Page 48 of Always Watching
North snatches his mouth from mine and fuckinggrowlsat the man. The guy’s eyes widen and he scurries away, the fear palpable even across the distance.
I can’t help it. I laugh. A deep belly laugh, but one that I needed. Threading our fingers together, I tug on North’s hand. “Come on. Let’s make a lap around here and we can go back inside, though it feels too good not being cooped up.”
He nods, throwing an arm around my shoulders. “How about we go for a walk after breakfast every morning? We can get some fresh air and I can work off all this food I’m cooking.”
I laugh as I tuck myself into his side. “You don’t cook breakfast for yourself every morning?”
“No. A few times a week if I have time, maybe. I only cook so much to make sure you eat.”
You take such good care of me.I don’t speak the words out loud, because I’ve been saying them over and over for weeks, but they’re as true now as the first time I said them.
“I see you doing push-ups and sit-ups every morning. You work it off yourself. You look great.”
“You do too.” He smiles at me when my cheeks heat.
Blowing out a long breath, I push the words out that are stuck in my throat before I lose my nerve. “You want to join me for my session this week? I’ve gotten requests from new viewers and old. I could… take a few weeks off if I have another session like our first one.”
I look up at North and gasp when I see the lust brimming behind those aquamarine eyes. Heat blooms over my body, setting me on fire in a way that only North can do. “I’d love to. Want to go back to your place and practice?”
A high giggle leaves my throat and I know my face is beet fucking red. A day will come when I’m not so shy and embarrassed around him. Today is not that day.
We get back to my building and North walks behind me, slapping my ass when I get a few steps above him. I giggle again, turning to chide him, but I see the change on his face, from playful to almost irate. I turn just in time to see Mr. Barlowe with a box in his hands, hastily putting it by my door.
“The fuck are you doing?” North asks, putting me behind him when we reach the landing.
Mr. Barlowe holds up his hands and steps back. “I found it. I was just… looking. It’s been sitting here for an hour.” His brown eyes lock on me, sizing me up behind North. There’s something familiar about them, but I can’t place it.
“Get the fuck out of here before I toss you down the fucking stairs,” North snarls in a voice so filled with rage I tremble. Holy fuck, it’s hot to see him like this.
I knew he was protective of me, but I didn’t think he would show me likethis. Even though I’m frightened of his tone, of what the fuck Mr. Barlowe is doing up here and what’s in the box, my dick chubs up against the back of North’s thigh.
Mr. Barlowe moves around us, pressing his back to the wall, and darts down the stairs without another word or a backward glance. North watches him leave until he’s out of sight. Only then does he turn to me, his face morphing from anger to gentleness when his gaze lands on mine. “You okay?”
I try to hold it back, but the smile breaks through my fear. “Yeah. Wow, that was… impressive.”
His lips twitch, but he continues to search my face to make sure I’m telling him the truth. “Let’s get you inside.”
Hesitantly, I reach down and pick up the box. I want to toss it away, to leave it here and let my neighbors grab it, or fucking burn it, but whatever it is, I have to face it.
The white box is wrapped like a gift, with a big red bow tied on top of it. It would be a handsome present if it didn’t feel so sinister.
“Maybe I should—”
“No,” I tell North. “I have to do this.” I look back at him, squaring my shoulders. “I have to get to the bottom of this.”
He sighs as if he wants to tell me to cut the shit and let him open the present, but he simply nods and directs me over to the counter so I can set it down.
My hands tremble as I pull the bow off the gift. I know it can’t be anything good, but I have no other option. I need to know what this spineless dick who keeps threatening me wants.
Opening the box, I find a ring box nestled against packing peanuts. I pop it open, afraid of what I’ll find, but it’s only a ring—a beautiful ring. But it’s also ominous, like it’ll hurt me if I touch it. So I snap the box shut and put it down. A piece ofpaper sticks up from the packing peanuts. I fish it out and open it, looking at the scratchy handwriting.
“What does it say?” North asks over my shoulder.
I read it aloud:
Dear Pooh Bear,
I wish we could be together. I wish I could slide that ring on your finger now, but there’s an obstacle in my way. The man who was on that video with you. I wanted to gut you both, to carve out all the areas he touched you so you’d be reborn. So you wouldn’t be tainted with the caress of a man who isn’t worthy of you.
