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I can’t do this.
I had made it through Friday because I got to hang out with J.E. while getting our hair done and some other authors later that evening. I’d seen Landon here or there in the hotel lurking around watching me, but for the most part he had left me alone.
The guy should get a new job as a bodyguard or P.I. since he was taking this so seriously. I was around so many people, what was truly going to happen?
There was one moment when J.E. caught me looking at Landon and asked what was up with the gorgeous, blond stalker I had. I shouldn’t have laughed since I was pretty sure I had a genuine one, but her calling Landon a stalker had me in a fit of giggles.
Later that evening as we finished dinner and had a drink, I confided in her about Landon and the letters I had been receiving. I figured it was only fair since we’d be sharing a table together the next day. She didn’t seem too worried, she was a badass southern woman who probably was packing and could save my behind better than Landon.
Everything on Saturday had gone well, the signing and our table was full of fun and laughter, as well as meeting so many readers. It was crazy sometimes to think that people read, liked, and bought my books. Not only did it go well for me, but J.E.’s books sold out, and she had a shit load of books with her. I mean who could resist with all those hotties on the covers and the phenomenal stories inside?
But then the day came to an end and she was flying home that evening to her family, and I was stuck alone in my hotel room. I knew Landon was just down the hall and after experiencing his lips on mine again it was hard to ignore his closeness. That was the part I couldn’t do because the pull was strong, but it would lead to nothing but trouble.
Do not call him. Do not call him.
That chant worked up until an envelope had been slid under my door and I opened it. All the breath I had been holding as I read it, whooshed out of my lungs when I got to the part about how this crazy person had visited my table. He had been right under my nose and I never even knew. I assumed it was a guy because of the way he spoke about my looks and such.
Reaching for the phone because I was going to cave and call Landon after that, I paused momentarily when a second envelope came sailing through the open space under the door. Dropping my cell back to the table where it sat, I ran for the door and threw it open. Probably not the best idea but I wanted to catch whoever had been there.
The hall was empty. Hesitating for a second as if they would magically come back and I could figure this out, I stood there staring into space. A door behind me closed and I whipped around startled.
“Shit, you scared me,” I said to Landon as he approached. Secretly glad to see him and a nervous wreck, I tried holding in all my emotions not knowing which one would rear its ugly head at any moment.
Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner. Anger.
But I guess that was better than tears or jumping all over Landon thanks to the lust that kept bubbling up inside me when he was around.
“Two!” I screamed at him. “Two, fucking letters, and I couldn’t even catch the person in the act!” My jaw was clenched, and my nails were digging into my palms, both hands squeezed tight with tension.
I took in Landon’s expression and his face was beet red. Someone else was pissed off besides me, but even then, he still gently pushed me through my open hotel door.
“What do you mean by two letters? And someone was at your door?” He was seething, but his next words said he wasn’t only ticked about the letters, he was mad at me too. “Alley, why the hell did you open the damn door?”
“Don’t you dare yell at me, Landon Geoffrey Abbott!” Gulping in some air in the middle of my rant, I then continued. “You are not even supposed to be here, and this didn’t happen to you, so you don’t get to question me about what I do or don’t do!”
Feeling overwhelmed, I paced back and forth trying to think about what I should do now. I was glad the letters didn’t come until after the signing, but I wanted them to just freaking stop coming altogether.
I felt Landon grab my hand lightly to stop me from putting a hole in the pretty floral area rug that lined the nice wooden floor in the main room of my suite. Stopping my motion, I turned to look at him and then looked down where our hands were joined.
“What did the notes say?” he asked, making my gaze leave our joined palms and meet his eyes.
Oh crap, he saidnotes, as in plural. I forgot to read the second one. Pulling his hand from mine, I raced across the room and grabbed the envelope off the floor. “I didn’t read the second one yet because I was trying to catch them in the act.”
At those words, a deep, unruly sound erupted from Landon’s mouth. He was still obviously on edge about me at the door, but he could just hush. That was wishful thinking, I knew.
Grabbing the white envelope and ripping out the contents it held, I stared at the writing scrolled across the paper. “What the hell?” My mouth dropped open in shock.
Landon raced across the room and snatched the letter from my hands. “What the hell?” he echoed. Then he turned to look for the other letter and when he found it lying on the table next to my phone, he went and flipped it open.
“Time to call the police, babe.”
I guess it had just beenwishful thinkingthat it wouldn’t come to that again.First at home and now here when I was supposed to be enjoying my time away. And now that it was obvious I had two super stalkers, I supposed I couldn’t just hide from it. A chill ran down my spine when I thought about someone having been at my table earlier that day and me not even knowing. Had they both been there?
The first letter seemed odd, full of infatuation and creepy. And the second note seemed pissed off, filled with hate, and somewhat scary. I didn’t know what the hell was happening, but I was at the point of being frightened. I wasn’t sure if they were connected or not but based on some of the things the second person said as if they knew someone was sending me stuff had me wondering. Honestly, if they did know one another, they could have each other.
“Miss Hart,” a voice called out, dragging me from thoughts of the craziness my life had become. Not only were two freaky people stalking me, and the police involved, but somehow Landon was back in my life. And that last one just couldn’t happen. I was strong but he was my kryptonite. He made me want things I couldn’t have and mourn a loss I wanted back more than my next breath.
