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Tonight, he showed up at her apartment for no real reason that she could see. Again, quite unexpected, but decidedly more enjoyable.
Thing was bothering him, but he didn’t want to talk about it. That was something she didn’t need him to say. It was written in the tight lines of his body and the set of his hard jaw. He didn’t come to her to spill his guts about whatever was on his mind.
The best she could figure was that he came to her because he just wanted some company. She could understand that. Sometimes being alone with your thoughts could drive a person mad.
But she still didn’t quite understand why he’d chosen to come toher.She would ask, but she was actually enjoying his company and didn’t want to ruin the vibe.
“You really don’t have to do this,” she said as he rolled up his sleeves and stood beside her at the sink.
The dishwasher was loaded with their bowls and silverware, but the bigger things really needed to be hand washed. So, she was filling up the sink with soapy water.
“You said that washing dishes was your least favorite chore,” Sam replied, shoving her out of the way with his hip. “So just let me do it. You can dry them and put them away.”
She couldn’t help grinning. Shedidsay that, and it was true. She loved to cook, but the clean up afterward was her least favorite thing in the world.
There was something sexy about a man willing to pitch in like this without being asked. She kept watching him out of the corner of her eye as she dried the dishes and put them away in the cabinet.
She knew that she should cling to her anger with him, but now that she wasn’t trapped in that room any longer, she could get some perspective on the situation. What he did wasn’t right, but Lexi wasn’t naive. She knew there if she was dealing with a different mafia man, she could have ended up dead just for overhearing something confidential.
Locking her up wasn’t something that a normal man would do, but she was well-aware that Sam wasn’t just any man. He was a member of the Bratva, a man that lived by a different set of rules. There would always be an element of danger with him, and she was drawn to that.
So, she let herself enjoy this time with him, stifling her curiosity about what was bothering him when he arrived. He seemed to relax as the evening went on, and she certainly wasn’t going to bring it up again.
They cleaned the kitchen in silence, and it was comfortable in a way that she never could have expected. It was as if they’d done it together a hundred times.
“You want to go for a walk?” she asked, not in the mood to be cooped up inside after being confined for two days.
“Sure. Any particular place in mind?”
“I spotted an ice cream shop about a block away. That would really hit the spot tonight.”
Sam nodded. “I know the place, and it’s definitely worth checking out.”
Lexi grabbed a sweater and shoved her feet into a pair of tennis shoes as they left the apartment together. The woman that lived in the apartment on the other side of Lexi was opening her own door with a grocery bag in her hands, but she stopped to stare at the two of them. Sam snickered as they got into the elevator, the doors closing just as the woman finally snapped out of it and stepped into her apartment.
“It looks like Ida has some new hot gossip,” he said.
“I guess I better get used to being the most interesting person in the building.” But she didn’t really mind. People loved to talk, and she’d always been good about not letting that get to her.
As they left the building, Sam pulled the door open for her, placing a hand on her lower back as she walked through. They were close together as they walked down the sidewalk, their arms brushing against each other. She asked questions about the city as they went, learning about her new home from a man that had lived here his whole life. At least, that was what he told her, and that little tidbit of information made her realize that she knew almost nothing about his past.
She wondered if she’d get the chance to learn more about him. Considering that this brief walk felt an awful lot like their first date, she hoped so.
Just as they reached the ice cream shop, her steps slowed. The fine hairs on the back of her neck stood up, and she glanced around, sure that someone was watching them. When she didn’t spot anyone, she frowned and looked again.
“What is it?” Sam asked, also looking around. His hand inched toward his back, and she was sure that he had a handgun there. She shook her head.
“Nothing. Let’s get some ice cream.”
Sam narrowed his eyes as he studied her for a moment, but then he nodded and led her inside. Despite her words, she couldn’t shake the sensation of being watched as they walked inside. But if she couldn’t identify who it was, there was nothing to be done about it.
By the time they left the ice cream shop ten minutes later, the feeling was gone, and she managed to forget about it.
12
SAM
There wasa hockey game on the TV in the bar tonight, and half the people there were fans of one team or another. It was loud and crowded, but Sam didn’t mind. The business he was conducting would be less likely to be observed with so many distractions.
