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“Hannah, get your butt up here.”
She sighed grouchily. “Hold your horses. Sheesh, when did you get so bossy?”
“Oh, so that gets a real reaction, huh? I’ll have to remember that,” he muttered as she climbed the stairs toward him.
Shoot. She shouldn’t have reacted. But it was hard to hold on to her calm around him.
Ice queen.
“If my being bossy gets to the real you, then prepare yourself, darlin’,” he murmured to her.
Rats.
Yep. She’d messed up.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she replied stiffly.
“Unlock your door, Hannah.”
Calm. Chill.
You cannot knee him in the balls. Do not react.
“I was planning on doing that.”
As she unlocked the door, he moved in behind her. The heat of his body made her head spin slightly. Or maybe that was the lack of food she’d had today.
It was hard to eat when you felt constantly nauseous.
“You’re not fooling me, baby.”
She was going to ignore that whispered remark. She was also going to do her best to ignore the way his warm breath brushed across the cool skin of her neck.
This wasn’t good.
The thing she really didn’t understand was why he was there. Why was he pretending like he cared about her? It wasn’t like he ever had before.
Okay, that was a bit unfair. He’d cared about her wellbeing when he saw her hurt herself, like when she’d fallen over like a giant klutz at the clinic. But when she wasn’t in front of him, she was pretty sure he hadn’t even known she was alive.
So why is he here?
Hannah had to bite back that question since she wasn’t certain she wanted to know the answer.
Unlocking the door, she stepped inside. Only to have him grab her arm gently.
Again, she flinched.
And cursed herself. Fuck. She needed to stop that.
“I really want to know why you keep flinching when I touch you,” he grumbled.
No, he didn’t.
Cool and calm.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Again, thank you for walking me home. As you can see, I’m here and I’m safe. Have a good night.”
“Nice try, darlin’. Not happening. Wait here.”
“What?” she asked as he switched on a light.
He turned back to her. “Wait here. Do not move.”
“Where are you going?”
“Walk-through.”
And then he was gone.
Walk-through? He was checking to make sure that there was no one there? An almost giddy sense of euphoria filled her.
How much would she love someone to do that for her every time she came home? Coming home alone, especially when it was dark, almost always gave her anxiety. She hated it, which was another reason she avoided leaving her apartment unless she really had to.
Tears filled her eyes, and she had to quickly blink them back.
She would not give in to them.
She. Would. Not.
What the heck was happening right now? And how did she get it to stop? How did she get him to go?
Dumb ass. Why would you want him to go? To stop protecting you?
Because he was a reminder of the time before Steven.
Before she lost who she was.
Maybe Raid was one of those guys who was only attracted to the chase, to wanting people who didn’t want him.
Well, more fool him. Because she still wanted him. She’d just never let herself have him.
Raid returned to where she was standing by the door. A pleased expression filled his face.
Shoot. She should have moved, Hannah realized, but she’d been too busy thinking. And her apartment was small, so it hadn’t taken him long to walk around it.
But now he thought she was obeying him. Or something like that.
“Good girl.”
Shit. Crap.
That flayed her. However she couldn’t let him see.
Those words had once been her crack. Hearing them from him would have sent her soaring. She’d been a praise whore. Well, that wasn’t an official term or anything. Just something she’d called herself.
But she’d loved being praised. Being called a good girl.
Not anymore, though.
And she had to dig her fingernails into her palms to stop herself from reacting.
Do not show him. Do not.
She forced herself to let out a grumbling noise, turning away from him. “Do not flatter yourself.”
It hurt acting this way. Old-Hannah wept inside. She wanted to offer him a drink. To thank him for being a gentleman. For watching over her.
Old-Hannah would bask in that praise for days.
But she couldn’t let her out.
“You can leave now.” She made sure her voice was indifferent.
It was for the best. Better for both of them that he thought her a bitch.
He moved closer, getting into her space. She couldn’t help but take several steps back until she hit a wall.
His eyes were narrowed. And she knew that she’d given herself away once again.
Rats.
“I don’t know what’s going on, darlin’. But I will find out. Now, I’m going to leave you so you can regroup those defenses you’re determined to put up. Not sure that’s the best idea, but I have a feeling that if I stay longer, you’ll say something we’ll both regret. I’m going to stay on the other side of the door until I hear it lock, though. And this might be a retreat, but a Malone never surrenders.”
