The skin on the back of my neck crawls. We are definitely being watched.
Natalie doesn’t seem to have noticed. She’s looking at a catalogue that Mike is showing her about baby furniture, her fingers tracing the edges of a mahogany crib.
“Stay here,” I murmur, kissing the top of her head and walking towards the entrance.
“Ethan?” She rises out of the seat but doesn’t follow.
“I’ll be right back.”
I head out and stand in the doorway, the crisp October air cutting through my suit jacket as I scan the sidewalk. A few early fallen leaves skitter past in the evening breeze, but I see no one out of the ordinary. The feeling is gone.
Whoever it was, has either left or concealed themselves.
I don’t like this.
I return to Natalie’s side. She doesn’t look very satisfied with whatever is in the catalogue. “If you don’t like it, we can go elsewhere.”
She shoots Mike an apologetic look. “Sorry.”
He smiles at her. “It’s no problem. We focus more on office furnishings, anyway. If you would like, I can give you a list of places that sell furniture for infants.”
“Send the list to Clarice, Mike,” I tell him, and he nods.
I slide my hand into Natalie’s. “Let’s go eat.”
She studies me, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. “What’s going on? You’ve been acting suspicious for a while now.”
I don’t lie. “I think someone was watching us.”
Her hand tightens around mine, but her voice is calm. “Did you find out who it was?”
“Not yet. But I will.”
Her lips press together, and she nods.
Once we get into the car, she keeps glancing outside. “Let’s just go back. Today’s been stressful enough. I would rather shower and eat.”
I reach over and rest my hand on her thigh. “What do you have in mind?”
She lets out a laugh, pushing my hand away. “Not whatever it is you have in mind. I’m still sore!”
I give her a deceptively innocent look. “Now who’s the pervert?”
“You used that tone of yours! What am I supposed to think?”
I grin, starting the car. “I don’t have a tone.”
“Yes, you do,” she argues back, struggling not to laugh. “That husky bedroom voice that makes me forget my own name.”
Seeing her like this makes my heart turn light.
“Maybe you’re the one who’s in the mood for it. I did read that pregnant women have more fierce appetites?—”
“Ethan!”
Natalie’s face is a bright red, her hands covering her cheeks.
I pat her leg. “Feel free to use me to feed those appetites of yours. Anytime.”
