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The tools on the bench all seemed to be hung in precise order. I was half-afraid to breathe for fear of disturbing it, but Vienna walked ahead of me toward the door—one that required a key and a code to open. Most people just left their interior garage doors unlocked.
Not my girl.
After swinging the door open, she removed her heels and climbed the single step inside.
The polish on her nails was a pale, pale pink. And it occurred to me I probably shouldn't be staring at her feet. But they were as perfect as the rest of her. I lacked her grace, but I toed my shoes off and left them in the garage before following her inside, in my socks. Really glad they matched and didn’t have holes in them. The same definitely couldn’t be said for all my socks.
4
Vienna
The garage immediately opened to the kitchen, like most houses. Cool, lavender scented air washed over us as I reached for the light switch next to the door. I never left the lights on when I wasn’t home. Better not to give anyone access to see inside, if someone wandered onto the property.
I padded softly across the rather expensive vinyl flooring that had been created to withstand children, pets, or a dropped knife or two. Having floors that wouldn’t shout out the secrets of the house were quite glorious. As soon as Daddy had discovered them, we’d installed them at every house. They were even waterproof.
Dropping the keys in the center drawer of the kitchen island, I angled my body to watch Merrick with discretion. He really was like an inquisitive puppy. His clear blue eyes marked every corner of the room. If he were someone I’d grown up with, I’d have said he was clocking every entrance, exit, potential weapons, and random mundane details, just in case it would prove handy later.
But he wasn’t someone like me.
And he wasn’t quite normal either, not when I’d watched him kill in my defense without blinking.
Now, he was merely trying to pick apart the place I called home, soaking up as much information about my personality as possible. And from the blissed out look on his face, he was pleased.
Glancing around, trying to see this place from his eyes, I had to agree, it was a nice house. The kitchen alone was glossy and open with more of a minimalist feel. Everything had a place and purpose. Hopefully, allowing him to stay here wouldn’t drive me crazy, if he decided to upset my space.
He walked lightly over to stand next to me. No, I wouldn’t have any issue with Merrick, not when he tried so hard to follow my non-verbal cues.
“You said I get a tour?” He grinned sweetly.
I returned the smile. I had said that. Should I start with the basement or the gym? Mirth shook my shoulders all over again. The audacity of this man, that he wanted to give me sparring lessons. It was cute.
And unnecessary. In actuality, I’d probably be giving him lessons to make sure he didn’t get himself killed. Or caught.
Assuming he stuck around.
But could I really let him go?
I’d have to think on that later. “I’ll show you to your room first so you can drop your bag, and then the rest of the place. Are you hungry?” I asked over my shoulder as I led him through the living room.
All in all, this was a decent sized house. A failed subdivision that had been abandoned and forgotten, far enough out of town to be completely off grid.
“No, I had dinner before I left the center. I can keep you company though if you want to grab something to eat.” He stated, as if it were a foregone conclusion. If I cooked, he would take up residence at the island.
Maybe I would give him the full tour.
Having someone in my space seemed almost alien. Every breath he released, every faint scuff of his socks against the floor, even the way the air moved was different. Prickles of awareness crept up my spine and I had to fight the compulsion to rub my upper arms. Body language revealed a lot about a person. Everyone had a tell.
Everyone.
Daddy taught me to quell my physical reactions. Mental, fine. Physical? No. Even at my most stressed, I could appear calm. Never let anyone see what you're thinking, Vienna. Guard your thoughts behind the fortress of your body. What made me more uneasy about Merrick's presence was the fact I welcomed his intrusion.
If it had just been me, I'd have already gone to clean-up, shower, change, and then prepare dinner. As it was, I was barely a mess—but I did need to change. "Come on," I said, curling my fingers in irritation. "We have a few rooms for you to choose from."
"Just put me in the one closest to yours, or the one closest to the front door." If he'd just left it at the first one, one might presume he was fishing for an invitation to my bed. The alternative reminded me of his protest in the alley, on the street and then again in the car.
He wanted to protect me.
That was adorably odd.
