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“I can get my own stuff,” she bit out. “And I guess I’ll need my bed.” Then again, she wasn’t so sure she even wanted to sleep on that bed anymore. The idea of it creeped her out. Which pissed her off. “Actually, no, I’ll buy a new one—if you don’t mind stopping somewhere?”
“I already ordered a bedroom set for my guest room. It’s being delivered tomorrow.”
>
That was nice. Considerate. And yet, she tilted her head toward him, gaze narrowed. “You were that sure I’d”—she made air quotes—“choose your place?”
“I figured I could use a guest bed no matter what.”
“Sure. Okay.”
He didn’t bother to argue against the sarcasm in her voice, which only confirmed her suspicion. The thought of him patronizing her with bogus ‘choices’ triggered another spike of annoyance. She’d rather he go back to issuing orders.
Maybe.
When they reached her apartment, she attempted to use that irritation to battle rising nerves, but then couldn’t quite force her feet over the threshold.
Dev’s hand settled at the small of her back. Her pulse skipped, but she had no time to marvel at the comforting gesture before steady, firm pressure guided her inside. He waited at her bedroom door as she moved toward the closet.
“Pack for a couple of weeks,” he advised. “Just in case.”
After dragging out her large suitcase, she started with scrubs for work, jeans and leggings, then moved on to T-shirts and sweatshirts. And, just in case, she added two dresses and the pair of four-inch, black Louboutin stilettos her parents had given her for Christmas.
She’d moved over to her dresser for underwear when her phone buzzed in her pocket. A quick glance revealed a text from her cousin.
Raine: You left without saying goodbye.
Shelby: Sorry. I assume Celia spread the word, and I didn’t want to deal with everyone’s concern.
Raine: She’s actually telling your brothers right now. I’m guessing you’re still going to hear from them.
She sighed and leaned a hip against her dresser as she replied: Probably. Anyway, thanks and love you. Have a safe flight back to TX.
Raine: Thanks, and love you, too. But before I sign off…I can’t stop thinking about what you said earlier.
Shelby: Honestly, Raine, I’m fine—delete, delete, delete, delete—good.
Raine: This isn’t about your psycho stalker. It’s about your hot new bodyguard.
Of course she would eventually come around to that part of her earlier pity party. Shelby stared at the words on her screen. Though Dev was leaning against the door frame and nowhere close enough to see them, heat spread through her body as she snuck a glance his way from under her lashes.
With his eagle eye, that’s all it took to put him on instant alert. He straightened and started toward her. “What is it?”
“Nothing,” she exclaimed a little louder than necessary. She jerked up a hand to stay his approach. “It’s just Raine texting.”
He stopped, his narrowed gaze flicking down to her phone.
Slightly panicked he might insist on seeing the texts, she blustered, “You don’t have to stand right here like my jailor, you know. You can wait in the living room.”
It felt like a lifetime before he finally pivoted and left the room.
Relief flowed through her veins. She blew out a breath and turned her attention back to the screen to tap out a quick reply: Strike that from your memory. I never said that.
Her phone buzzed again, only this time her cousin’s image popped up on the screen for an incoming call.
Shelby hurried to close the bedroom door as she answered with a furious whisper. “I’m not discussing this.”
“But I have this theory,” Raine insisted. “And Celia agrees with me.”
