“I brought you, didn’t I?” He casts a meaningful glance my way that makes my stomach flutter traitorously.
I give him a long look. “Somehow, I think that was deliberate.”
His grin is faint but unmistakably satisfied. “You’re fighting a losing battle, Natalie.”
It bothers me that his taunting words don’t get the rise out of me they normally do, so I ignore the comment entirely.
Looking out the window, I murmur, “I like Caleb.”
The car jerks suddenly, and I let out a startled sound, gripping the dashboard for support. Ethan is glowering at me with unmistakable displeasure. “Caleb? Why are you mentioning Caleb?”
I shrug, too shaken to formulate a proper response. “Ah?—”
“Do you prefer blondes, Natalie?” To my utter shock, Ethan sounds both serious and irritated.
“I’ve never—I never gave it much thought. Why?”
He stares at me with intensity that makes my breath catch. “What do you like about Caleb?”
For a moment, I don’t understand his anger. Then it hits me like a ton of bricks. “Are you jealous?” The thought is so fascinating and so unexpected that I have a hard time believing it.
“Jealous? Of Caleb?” For the first time, I see the faintest hint of red on Ethan’s face. “No.”
“Could’ve fooled me,” I mutter under my breath, oddly pleased by his reaction.
“What was that?” he asks sharply.
“Nothing.” I quickly look out the window at the passing cars, wondering why my stomach is in knots. So even Ethan Wilder can look flustered.
I’ve already put my address into his car’s navigation system, and when he pulls into my building’s parking lot, I sigh in relief.
Ethan is out the door before I can even unbuckle my seat belt. He swiftly opens my car door. It’s such a small gesture, one I never thought mattered before, but each time he opens the door for me, or when he shielded me with his coat when we heard the click of Megan’s camera, it makes me feel something warm and unwelcome inside. All I want to do is keep this man at arm’s length, but he keeps finding ways around my defenses.
“Thanks.”
He’s already retrieving the paper bag filled with tupperware from the backseat. “I’ll take this inside for you.”
“I can carry it,” I insist, reaching for the bag.
“It’s late, Natalie. I’m not letting you walk all the way to your building by yourself.”
I’m usually home by nine, but it’s midnight. People are still active around here when I normally come home. The emptystreet feels unnerving, so I acquiesce. “Fine. Just till the entrance.”
The parking lot is a two-minute walk from my building. Usually the residents park in the underground garage, but there’s construction taking place down there, so the building’s management rented this parking lot for us.
I walk quickly, but when we reach my building, I realize that the night security guard isn’t at his post, and the front door stands open. Stiffening, I press my lips together when I see two men leaning by the elevator, smoking and eyeing us with interest.
“On the other hand,” I stammer, “maybe you could walk me to my apartment. If it’s alright with you, of course.”
Ethan observes the two men who are now watching us with obvious attention. “I’d prefer that.”
“Let’s, uh, take the stairs.”
He doesn’t ask questions, just follows my lead without complaint.
The men don’t follow us, thankfully, but I’m still on edge when I insert my key into my apartment’s door a few minutes later. I try to twist it, but it doesn’t budge.
“Damn it,” I curse under my breath, wanting desperately to be out of the hallway.
