He waited a few heartbeats, and the feeling subsided, but he still felt a little uneasy.
What was going on?
He hadn’t heard the click of a door closing. Or the squeak of a door opening. There was nothing but the hum of the air-conditioning keeping the area cool.
There were no telltale indicators that someone had placed a camera in the ceiling in the vicinity of Steff’s door, but that didn’t mean there couldn’t be one placed somewhere else that would give the person a good view.
Or it could simply have been nothing, and the feeling was more to do with his nerves, than anything sinister. That was unlikely, but everything indicated that there was no danger. Still didn’t mean he wouldn’t be doing a little investigatingonce he left for the evening. He knew Steff wouldn’t follow him downstairs.
There was no way he was going to tell her about what he felt, either. The chances of her believing him were slim, but also he didn’t want to scare her.
Sighing that he couldn’t find anything, he picked up the food and knocked on Steff’s door. He kept gazing around until the door opened, and he gave himself a mental shake and smiled. “Hey.”
“Hey yourself. Come in.” She stepped back and he crossed the threshold, making sure not to accidently brush up against her.
Again, her cherry blossom scent tickled his senses. “Hope you’re hungry.” He held up the bag.
“You do know there’s just the two of us and not a group of people?”
Jag shrugged. “Yeah, but this way, we both have leftovers and won’t have to worry about dinner tomorrow night.”
“Or the next night. Or the next night.” Steff led him to the kitchen area. “Why don’t you unpack, and I’ll get everything out so we can dive into this feast.”
The woman talking to him now was completely different to the one who’d let him in. Was this the Steff she’d been before the attack?
Was she so relaxed around him that she felt like she could be herself?
Or didn’t she realize what she was doing?
Right now, the answers to those questions didn’t matter. All that mattered to him was that Steff was relaxed and seemingly happy for him to be there.
They worked together in silence as he removed the lids and Steff got out bowls and silverware.
“What do we have?” she asked.
“The classic Thai green chicken curry. I got five spice and one spice options for that one. There’s some chicken potstickers as well as chicken satay sticks. Also got a Pad Thai as well as a red curry duck, though I got that one five spice. I know not everyone likes duck but whenever I get Thai, I get it. But I got a beef red curry which is mild for you.”
“Alright then, let’s dig in.” Steff grabbed her bowl, and he stood back to allow her to get her fill.
Everything about what was happening right this moment made Jag extremely happy, and he wanted to have more of these nights.
Chapter Seven
The factshe was so relaxed was a new sensation for Steff, particularly considering there was a man in her apartment. Something she never thought she’d have again.
“Do you want the last potsticker?” he asked.
“Go right ahead, I don’t think I can eat any more.”
He grinned widely, and deftly picked it up with his chopsticks. She still had trouble mastering using them, so she’d stuck with a fork.
She looked at her empty bowl. How long had it been since she’d eaten her plate clean? Usually she always had something leftover, her mind blocking her ability to eat everything. A hang-up from her captivity. Food had been scarce, and when she’d ever been given something, she gobbled it down. Then afterwards, she always wished she’d saved some for the days when she didn’t get anything to eat.
Her stomach cramped in memory of the times it was so empty she thought it was eating itself. Something that was impossible, but when all she had were her thoughts, they often turned weird.
“Hey, are you okay?” Dalton’s soft words were a soothing balm, and chased away her thoughts of that horrid time.
“I am. I–uh …” Should she tell him what she was thinking? Would it turn him off? Steff hadn’t forgotten the words he’d spoken to her on the phone. How he’d said he wanted to be with her. Told her that she was a functioning person when she hadn’t felt that way in so long. “I was just remembering how little I had to eat when I was held captive, and how I’ve gotten into the habit of leaving something on my plate, just in case. I didn’t tonight.”
