touch so I can move away from him. He’s not holding me in place. Not physically. Yet when he’s touching me, I find myself incapable of movement. But a microsecond before my hand reaches his to detach it, he jerks away, saving me the trouble.
He steps back, a slight scowl on his face. ‘A patient?’
‘He’s old. Senile.’ I find myself rushing to explain, not liking his reaction. There’s no softness anywhere to be found now. ‘Perks of the job,’ I joke, feeling the need to break the tension. He doesn’t laugh, doesn’t even crack a smile. Yikes, he looks furious. ‘I should be going now.’ I thumb over my shoulder blindly.
Theo flinches, shaking his head mildly. ‘Certainly.’ He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a card, handing it to me. ‘I’ll have a car waiting for you outside. Callum will take you home. This is my card, should you need to contact me.’
My eyes drop to the black card held lightly between his fingers, with red type in one single line across the middle. His name. And a mobile number. ‘Why would I need to contact you?’ I ask, not bothering to point out that I can’t, because my phone is in a million pieces down an alleyway, and I’m not likely to be able to replace it until I’m paid on Friday. But that’s irrelevant. I should never contact him again. He’s definitely a man who should be avoided.
He comes forward and slips the card into the top of my bag. ‘Don’t ever walk home alone in the dark again,’ he warns, glancing away for a second. It’s only a second, but his craned neck reveals a sliver of ink peeking up over the collar of his shirt. Black ink, shaded subtly at the edges. I find myself straining to get a better look, silently begging for him to turn his neck farther and reveal more of the art. But he doesn’t, looking back at me instead.
‘Are you asking me or telling me?’ I say.
‘I’m telling you. No woman should roam the streets of London at night alone.’
It’s been a long time since I’ve had anyone to worry about me, to care for my well-being. Well, Jess worries all the time. But it’s different when the worry is from family. The fact that a huge, mean-looking mountain of a man like this is concerned about a perfect stranger like me softens my heart to him. ‘I can take care of myself,’ I say anyway, prompting him to glare at me.
‘You shouldn’t need to.’
‘I really do need to,’ I assure him, catching sight of his tattoo again, more undistinguishable shadows and lines. Before I embarrass myself and reach up to pull the collar of his shirt down, I quickly scoot past him, frowning when he quickly moves from my path, putting a good few feet between us.
‘Why?’ he asks. ‘Why do you really need to?’
I realize I’ve unintentionally given him another hint of something I didn’t want him to know. Something I don’t want anyone to know. ‘Because I don’t have a huge man like you to spring out of nowhere and save me.’ I flip him a cheeky smile, and his lips quirk through his small frown. He loses so much hardness from his face when he’s amused. It’s riveting.
He clears his throat, as if he’s just realized that, too, and wants to uphold this iron front. The hardness returns. ‘Don’t walk anywhere alone,’ he reiterates, his intense stare burning away my smile.
‘Fine,’ I say for the sake of it, taking the door handle and quickly exiting his office, falling against the door and taking a few deep breaths.
‘Miss Izzy?’ A hand rests on my arm, and I jump a mile into the air with a silly squeak. ‘Oh dear, I didn’t mean to startle you.’ Jefferson’s hand recoils, and his old eyes behind his specs run a quick check over me, frowning. ‘Are you okay?’
‘Yes,’ I breathe, pushing myself away from the door. ‘I’m sorry.’ I rub the sleeve of my coat, my head beginning to pound, and I smile tightly at Theo’s friendly butler. ‘I’m ready to go home now.’
‘Callum is waiting for you outside. It was lovely to meet you.’
‘And you, Jefferson.’ I make tracks to the giant doors that will get me out of this pressure box, finding a Mercedes idling under the canopied driveway. Callum, the blond guy who was in the alley with Theo, is holding the door open for me, his