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Brooks hitched up a brow at him. “How can you be sure?”
“Because I wouldn’t let her.”
My smile fell away. The whole “let” part never failed to be annoying. “If I wanted to leave—”
“We’d talk about it,” Dax finished. “And talk and talk and talk until you changed your mind. Which you would.”
Considering he was very much the master of persuasion, I couldn’t with all honesty argue that he wouldn’t succeed in talking me round. “Whatever. In any case, I’m not considering leaving with Brooks.”
“Good. It means I don’t have to kill him.”
Brooks grinned. “And aren’t we all glad about that?”
Chapter Thirty-Three
The following evening, I walked onto our bedroom balcony to find Dax relaxing on a lounger with his tablet in hand and a sleeping cat curled up on his lap.
Sensing my presence, Gypsy woke and lifted her eyelids slightly, regarding me carefully through mere slits. With a brief flex of her claws, she then closed her eyes once more.
I arched a brow at him and folded my arms. “You know, for a guy who claims he’s certain she’s a complete psychopath, you sure don’t have much of a problem letting her snuggle into you. I’m not sure how I should interpret that.”
He parted his lips to respond, but then his brow puckered as he saw that I’d slipped on a jacket. “Going somewhere?”
“I’m heading out for a walk, I won’t be long.”
His frown deepened. “A walk?”
“I always go for a stroll around my neighborhood this time of year so I can check out everyone’s outdoor holiday decorations.” I hadn’t spent a Christmas at Oakengrove before, so I was particularly curious. But Dax’s answering expression was one of blank incomprehension. I almost snorted. Well, of course he’d see no appeal in this, the grump.
“Surely you’ve seen some while driving in and out of the village,” he said.
“Yeah,some.And only fleetingly, because I was concentrating on the road.”
He briefly glanced at the balcony’s amazing view. “It’s dark out.”
“That’s the best time to do it; you can’t properly appreciate all the lights otherwise, and they’re not always switched on until it goes dark anyway.”
His jaw tightened. “I don’t like the idea of you walking around alone at night.”
Aw, bless him. I’d totally be lying if I said his protectiveness didn’t make my belly all fluttery. “Oakengrove is very safe. You know that.” Especially now that Dax owned it—few people would have the gumption to behave in ways that would piss him off.
He exhaled a heavy breath and switched off his tablet. “I’ll come with you,” he said, sounding the epitome of put-out.
I blinked. “What?”
Carefully holding Gypsy, he stood. “I don’t want you going out alone at this hour.”
“It’s notthatlate,” I said, my arms slipping to my sides. “I’ll be fine.”
One brow slinked up. “Do you have a problem with me coming with you?” His tone said he didn’t give a monkey’s left tit if I did.
“Of course not.” I’d prefer to have the company.
He set Gypsy down on the lounger. “Then let’s go.”
Before long, he and I were strolling around the village, our arms brushing with each step. We passed residence after residence—villas, bungalows, townhouses, apartment buildings—as I admired the pretty lights and various props. Some homeowners had kept it simple, others had goneallout.
Passing my previous house, I didn’t knock to bid Alicia a quick hi—the absence of her car in the driveway told me she wasn’t home. In terms of outdoor decorations, she’d gone with a sparse and simple look.
