to take care of me. Money and everything else you have don’t mean a thing to me, Tristan. All I want—all I ever wanted—was you.”
I stood and took her into my arms, nuzzling her neck. “I’m all yours, princess.”
Squirming out of my hold, she pointed her finger at my face. “Good. Now that we got that straightened out, that beard has got to go. It’s time to bring the real Tristan Stone back and put this Daryl twin in the past.
She pointed toward the bathroom, and I nodded. “Your wish is my command.”
Thanks to a pair of scissors, after nearly a half hour, I was just about back to myself. All that was needed was a good shave and the real Tristan Stone would return. Nina sat on the edge of the bathtub watching me do my best gardener act on my beard and stood when I finished lathering my face with shaving cream.
Wrapping her arms around me, she whispered, “I’ve always had this fantasy of shaving a man. You up for making this one come true?”
She was so sexy standing there with one eyebrow arched and a cute twinkle in her eye that I couldn’t say no. I followed her arm as she pointed to the toilet and sat down on the lid. “Have you at least watched someone do this? I don’t want to bleed to death here in this tiny hole-in-the-wall apartment.”
Razor in hand, she smiled down at me and winked. “You’re talking to a woman who’s shaved three-quarters of her body for years. Have faith. You’re in good hands.”
If there was anyone I could trust with a razor next to my throat it was Nina, so I angled my head up toward her. “I think this could be much sexier if you were doing this in that babydoll I bought you.”
She gave me a sexy grin and licked her lips. “How about bra and panties? Does that work for you, Mr. Stone?”
“Ms. Edwards, I like the way you think.”
She placed the disposable razor on the sink and turned her back to me as she slid her suit jacket off, flinging it out into the living room. Turning her head to look over her shoulder, she smiled. “I think this would be better with music.”
Her skirt fell to the floor and I sang my best stripper song. “Ba-da-da-da, da-da-da-da.” I ducked as her clothes flew toward my head, thrilled to see her standing there in just her bra and panties. And ripped stockings.
“You planning to leave those on? I mean, they might be sexy since they look like they go with a garter belt, but now they just look like some wild chipmunks attacked you.”
Nina spun around and put her hand on her hip. “Well, maybe if my gardener hadn’t led me through a jungle of picker bushes, I wouldn’t look like this.” Shaking her head, she looked at me sweetly and asked, “Not sexy enough?”
I left my perch and took her into my arms. “Baby, you’re always sexy enough.”
“Yeah, yeah. Now get back on the toilet so I can finish this shaving a hot guy fantasy of mine.”
Taking my seat on the lid again, I muttered, “That’s some sexy talk there. And I think you’ve become bossy in my absence, Ms. Edwards.”
Nina smiled down at me as she ran the razor up my neck in a single long stroke. “Then maybe somebody needs to show me who the real boss is, Mr. Stone.”
That was exactly what I fully intended on doing just as soon as she finished cleaning off months of hair from my face. I couldn’t keep my hands off her she looked so hot standing there, the same Nina as she was that first night in mismatched bra and panties. Cupping her full ass, I struggled to control myself as she worked diligently to get rid of the rest of my beard.
“Tilt back,” she ordered sweetly as she pushed my head back to shave over my Adam’s Apple and under my chin. “When was the last time you shaved, Tristan? This beard is like wire.”
“I had no reason to shave.”
The simple truth that without her in my life I had no reason to care for myself enough to even shave stopped her hand’s movement, and she gave me one of those gentle smiles that never failed to melt my heart.
“I love you, Tristan.”