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“Did you set off the car alarm?” I ask through gritted teeth.
“Stop being a petulant child. Who is he?”
“He’s just a co-worker. We go to events together, so we don’t have to worry about getting actual dates. Now, did you set off the car alarm?”
“Obviously. I didn’t like the way he looked. So unkempt. He made unwanted advances.”
My temper flares at the sheer audacity of this man. Who does he think he is—interfering with my sex life? He’s already infiltrated my hobbies. Now he interferes with my ability to get sweaty and messy? Fuck that.
“It’s interesting that you think you have any sway over my sex life. I’d say you have no sway over any part of my life—unfortunately, you’ve interjected yourself into my art—” A hiccup interrupts my brilliant speech “—and Carl is not unkempt.”
I don’t know why I feel like I have to defend Carl at this moment, but it’s the principle of the matter.
“He looks like one of those fine gentlemen you’d find at a used car lot, or a truck stop perhaps.” The sound of gravel shifting beneath his feet makes me look up at the window.
“At least he dances well.” My voice falls to a near whisper. Not that I thought about dancing with Ethan while I spun…or how his powerful arms could sweep me off the floor. But it would have been nice to receive an offer.
“So it wasn’t a real date?”
His direct tone, once again, grates against my nerves.
“So you have nothing to say about the dancing? How convenient.”
“I’m choosing to ignore it. Much like the way you ignore more than half the things I say. Although the more I get to know you, the more I realize that it’s most likely your ability to hyper-focus on a single word, then revel in the anger it causes you.”
“I don’t do that.” I mean, I do. You don’t gotta rub it in, asshole.
“You haven’t answered my previous question.”
“You haven’t answered mine.”
“You didn’t ask a question, darling. You made a statement.”
“No. It was not a real date. Happy?” I let out a sigh. My bubble-addled mind is too slow to argue with his solid logic.
“Not hardly. I don’t want you seeing him anymore.”
I shake my head in disbelief. He can’t be that stupid. I don’t exactly respond well to authoritative commands that much should be very clear. The line falls nearly silent. Only the light wisps of his breath confirm he’s still on the line. When he doesn’t break the growing silence, a dark thought settles in my mind. Maybe he is that stupid. He doesn’t think I’ll actually listen, does he? That had to be in the file of information he’s gathered on me.
“Why?”
“I don’t want you to see him anymore.” His strained voice lowers in pitch.
“I want a reason why I shouldn’t. Give me one!”
“I’m not a jealous man, Patience. But I will be for you. If you go out with him again, I won’t be setting off just a car alarm.”
Butterflies swarm in my stomach. His deep low breathing sounds through the speaker, sending heat rushing low through my body. The thought of being possessed by a handsome murder shouldn’t send heat to my core but it does. Fuck. What is wrong with me? Get it together. Shaking my head free of the bubble-fueled, lust-filled haze, I blink back to attention in the present. Wait. He just threatened Carl.
Pushing up onto my elbows, I stare at the window.
He wouldn’t kill Carl, right? Right. I mean, he’s harmless. I don’t want his blowfish kisses, but I certainly don’t want him dead.
“Awfully silent, darling.”
“You’re not gonna kill him right? I mean, I know you have this super cool killer vibe thing going on for me. I appreciate it, but I’d still like Carl in one piece.”
“I wouldn’t kill him, darling. Provided he keeps his hands to himself.”
