“I only watch my K-dramas.” I dare a quick glance at him and see he’s watching me. “And you? What do you do in your spare time?”
“Watch you.”
My eyes fly to his face, and seeing he’s serious, my lips part. “Really?”
He nods. “Before I came to Aurora, I never took any time off, but then I stopped at the gas station, and once I saw you, I just couldn’t stay away.”
“But you only popped in for a few minutes every night,” I mention.
Enzo shakes his head. “I parked across the road and watched you all night. You’re not very observant of your surroundings. I followed you home, and you never noticed.”
Dang, he practically stalked me.
His thumb brushes over my skin as he admits, “Watching you brings me peace.”
Not even thinking about it, I turn onto my side so I can face him, and he does the same. It puts our heads a few inches apart.
I lift my free hand but hesitate for a moment before I give in and trail my fingers over the side of his face. When I get to the scruff on his jaw, I focus on how prickly the bristles feel against my fingertips.
“You’re safe with me,” he whispers. “You could strip naked, and I wouldn’t do anything you don’t want.”
Not knowing how else to ask the embarrassing question, I mumble, “What if I can never do it?”
“Then I’ll improvise.”
My eyebrows draw together. “How?”
“I’ll just jerk off.”
My face goes up in flames, and I roll onto my back as an awkward chuckle escapes me.
My phone begins to ring, and I pull my hand out of Enzo’s before digging the device out of my pocket. When I see it is my landlord, I groan.
“What?” Enzo asks.
“Nothing.” I accept the call and say, “Hi, Mrs. Lettner.”
“Hi, Jenna. Your payment is late.”
Shoot! I forgot about it. With me leaving the gas station, Mr. Cahoon obviously stopped my salary, and my bank account is empty.
“I’m so sorry.” I glance around the bedroom as I begin to move off the bed, as if an answer would magically appear to me. “I’ll make a plan and get the money to you. Can you give me a day or so?”
“No. You know the rules. You don’t pay, you’re out.”
Suddenly, Enzo takes my phone from my hand, and I watch with wide eyes as he asks Mrs. Lettner, “What is this about?” He listens for a few seconds, then mutters, “That’s fine. We’ll have Jenna’s belongings out of the house tomorrow night.”
He ends the call, then drops the device between us.
“What?” I gasp. “You…What?...I…”
Enzo’s hand darts up, and before I can even think to flinch, he grips me by the back of my neck, and I’m hauled forward. I fall against his chest as his intense gaze bores into mine.
“You are my responsibility. I will not say it again. I take care of all your needs, and that dump you used to call home isn’t one of them. We’ll stop by the place on the way to the lakehouse and get everything you want to keep.”
My hands are pressed to his chest, and the heat from his body seeps through our clothes until it warms me.
I forget what we’re talking about as my eyes lower to his mouth. Remembering our kiss from earlier, I get lost in the memory.
