Exit Strategy by L. V. Lewis Page B

this, all of a sudden?”
“Doesn’t every woman hope for romance in her life?”
“You’re answering my question with a question.”
“Only because it was the most appropriate way to answer.”
“I thought you said there was some grave matter concerning my personal safety you needed to speak with me about.”
“There is, and I was going to get to that... later.”
“How about now? You lured me over here, and considering what happened at KSR the other night, I believed you enough to come, against my better judgment.”
Tristan uses his remote to bring the lights back up and turns to me with a serious expression. “Nathan told me what happened.” He takes my hand and cradles it to his chest. “I’m so glad Jorge was there with you, and so glad you didn’t fire him when I told you to.” He closes his eyes briefly. “If anything had happened to you, I’m not sure I would ever have been able to forgive myself.”
I touch his cheek. “But I’m okay now. Really. The guy didn’t get me. The police think it isn’t likely to happen again now that the perpetrator knows my buff male cousin hangs around KSR.”
“No, you don’t understand, Keisha.”  He swallows. “This morning, I received a threatening letter from someone who intends to target my friends and family, anyone I care about, to get back at me for some real or perceived transgression I’ve committed against them.”
“But we weren’t... aren’t together like that anymore.”
“Whoever is doing this doesn’t know that. But don’t worry. Carlos Velasquez, my security chief, has hired a unit of former military personnel to staff a security detail for you, my father, and my brother.”
“So people will be following me around all the time, waiting to see if this person’s going to make an attempt on my life?”
“In a manner of speaking, yes, but they’ll be so covert you won’t see them most of the time.” He pauses and takes a deep breath. “And you need to know... they mentioned you specifically in the note.”
I’m certain all the blood drains out of my face. I feel numb. “Oh shit,” I say and cover my face. “Somebody’s trying to kill me, and I’m not even your plus-one, PR girlfriend anymore.”
Tristan pries my hands away. “Keisha?” he says softly, but I keep my eyes closed. “Keisha, look at me.”
I open my eyes. He searches my face like he’s trying to memorize it all over again. Then he says, “Understand this. I’m not going to let anyone hurt you. Do you believe me?”
“Yes.” I say. I’m exhausted all of a sudden. Tristan kisses me on my temple and holds me so close I don’t think we’re going to watch our movie. But then he does a surprising thing. He dims the lights again and presses play.
Sometime during the scene where Bruce Banner is running from the mercenaries who are after him in Brazil, Tristan flips the arms up on our separate chairs and curls his now-lanky body around me. He’s giving me intimacy rather than offering me sex, and I’m not altogether sure he realizes that’s what he’s doing. I sink back into him and rest my head against his chest while he rests his chin on top of my head. We watch the entire movie cuddled together like this.
     
~*~
     
“Tell me again why you can’t stay?” he says as we stand in front of the elevator.
“Because it’s just not a good idea. And I don’t have anything to wear.”
“Actually, you do,” he says. “Mrs. Naven found some things in the laundry after you left. Problem solved.” He takes both my hands and backs up into the sitting room.
“Tristan, we still have some things to sort out. Tonight was great, but I still don’t think I’m cut out to be your submissive.”
“Just my submissive?”
I drop my head. “No. Anyone’s.”
“You’re afraid you’ll have panic attacks again, aren’t you?”
I feel like I’m about to be swallowed up by the sincere blue eyes tracking and pinning mine so effectively I can’t look away. “Yes. And