back to Jamie. We didn’t finish everything we’d started earlier. I’d wanted to wait, to slow things down until I could figure out what’s going on. But resisting her lasted all of one second. After all, she’s my dreamgirl. There’s no denying my attraction to her, my need to be with her.
The streets are quiet as I make my way back to our houses. When I pull into my driveway, I turn off my engine, then see one of my front curtains twitch. The fuck? I pretend I didn’t see anything and grab the takeout, then walk over to Jamie’s house.
I knock while the hairs on the back of my neck rise. Someone’s watching me. Someone who’s inside my house.
Jamie flips the locks and lets me in.
“I’m so glad you’re back!” She throws her arms around me, and I hold the bag of Chinese food out so it doesn’t get squished between us.
“Why? Is something wrong?” I glance toward my place.
“There were reports of a prowler in the neighborhood. The cops came and looked around.” She squeezes me. “I was scared.”
I kiss the crown of her head. “I take it the police didn’t find anything?”
“No.” She lets me go and backs up, her gaze going to the food. “I’m starved.”
“Come on.” I follow her into the kitchen and watch as she gets down two plates. Leaving her seems like a bad idea, but I need to get into my house and see if I can catch the prowler. Something tells me it’s the person who’s been shadowing Jamie, killing the ones around her.
“Hey, I’m going to run next door and get my low sodium soy sauce.”
“I have some.” She turns and rummages around in one of her cabinets.
Shit.
“It’s the kind with the red top, right?” She tosses aside several pails of Easy Mac.
“No, it’s green. Red is full sodium.”
She pulls out a red-topped sauce jar. “Crap. I guess I don’t have the low sodium.”
“Okay, I’ll run and get mine. Back in two shakes.” I lean down and pull her to me, then plant a kiss on her that sends little jolts of electricity across my skin.
“Mmm.” She blinks as I back up and open the kitchen door.
“Save that thought.” I close the door and pad down the steps, taking care to stay on the grass as I approach my rear porch. I pause, listening. Is the person still inside? I close my eyes and focus on the sounds. Night crickets in the grass, wind in the branches overhead, a car moving slowly down a cross street to my right. But underneath all of it, there’s another sound. Footsteps on my wood floor. Quiet, but not quiet enough. They’re moving quickly along my hallway. Looking for something? Or maybe I’ve spooked them.
With a slow hand, I put the key in the lock and twist it slowly. It gives a faint click when I turn it. That’s when I hear the pounding footsteps.
I yank open the door, dash through my kitchen and hurtle toward the front of my house. The front door slams when I’m halfway down the hall, and I speed my steps. When I throw open the front door, nothing moves.
The street is clear. I jump down the steps and dash into the street, then spin, looking for any movement. Any clue as to which way the prowler went. But there’s nothing. Not a car starting up. Not the sound of heavy steps. Whoever it was ran off into the night, their steps muffled by the grassy yards in this residential neighborhood. Shit.
I return to my front door and examine the lock. It’s sound. Then I hustle to my back door and check it. A few minute scratches tell me it was picked. I swallow hard when I turn and stride to my dining room where I keep my surveillance equipment. Leaning down, I examine the lock. There are scratch marks here, too, and these are deeper. They tried to get in. I stand straight then reach up to feel the hidden latch along the top lip of the doors. It’s intact. These doors were never opened. Relief rushes through me, and I press my forehead against the doors, flip the latch, and unlock them.
I open the doors wide and peer at my equipment, the screen showing a view of Jamie’s kitchen. Thank fuck I got here before the prowler could find a way in. “That was too fucking close.”
“What was?”
I whirl to find Jamie in my hallway, a half-full