“The stalker left a stuffed animal, not a bomb. My work with the shelter is very important. If I’m not actively trying to get funding, there’s a chance they could shut down by the end of the year. I’m not going to let that happen. Stalker or not, I’m going to do my job.”
“I understand you take pride in your work, but what you’re dealing with makes going to work dangerous.”
“True, but I’m not letting some jerk ruin my life. A dozen people work in my office. Even if the stalker wanted to attack me there, he’d have a hard time getting past everyone else to get to me.”
“Unless he’s employed there, too. He could be someone you trust.”
“If that’s the case, he could approach me anywhere, and I wouldn’t have my guard up. None of my coworkers seem like stalkers.”
“You never know about a person. Some of the most upstanding people in the world are disgusting criminals behind closed doors.”
“I understand your concern—”
“Then take it seriously.”
“I am. But I need to go to work. I’ll be fine, and I promise to call you if anything happens.”
He hesitates for a moment, clearly torn between his instinct to protect me and his desire to respect my independence. Finally, he lets out a sigh.“I guess I can live with that, but I’m driving you to work.”
“Deal.” I’m relieved when he finally relents.
“We’ll take my bike. Say goodbye to Loki and meet me in the garage when you’re ready.”
“Talon, it’s five-thirty a.m.”
“What time do you usually go in?”
“Eight.”
“Okay. We’ll leave at seven thirty. I’m dead tired. I’ll meet you in two hours. That’ll give me enough time for a quick nap.” He leaves the bathroom and walks to his bedroom door. He opens it and steps back, clearly trying to get rid of me.
“See you then.” I brush past him, annoyed that he’s being so grumpy and dismissive. I still don’t know what happened last night, but he obviously doesn’t want to tell me about it. Even though I shouldn’t be bothered, I am. How am I supposed to get to know the man protecting me when he won’t talk about himself?
Two hours later, I meet him in the garage. We put on our helmets in silence. Wrapping my arms around his waist, I lean against his back. He shifts slightly in his seat before taking off.
As we speed through the streets on his motorcycle, I replay the memory of his kiss in my mind. The way his lips felt against mine, the urgency of his touch … I want nothing more than to experience it again, but I don’t know if he feels the same way. Part of me wonders if he kissed me just to stop me from asking more questions. That’s the feeling I get, but there were other ways he could have shut down that conversation. He didn’t have to kiss me, but he did.
When we arrive at my workplace, he parks the motorcycle and turns to me.“Remember, Jess, call me if anything unusual happens.”
“I will.”
When his gaze lingers on my lips, hope surges through me. I’m sure he’s going to kiss me again. But just before our lips meet, he pulls away, leaving me disappointed and confused.
I get off the bike and stand beside it. Unsure of what to say, I settle on giving him a soft smile. He clenches his jaw, then revs the engine of his motorcycle and speeds away, leaving me standing there, alone.
My heart’s still thundering from the near kiss as I walk toward the building. What stopped him from kissing me? Did he change his mind? Or is there something more going on that I don’t know about? Either way, I’m left with a burning desire for answers—and for his touch.
As I step into the building, Ginny’s waiting for me with that smug smile she always wears.
“Surprised to see you here.”
“Good morning to you, too.”
“Why were you so worried about a stuffed animal? Seems a bit dramatic, don’t you think?” she asks, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.
“As I told everyone yesterday, someone’s stalking me.” I try to keep my voice level, but I want to scream in frustration. Ginny is such a bitch. I’m sure she’s already started all kinds of rumors about me.
“Sure, Jess. Anything for attention, huh?” Ginny snorts, clearly not believing me.
