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Her eyes scan and study my face as she listens. She wrings her hands together before placing them in her lap. One of her fingers plays with a ring on another finger. Her nerves are flaring, and indecision wars on her features. I watch as my words slowly sink in, one by one. Her shoulders fall, the fidgeting with her ring slows, and she takes a deep breath.
She slowly nods as she extends her hand out to me. “Let’s try that again, shall we?”
A smile spreads across my lips, and it isn’t at all forced when I reach out to take her hand.
“Hi, Nora. My name’s Samuel Johnson, but everyone calls me SJ.” My large hand engulfs her dainty one. Her delicate fingers wrap around my palm. All I feel is warmth and comfort.
“Hey, SJ. It’s nice to meet you. Thanks for being my big bad bodyguard.”
I chuckle. “It will be my pleasure.”
I release her hand as I stand from the chair and take a step back from the far too pretty Nora Reyes. Her eyes track my every movement.
“Now, tell me everything that’s happened. From the beginning, please.”
Chapter 4
Nora
From the beginning! Ha!
I’ve racked my brain over for the past few weeks trying to think back to when I first noticed something was off. The feelings of being watched started long before the flowers ever appeared.
I’m unsure how to answer his question. Do I start from when I got the first bouquet? Or from when I was in a store shopping with Em, and the hairs on the back of my neck raised like my body could sense someone was staring while my eyes couldn’t find them?
If I’m honest, moments like those happened frequently and started months before I received the first decaying bouquet. So, I don’t know when the beginning truly is, and that frustrates me.
“I found the first bouquet of dead roses almost three months ago. They were in front of my dressing room door. There was no note and no sign of anyone in the hallway aside from workers and some dancers I know well.”
I watch SJ more than I should. It’s hard to avoid when a man with his powerful presence and size is in front of you, but it’s not just that. It’s also because of how damn handsome he is.
His dark skin is flawless. His bald head and full black beard only adds to the badass persona he has going. His muscles bulge in just about every spot my eyes land on. His deep, soulful brown eyes draw you in and almost immediately set you at ease.
But the real kicker?
The thing that has my heart pounding and my pulse racing? His wide, disarming smile. It’s so genuine. So damn perfect.
“Was there a note with the first flowers?” he asks when I don’t continue.
I shake my head. “There was never a note. Not until this last delivery.” That’s what I’ve started referring to them as. Deliveries. Makes it sound less fucked up than it really is.
Hello, Denial, my new friend.
“What about the 'With love, forever'?” he asks.
I shiver at the reminder. “That came on the third delivery.” That’s when we first realized this was something more than some kind of prank or joke.
“Have there been any sightings of this person?”
He’s careful to not say guy or man. We don’t know for sure if it’s a female or male, but I’ve always suspected a guy. Seems more likely after what I saw just a few weeks ago.
“No,” Alex answers for me, finally finding his balls to speak again.
As soon as SJ is out of here, I’m wringing his neck for not telling me. For blindsiding me.
I toy with my ring again, spinning it around my finger. SJ’s eyes zoom in on the nervous tick, and I immediately drop my hand.
“What aren’t you telling me?” he inquires gently.
