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Might as well just tell him. She was obviously incapable of lying right now, seeing how she just made herself into a paranormal romance author. “He has a heart valve condition.”
His eyebrows raised. Not that she could see them, but she could tell because his mask raised. “Is it serious?”
Her palms grew sweaty, and she rummaged around in her bag for something to wipe them on. She found nothing, so to disguise the reason she was searching, she pulled out a tin of altoids. “Do you want a mint?”
His lips quirked. “Is that your way of saying my breath stinks?”
“Oh, no. Not at all. I was just…”
“I’m kidding,” he said, reaching for the door. “I’ll take one.”
She fumbled with the tin, trying to open it. Why did she feel like she was on the most awkward date ever? She finally got it open and shoved it at him. He took out a mint and popped it into his mouth. She did as well, hoping the burst of flavor would distract her from all her weirdness.
When they got to Shadow’s room, she could hear Sir-Barks-a-Lot inside doing his best to make his presence known. Shadow made a face. “Could I ask you for a favor? Jalen had to go to a virtual meeting and asked that I take care of his dog. But I need a shower right now. Do you mind taking Sir Barks on a walk?”
“Okay,” she said without thinking. She loved Jalen’s little dog.
“Are you sure? I hate to ask. That’s not really part of your job description, so you don’t have to if you don’t want to.”
“I don’t mind. Honest. He’s adorable.”
Shadow unlocked his door and opened it. Sir Barks jumped on him like he was the happiest dog in the world. Jalen must ask Shadow to take care of his dog a lot. The dog sure was familiar with him. Although, as soon as Riley stepped into the room Sir Barks ran to her and jumped on her as well. She chuckled to herself at her assumption. Maybe the dog was just like that.
Shadow grabbed a leash and hooked it to Sir Bark’s collar. “Thank you for walking him. If you want, you can go out the deck door. He probably would love a walk on the beach. I’ll be fifteen minutes or so. Feel free to just come back in when you’re done.”
Riley couldn’t ask for a better opportunity. If she could be smart about this, maybe she could spend even more time with him after she walked the dog. This was turning out to be serendipity. She was going to find out who he was and get that promotion. She was sure of it.
Chapter 4
Jalen watched as Riley left through the patio door, his heart pounding. What was he doing? Why was he taking every opportunity to spend time with Riley? He was going to regret this. He knew it. This would only lead to heartbreak when she found out who he really was. And yet, as he turned the shower on, he couldn’t help but get excited about seeing her again.
He pulled out another Shadow outfit. He didn’t usually have to change back into one so quickly, but this was a different kind of circumstance. He didn’t usually spend time with a woman. A strange kind of energy surged in him. He felt like a teenager with a crush. Man, he really should get his head checked. He was about to do something stupid, he could tell.
But the problem was, he didn’t care. He liked Riley. He wanted to know more about her. So, he shoved his concerns away and took off his mask. He gasped when he looked into the mirror. He’d gotten a sunburn. It wasn’t bad, really, but enough that it showed the outline of his mask on his face. Great. Now he was stuck wearing his mask everywhere. If he took it off, everyone would know he was Shadow.
How could he have let this happen? He should have put on more sunscreen when Riley offered. He didn’t want to have to try to put it on while wearing his mask. Still, he should have heeded her warning. Frustrated with himself, he undressed and stepped into the shower. Now he was stuck for the next few days.
If he wanted to spend any time with Riley, he would have to do it as Shadow. As Jalen thought about it, though, it wasn’t so bad. Riley didn’t even know who Shadow Walker was until yesterday. She wasn’t like the other people who only cared about taking off his mask. She was different. So what if he spent time with her as Shadow Walker?
He quickly lathered up, shampooed and conditioned, rinsed, and towel-dried off. His hair dried quickly with the help of the dryer. He had always had fine, thin hair. Even thinner where the burn scars met his hairline. Luckily, his scalp had escaped injury, unlike his shoulder and back.
When he was dressed in his disguise once again, he exited the bathroom. Riley and Sir Barks weren’t in the room, so he went to the sliding glass door and pulled back the blinds to peek outside. He had to step aside to be able to see past the security guard on the deck.
Scanning the beach, he spotted her near the water’s edge. She was running, trying to allow enough slack on the leash for Sir Barks, laughing. His dog zigzagged across the sand, as gleeful as he’d ever seen him. Riley looked humorous in her dress flats, trying to run on the sand. What would happen if he went out and joined her? Would people flock around him? Would anyone think it’s odd that he was dressed as Shadow?
He sighed and turned from the window. Of course, it would be odd. He wouldn’t really go out there. He was used to hiding indoors. It was not appropriate to go out in his disguise, and he rarely went out with his scars showing. Swimming was out of the question, even though he’d enjoyed it as a child and often missed the activity.
He watched Riley for a few more moments before he turned from the glass door. Time to rehydrate. He grabbed a water from the fridge and drained the bottle. The cold liquid felt good on his throat. He tossed the empty bottle in the recycle bin as the patio door slid open, and Riley entered carrying Sir Barks-a-Lot.
Her face brightened when she saw him. “You were right. Sir Barks loved the beach.”
“Thanks for taking care of him.”
“It was no problem.” She scratched under his chin, then looked up to appraise Jalen. “Do you ever get tired of wearing a mask?”
He leaned against the wall. “I don’t wear it all the time.”
She blushed. “Of course not. Ignore me. I’m being silly.” She sat down on the couch, and his dog settled on her lap. She unhooked the leash and set it on the end table next to her.
