My freezing hands take for ever to locate my door keys, and once I’ve finally picked out the right key, I spend precious seconds in the cold trying to insert it into the lock. ‘Damn,’ I curse as I drop the bunch to the floor.
I kneel to retrieve them, but Becker beats me to it, swiping them up. ‘I’ll see you up,’ he declares, opening my door and stepping in first.
‘There’s no need.’ I want him to go now so I can fall into my bed and ponder every thought currently tangling my mind.
‘That wasn’t a question.’ He looks at me expectantly, showing me an expression that definitely isn’t going to relent. ‘Are you going to stand in the cold all night?’
I sigh a long, tired, exasperated sigh, then I do as I’m told. Becker shuts the cold out and stops me from proceeding any further, moving in front of me and taking the stairs. ‘I was mistaken,’ I say to his back, following him up. ‘You really don’t need to do this.’
I’m flat-out ignored, so I save myself the effort and shut the hell up. Let him see me in. Let him leave. Simple.
He strides towards my apartment, his shoulders tense, and makes fast work of opening my door, pushing it wide open and scanning the space.
Waiting patiently behind him, I look over his shoulder and see nothing out of the ordinary. He’s being overly suspicious.
‘There you are!’ I swing around to find Lucy breaching the top of the stairs, dragging a laptop case behind her. It’s not the only thing trailing her. Mark appears, suited and booted, looking a lot fresher than he did the last time I saw him. I backtrack through the week in my head. The last time I saw him was last night. Shit, has it really only been a day?
‘Hey.’ I smile my hello to Mark, who nods, choosing to remain quiet, before I return my attention to Lucy. ‘Sorry about earlier.’
Lucy’s grin gives me the reassurance I need. ‘It’s fine. Mark and I had lunch.’ Her eyes widen, telling me everything I need to know. Last night might have been a washout for Lucy, thanks to me, but tonight looks set to get her right back where she wants to be. I give Mark a wicked grin and get a smack on my arm from Lucy for my trouble.
‘Look at you, fancy pants.’ She says, giving my outfit the once-over. ‘Good day?’ She wiggles her eyebrows suggestively. I wouldn’t know where to begin on today, so I don’t entertain her, returning the favour and slapping her arm. She snickers, but her amusement vanishes the moment her eyes flit past me and catch sight of who’s currently stalking around my apartment with a scowl on his face.
‘Oh?’ Lucy cranes her neck to get a better look, trying to muscle past me. I move to stop her. Something tells me Becker won’t tolerate girlie banter right now.
‘He’s just checking things out.’ I push her back into the corridor and pull the door closed behind me.
I get a slighted look tossed at me. ‘How bouncy the bed is?’
‘Security,’ I blurt, keeping hold of the door handle.
‘Security?’ Lucy repeats, flat and bored. ‘He’s checking security? How exciting. How about checking your security?’ She nods to my crotch area. My lips purse at her cheek and Mark lets out a sharp shot of laughter. Oh, her scream is going to reach the valleys of Wales when I fill her in on the last twenty-four hours. Or what I can tell her, anyway. ‘Take it you have your job back?’ She eyes me suspiciously.
‘Coffee in the morning?’ I ask, nodding my head, telling her the answer to that question should be a resounding yes.
Her eyes light up like fireworks and she nods with me, backing away. ‘Eight?’
I’m still nodding. ‘I’ll—’ The door is wrenched open, my body following it on a clumsy stagger back. ‘Whoa,’ I cry, colliding with Becker’s tall, too solid frame. Quickly gathering myself, I toss him an indignant look. ‘Watch it.’
My scathing threat has zero impact. He gives Lucy and Mark the once-over while they both stand silently and accept the inspection they’re under, before he takes my hand and pulls me into the apartment, swinging the door shut behind him. I catch Lucy’s bemused face and put my hand up, mouthing, ‘Morning.’ She won’t forget, especially now she’s spotted Becker.
‘Did you leave the pillows scattered like that?’ He marches