Cocky Protector - Kat Mizera Page 0,13

you are, of course young men want to buy you presents! Yes, go.” He nodded toward the back door. “It’s open.”

“Thank you!” I waved and hurried out the back, skirting behind the building and then all but running the length of two short city blocks. I turned right at the next alley and headed toward the main street, hopefully two blocks beyond where I’d last seen my stalker. If I was lucky, I’d be able to cross the street and then ambush him close to the hardware store. It was always busy this time of day, because it was the only evening of the week they stayed open late. So there would be people everywhere and hopefully I’d get some answers.

I took a few seconds to take off my coat and turn it inside out. It was double-sided, one side maroon, the other black. I’d thought it was fun to have the ability to change colors, and now if it confused him even for a few seconds, that was all the time I needed.

With the Mace still in my hand, I came out on the street and looked down to where he’d been. Sure enough, he was still there, leaning against the building as he faced Mr. Koelzig’s bakery from the other side of the street, ostensibly still waiting for me to come out. The light turned and I fell in with a group of people crossing, just as he appeared to get antsy and began walking towards me. Now that he was right here, just a few feet away, I almost lost my nerve, but with crowds of people all around us, it was now or never. I rushed forward and stopped right in front of him.

“Why are you following me? What do you want?”

Chapter Seven

Ace

If she hadn’t been right in front of me, calling me out, I wouldn’t have believed this was happening. I was a fucking spy. I worked for one of the greatest intelligence agencies in the world and she’d spotted me? Sweet, shy Shannon Barrow had not just figured out I was following her, but she’d gotten the drop on me and was now standing in front of me with her hands on her hips. And she looked furious.

For a minute, I was so shocked, I didn’t know what to do. So I just looked at her. Those gorgeous blue eyes. Those full red lips. Her chest heaving as she demanded I answer her. She was as beautiful as ever and for a few seconds, I couldn’t even hear what she was saying because I was so enamored just looking at her.

“God dammit, Ace, answer me!” Her eyes flashed and she threw up her hands in exasperation. Which was when I noticed the Mace in her left hand.

Lord have mercy, she was seriously pissed and I needed to say something before I got an eyeful of concentrated capsaicin, which would hurt like a bitch.

“Shannon, let me explain.” I spoke quietly, hoping to calm her, but it seemed to have the opposite effect.

“Explain? You were in my apartment reading my diary! Who does that? What the hell is wrong with you? Why have you been stalking me?”

Wait, what? Holy shit, she thought I was her stalker? Jesus, this was a clusterfuck. Or she was truly nuts.

“Shannon, I’m not your stalker. I don’t even know—”

“I have a nanny cam!” Her eyes were blazing. It was a good thing she couldn’t shoot bullets or lasers out of them because I would’ve been a dead man. “So don’t fucking lie to me.”

“I’m not lying. I was—”

“You read my diary.” If possible, her eyes blazed even hotter, fixing me with a look that spoke volumes about how much of a line I’d crossed, despite my good intentions.

She was spectacularly pissed about the diary. And how had I not noticed a fucking nanny cam? Was I losing my touch or what? I took a deep breath.

“I’m sorry. I just wanted to—”

“Wanted to what? Spy on me?” She wouldn’t let me finish a sentence and it was getting tiresome.

“Shannon.” I kept my voice low but I hoped my tone let her know I was done with this unnecessary arguing.

“What?” Her pretty face was drawn in a scowl and the most poignant thing was that beneath her anger was something else: disappointment.

“I was trying to help!” I blurted out.

“Help what?”

“You. I was trying to see if there was anything going on that—”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Maybe if you’d let me finish a sentence, you’d