He completely ignored me.
“You’re comin’ with me.”
Seriously! This guy!
“No, I’m not.”
“Yeah, Gwen, you are.”
“I don’t know you other than knowing you and what I’m learning I do not like. I had a break-in tonight and it freaked me out in a serious way. It scared the hell out of me. I know my Dad and Meredith. I want to be with them tonight. I want to be someplace I know with people I know where I feel safe. I want to go home.”
He studied me again then his thumb did another sweep, this time against my neck and, being a loser, it felt nice.
“I can see you need that so I’ll let you do it,” he said softly.
“Well, thanks,” I replied not softly.
He grinned.
I glared.
He kept grinning as I kept glaring then he murmured, “Yeah, totally f**kin’ missed out.”
Then his head dropped and since I had no place to go, I couldn’t avoid his lips brushing mine lightly in a way that made them tingle.
His head came up and he whispered, “Be smart, baby, my boys’ll secure your house and you can come home tomorrow. Yeah?”
Then his thumb swept my neck again, I liked it again but before I could answer, he let me go and he was gone.
I stood with my back against the wall, staring in the space he’d been in, wondering how he could vanish into thin air right before my eyes and then I realized I was breathing heavily.
Then I shook it off, telling myself I didn’t actually care it was fascinating he could evaporate. Telling myself the fact that he had “boys”, he flew Black Hawks, he had a “base”, part of what he did was security and his nickname was Hawk was not fascinating either.
And also telling myself he could do what he wanted, I was going to do what I wanted and he couldn’t make me do what he wanted.
Ef that!
Then I set about packing a bag to go home with Dad and Meredith.
When I was in my bathroom getting my stuff, I grabbed my lotion and bath gel and stopped dead.
It hadn’t registered with me until then, when I stood in my bathroom and stared at the plastic bottles in my hands.
My scent, the one I always used, was sweet pea.
Chapter Five
Hot-o-Meter
There was one good thing about getting your house broken into in the middle of the night because your sister was an idiot and having to phone your parents and then go spend the night with them: when they had to get up early to go to work and you didn’t so you could avoid the talk the next morning where they would want to know all about your idiot sister; how she put you in danger; how you put yourself in danger; why you didn’t tell them right off the bat; and why you’ve been keeping your perfect Army man boyfriend to yourself.
So, sleeping in, I avoided talking to Dad and Meredith.
However, when I went to the kitchen for coffee, on the counter I found a note from Dad which said:
G –
Tonight, dinner. 6:00 sharp. Be there.