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“I’m fine.”
“You don’t look fine.”
“Well, I am.” I’m not going to debate this with a stranger. I shrug off his hand and march up the small set of stairs leading into the townhouse.
While the Guardians bring in Rosalie’s meager things, I pull out my phone. To my surprise, there are no new texts from Scott. I slide down the wall and tuck my knees into my chest.
Why is this happening to me?
Because you decided to play with fire and slept with your professor.
True.
I’m my own worst enemy when it comes to men.
TWO
Zeb
What an interesting woman.The way Kaye goes from heating up to cooling off flips all the switches in my head. Talk about kicking my protective instincts into overdrive. Kaye did that in spades, and all within minutes of meeting the sultry blonde.
But how?
How did she evoke this animalistic reaction?
How did she trigger my need to ease her pain from whatever it is she fears? And what dumped ice water on that initial flash of heat between us?
No way in hell did I imagine that spark. That primal rush. That thrill of something new. Or the way it was suddenly snuffed out?
As she flees up the stairs, I can’t help but watch her go.
She’s an enigma. A puzzle. A beautiful woman with long, blonde hair that bounces and flows with her graceful ascent up the stairs. I could watch her all day long.
What triggered her?
Is she running from someone? Something? The way she climbs those stairs reminds me of a scared little mouse fleeing a predator.
Is it me?
No. Not me. It was something else.
Doing my best to focus on what triggered her flight, I turn to the street.
A mother pushes a stroller down the sidewalk. Her attention zeroes in on her baby. Across the street, a teen walks five dogs at once, completely oblivious to the world around him with his attention glued to his cellphone. Cars drive past intermittently; a steady stream, but not enough to choke the street. A bit of wind blows through trees planted as part of the city’s attempt to turn a busy city into a park.
It doesn’t work.
A man, dressed all in black, stands near the corner next to the drugstore. Our eyes lock for a moment and a flash of rage spans the gap. Before I fully process it, he turns away and flags down a passing cab. The man’s gone before I blink. There are others. Small groups of people cluster together here and there, smoking cigarettes, talking quietly, but no one appears the least bit interested in this particular townhouse, except that man.
Is he the reason Kaye ran like the devil was on her heels?
There’s only one way to figure this one out. The question is, will Kaye open up to a stranger? She wasn’t exactly forthcoming, but I know how to warm a woman up.
After my quick search of the surrounding area reveals no threats, I head inside, taking the stairs two at a time. She left the door open, which isn’t a surprise considering we’re moving Rosalie in. On my way in, Hayes shoulders past me, heading to the SUV for the last of his woman’s things. Rafe follows, but he stops to look at my empty hands.
“Forget something?” Rafe’s lips twist in a sardonic smirk.
“Huh?”
