greeting. "Miss Crowne."
"Can you take me to the store?"
In answer, he pulled his cell out and thumbed a text. "Ready when you are, Miss Crowne."
When they returned, Noah's housekeeper, Mildred, was at the condo and dusting the living room. She met them in the kitchen, where Max set the grocery bags he'd insisted on carrying down on the counter.
"Mr. Caldwell is sleeping," Mildred said in her thick Russian accent. "Is it alright if I change the sheets and vacuum on Monday? Yes?"
Raven had met Mildred months back, but the housekeeper never directly asked her for orders. Unsure of protocol, she took in the elder woman's gray hair wrapped in a bandana and chubby form in the maid's uniform. Surely Noah wouldn't care if some things got put off for a couple days.
"That would be fine." She glanced in the direction of the bedroom. It was early afternoon. She'd never known him to sleep that long. Noah was an early riser. "We got back from the charity event late last night. He must be really tired from that." Or their fun afterward. She blushed and turned away to find Max exiting the condo. "Where are you going?"
Confusion on his face, he pointed to the door as if to say, duh.
"Keep me company. Please?" There was no need to have him stand sentry outside the door if Noah was sleeping. She pointed to the kitchen island when he didn't move.
He nodded, made his way over, and sat on one of the stools.
"I don't need to make dinner?" Mildred eyed the grocery bags.
Raven bit her lip, hoping she wasn't stepping on her toes. The housekeeper had been taking care of for Noah for eight something years. "Not tonight. I??ike cooking."
Mildred nodded, seemingly pleased, and commenced with her duties.
Raven smiled at Max, wide-eyed in relief, as if just avoiding a thrown-down. She hadn't wanted to offend the housekeeper.
Biting back a grin, he thumbed a text.
She shifted around the kitchen, putting groceries away and getting the Italian meatloaf going. Once it was in the oven and Mildred had left, Raven started the side dishes and looked into the living room.
"I'm getting worried. He never sleeps like this."
As if on cue, Noah's bedroom door opened and he emerged wearing flannel pajama bottoms low on his hips and a white T-shirt that did nothing to hide his gloriously sculpted body. His blond hair stood up at odd angles and he unconsciously ran his hand through it.
Sidling up next to her, he kissed her cheek. "Morning, baby." He reached for the coffee pot and shook the carafe as if stumped it was empty.
"It's late afternoon. You slept the whole day."
He squinted at the clock, then their bodyguard, who was busy trying not to pay attention to them. "Hi, Max."
"Sir."
Noah rubbed his neck. "Anything wrong?" His voice was more coarse than usual and his blue eyes were hazy.
"No, sir."
"Max was keeping me company while I cooked dinner." She wrapped her arms around his waist. He was hot to the touch. She pressed her hand to his cheek. "You have a fever."
He grunted. "Not feeling great." Wrapping his arms around her, he rested his cheek on top of her head. "Need more sleep. When's dinner going to be ready?"
"An hour or so. Why don't you go back to bed?"
"Not if you went to the trouble of cooking." Releasing her, he leaned against the counter and rubbed his forehead. She already had a bottle out and was pouring two pills in her hand when he asked, "Where's the aspirin?"
He swallowed them and shuffled into the living room, where he piled two blankets over himself and flopped sideways.
"There goes our weekend."
Max grinned. "I'll be right outside if you need me."
Her cell chimed a text as she moved to turn the burner down on the noodles. She fumbled to unlock the screen while stirring the pot with the other hand. A photo popped up.
She froze, the hairs on her nape standing erect. Someone had texted a picture of the note from her apartment, the one stuck to the door with a knife. Shaking, she looked up to call for Max when another text came through.
You're not safe. I know where you are.
She yelped, shaking so fiercely she knocked the pan off the stove and to the floor with a loud clatter. Buttered noodles went flying everywhere.
Noah was on his feet and moving her way when Max ran around the corner and skidded to a halt. Both men eyed the mess and then her.
"What's