In Their Arms

CHAPTER FIVE

FIVE 

DAWN

The next few days are different around the guys to say the least. The guys check in on me more and every night at least one of them is there to pick me up from work. The only one still standoffish is Tyler but I don’t mind. To be honest their attention is nice but shocking.

For so long I’ve had only myself to rely on and now there are three guys who are just there for me. Tyler is maybe a quarter there. 

Currently I’m in the shower, since the bulb burned out I have the door cracked and I’m using the hall light to see by. Holland and Grant left to run to the store and I have no idea where Kent or Tyler are. Humming beneath my breath I scrub soap into my hair. I guess that’s why I didn’t hear anyone come in.

Suddenly there’s a body behind me and I let out a small scream, spinning as my hands cover my goodies.

“What the fuck?” Tyler roars down at me.

“What are you doing? Get out!” I scream back at him, curling into the corner as soap drips down into my eyes.

“Why is the door open and the light off?”

“The light’s burnt out and didn’t you hear the water running?” 

He sways on his feet slightly and I narrow my eyes at him. An unsteady hand reaches out to brace on the wall as he looks down at me. Straightening, but keeping everything as covered as possible, I look harder at his eyes only to get hit in the face with the sharp smell of alcohol. 

“You’re drunk.” I point out, disbelief coloring my words. He’s never gotten drunk since I’ve been here.

“You’re a fucking genius.” He’s back to snarling at me but I don’t pay him any attention.

“Come on, you need to go lie down.” 

Hard hands grip my arms pulling me towards him and my entire body tightens and stiffens. Water pelts down on my head, washing the rest of my shampoo out of my hair and down the drain. My hands slap at his chest as he keeps pulling me closer and I get a small whiff of his cologne.

“Tyler,” I start but stop when he buries his head in my neck, inhaling deeply.

I find myself relaxing the longer he holds me without doing anything. I let my hands trail up to the back of his neck and I try to pry his head from its spot but he simply hunkers down, going so far as to slide a hand down to the small of my back. He pulls me flush to his chest and lets out a low moan. 

This is the second time in my life I’ve willingly let a man touch me like this. 

To hide my shaking hands I tunnel them into his hair and force his head back so he has to look at me.

“Tyler,” My breath hitches when he lowers his lips to mine, stopping with a hair’s width between them.

I look up into his blue eyes as a shiver rolls over me. He licks his lower lip and his tongue strokes my own causing my breath to quicken. 

“I don’t need shit and definitely nothing from you.” There’s so much hate when he spits the word you at me that I jerk back but he doesn’t let me get far. “What? Did you think I wanted you? Someone like me could want a poor, sad little girl like you? Get a grip, Kara, you’re just a little charity case around here. Sooner or later the guys will find another toy to fix.” As quickly as he grabbed me, he shoves me away from him and I hurry to cover myself again. “Now, get the fuck out of my shower. I’m tired of looking at your skinny ass.”

Lowering my eyes as I feel tears threaten, I turn and rush out. The shower curtain snaps closed as I wrap my towel around my body and I fly out of the bathroom. I hear the front door open followed by Holland and Grant’s voices.