Dare to Tempt - Carly Phillips Page 0,11
over to Evie’s apartment. He needed to find out what had happened to cause her to shriek loudly and come back to the phone, her voice still trembling.
He pulled into a visitors’ parking spot and jumped out, locking his McLaren and shoving his keys into his pocket. She lived in a pretty yellow garden apartment complex with catwalks that overlooked the parking lot. Instead of waiting for the elevator, he ran up the stairs, fuck the pain in his head, to the fourth floor and followed the signs to the left.
Her apartment was close to the elevator, and a box sat outside the door. He walked over and kicked off the top, finding yellow roses and the snake Evie had seen. At a glance, it was a harmless garden snake, but the roses were carefully packed up and delivered. The reptile hadn’t gotten in there by mistake.
Ignoring the box for now, he knocked on the door. “Evie? It’s me. Open up.”
He heard the deadbolt unlock, and she pulled the door open, peeking through the crack before swinging it wide. She faced him, her skin pale. She’d changed from this morning’s outfit into a pair of tight leggings and a hooded sweatshirt, looking more like the Evie he knew.
A pang hit him at the vulnerable way she hugged her arms around her chest.
“Come in. Watch out for the snake.”
He frowned. “Get me a garbage bag,” he said.
He gathered everything into the bag, let the snake go at the far side of the building into bushes that led toward a copse of trees, and he threw out the flowers in the trash chute. Then he sauntered back upstairs to find out what the hell was going on.
He found Evie curled up on the sofa, a blanket over her legs. Eyeing her warily, he walked over and sat down at the far end of the couch. “Lock the door,” she said, tilting her head.
He did as she asked, making sure to flip the deadbolt, wondering if she was always this careful or if that package had triggered her.
“Want to tell me what happened?” As opposed to asking if she was okay.
Evie needed to be seen as tough, and he had no desire to prick that exterior and watch her bleed. He had too much respect for her to do that.
She swallowed hard, her slender throat moving up and down as she watched him, clearly wondering how much she wanted to reveal. “I had a bad relationship,” she said, obviously reluctant to discuss her past.
“How bad?” He’d pull the information out of her piece by piece if he had to.
She worked her jaw before speaking. “Bad enough that I had to involve the police, get a restraining order, which has expired, and eventually move from my old apartment to here.”
He curled his hands into fists at his sides, angry that someone would threaten any woman, but especially someone who was his to look out for. He might have fought this fake relationship in the beginning, and they might only be twenty-four hours in, but from the moment she’d sealed her lips over his, he’d felt protective of her.
He glanced her way, watching as she plucked at a thread on the blanket, her dark hair falling around her face.
“How long has this been going on?” he asked.
She raised her gaze. “It stopped after I moved six months ago.”
“And what makes you so sure the gift was from him?” he asked, using the word with deliberate sarcasm.
“He used to buy me yellow roses. And he knows I hate snakes.” She shuddered at the mention of the reptiles.
“Shit,” he said, running a hand through his hair as he realized his mistake.
“What’s wrong?” She shifted in her seat and stretched out her long legs.
He groaned. “I shouldn’t have rushed to toss the evidence.” But she’d been upset and freaked out, and he’d wanted her to feel safe. Besides, he hadn’t had a heads-up that he might need to save or search the box. “Was there a note?”
“I couldn’t bring myself to look. Snake, remember?” A wry smile lifted her lips.
“I think we should call the police,” he said, aware at least from procedurals on television it was important to keep a record of the incident.
She shook her head. “No. This wasn’t a big deal.”
He leaned forward, placing a hand on her leg, her bones smaller and more delicate than his. “Evie, it’s important to document the incident.” In case this was just the beginning of her ex-boyfriend’s campaign