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‘Oh, yes, much.’ Deirdre sighs and squeezes my hand. ‘You’re an angel, Izzy.’
I return her gesture before placing her hand back on the bed. ‘You need anything else before I go?’
‘A new body.’
I smile, though it’s sad. ‘You sleep well tonight, okay? And I’ll see you tomorrow.’
‘Okay, dear. Have a good evening.’
I tuck her in and wander away, looking over my shoulder and smiling in satisfaction when I see her snoozing comfortably. She’ll rest easy now. And I believe I will, too, when I make it home.
Returning my attention forward, my heart stops, my smile drops, and my pace slows. And I’m pretty damn sure my world just flipped up on its head.
‘Izzy,’ Theo greets me softly, looking as sharp as he did the last time I saw him. His straight face takes me in, his eyes running up and down my body. I suddenly feel self-conscious, and I reach up to pat my hair down. Good grief, I bet I look a fright. Damn it! Then I quickly ask myself why I’m bothered by how drab I must be looking after my shift and what Theo must think of that. Why do I care? I don’t know, but I do. Annoyingly, I really care.
Today he’s alone, no other big guy to be seen. ‘Your hair’s perfect,’ he says dryly, and my hands freeze atop my head, my cheeks flaming. ‘But it’s nice to know you care.’
He has me pinned, so I don’t insult him by denying it. ‘Is Penny all right?’ I ask, wondering if she needs my medical assistance again.
‘She’s fine.’
‘Then what are you doing here?’ I feel eyes on me, not just Theo’s, and turn to find Mable probably enduring agony so she can get a better look at my surprise visitor. I roll my eyes and she grins, giving me a thumbs-up.
‘I like watching you work,’ Theo says, bringing me back to face him, leaving Mable ogling from behind.
‘What?’
He glances over at Deirdre. ‘Looking after people. It’s nice to see you doing that.’
‘It’s my job,’ I reply, holding back my laugh. He looks so serious.
Nodding mildly, Theo turns back towards me. ‘You haven’t called.’
‘I haven’t needed to.’
‘I was hoping you would need to.’ His quick response knocks me back a little. ‘And then I thought that maybe it’s because you don’t have a phone.’
‘How do—’
‘One of my men found the broken pieces.’
‘Oh,’ I breathe. One of his men? He thought? He’s been thinking about me? Hoping I’d call? He’s being perfectly polite, yet a little brusque. I don’t mention the fact that I still have his number, regardless of the small matter that I don’t have a phone. It would only highlight that I could have called him, and something tells me that that’s what’s bothering him. He wanted me to call. And I didn’t.
‘So, Penny’s okay, then?’ I ask, uncomfortable with the silence that’s fallen.
‘On her feet,’ he answers but says no more, telling me Penny isn’t the topic of conversation he had in mind. Penny isn’t why he’s here. ‘I’ve come to take you home.’ Stepping to the side, he swoops his arm out for me to lead on. ‘My car’s waiting.’
I smile a little, though it’s nervous. ‘I don’t need a chaperone home, Theo.’
‘I say you do.’
‘And I should listen to you?’ What’s he going to do? Pull a gun on me?
‘You should definitely listen to me.’ There’s slight menace in his words that doesn’t faze me in the slightest. He might be deadly handsome, but intimidation seeps from every inch of his towering frame. For some reason I haven’t yet figured out, all of that comes second to the insane attraction I have for him and his dangerous allure.
‘Why should I listen to you?’ I ask evenly, looking up at him through my lashes.
‘Because only those who are unwise do not.’
‘I think I would be very wise not to listen to you.’ I watch as his handsome face twists a little in growing frustration. Theo isn’t the kind of man who is refused. He’s dark and he’s dangerous. He’s a no-go zone for a sensible, regular girl like me. So why is he thinking about me, let alone actually tracking me down to my place of work?
‘Your bravery intrigued me at first,’ he says. ‘Now I think it annoys me more.’
I look down at his hands, letting my thoughts wander to places they shouldn’t go. ‘I’m not scared of you,’ I say mindlessly, as if to enforce what he already knows, biting down on my lip.
‘I know.’ He sighs. ‘You keep telling me. So why won’t you let me take you home?’
‘Because I’m afraid that you might expect more, and I’m even more scared that I’ll give it to you.’ I look up at him, face straight, with no regret for saying what I’m thinking. And when our stares lock, his cobalt eyes wide, his head cocked in question, I know my fear is warranted.
