Part 14 (1/2)
”Good thing you asked,” she said. ”I have an eight-o'clock appointment. Will that be a problem for you?”
He didn't want to tell her he usually didn't get up before eight. So instead he lied. ”No, that won't be a problem. Will you need to stop somewhere for breakfast before you get to the office?”
She shook her head. ”No, I usually prepare my own breakfast.”
He nodded, thinking it would be nice, since he was driving her into the office, if she invited him to join her for breakfast. When time pa.s.sed and she didn't issue an invitation, he figured he wouldn't be getting one.
When he came to another traffic light he glanced over at her and saw she'd closed her eyes again. Evidently, she hadn't gotten any more sleep last night than he had.
At that moment, he couldn't help but wonder just what kind of relations.h.i.+p she had with her parents. She'd mentioned that they had attended Luke and Mac's wedding, but then so had more than five hundred other people. Besides, he had spent his time checking out the single women and not older married couples.
However, he did recall seeing Sam's brother, although the two of them hadn't been officially introduced. What he had seen was the way the man had watched Peyton every chance he got. He wasn't the only one who'd noticed. Of course, Wyatt and Tanner had been checking Peyton out for themselves, had picked up on his territorial actions and figured it was best to keep their distance. Sam's brother didn't look like a person anyone would want to tangle with over a woman.
When he made the turn into the complex, he noticed Sam's eyes were open and she glanced around. ”We're home already?”
A hot, tingling sensation shot through his midsection with her response. She made it sound as if they were a couple who were going to the same place, to eat together, tangle between the sheets and eventually fall asleep together. It was hard to explain, but playing house with her didn't sound so bad.
”Yes, we're almost there,” he said, ”just as soon as we get through Security.”
A short while later, as they drove toward the area where their town houses were located, slowing down almost to a crawl for the speed b.u.mps, Blade glanced over at her. ”You aren't planning on going back out any more tonight, are you?”
”No, I'm in. I need to get all the sleep I can.”
So did he, but he had a feeling sleep wouldn't come easily again tonight.
”Thanks for bringing me home, Blade, and you didn't have to walk me to the door.”
He came and stood beside her, much too close for her peace of mind. ”Yes, I did. And I'm going to check out the inside, as well,” he said in that throaty voice that gave her goose b.u.mps.
”Do you really think that's necessary?” she couldn't help but say as she worked her key into the lock.
”Considering everything that's happened today, yes, I do.”
She decided not to argue with him. Instead, after opening the door she moved aside to let him enter first. She walked in behind him and closed the door, watching as he moved around checking the rooms downstairs. She had tossed her purse on the table when he walked into her kitchen and dining-room area. When he returned and headed up the stairs, she felt a tightening in her stomach. She wasn't sure how she felt about him being in her bedroom. That was really invading her personal s.p.a.ce. Kicking off her heels, she quickly moved to follow him.
”Really, Blade, is all this necessary?”
He barely glanced over his shoulder. ”You asked me that before and I told you that it was.”
When they made it to the landing he glanced around. ”Did you know the design of your town house is identical to mine?”
”I figured it would be.”
He kept walking, looking into the bedrooms he pa.s.sed. ”How do you like having a sauna?” he asked.
”It's nice.” Then she frowned. ”If someone is in here, then our talking out loud has taken away the element of surprise. I hope you know that.”
Instead of responding he shrugged his muscular shoulders and kept walking. When he got to her bedroom he paused in the doorway and glanced around. She couldn't help wondering what he was thinking, with all the shades of pink and gray. She loved the decor of her bedroom and had bought the furnis.h.i.+ngs using the money from the first case she'd won. All the pieces of her furniture, including her California-king-size four-poster bed, had been hand crafted by a furniture designer out of North Carolina named Dwight Chesley.
”Nice bedroom.”
She looked up at Blade. ”Thanks, but I'm sure if you've seen one, you've seen them all,” she said, making light of his compliment.
”For some reason this one is different.”
She forced herself not to say it was probably the first bed belonging to a woman that he hadn't been in, but decided not to do so. It was getting late and she was tired. The day had been overwhelming to say the least.
Instead she said, ”Now that you've satisfied your curiosity, I'll walk you to the door.” And instead of waiting for him to move, she began walking back down the hall and then down the stairs. He didn't immediately follow her and she could only a.s.sume that he felt the need to check out her master bath, as well. When he finally joined her downstairs, she was waiting beside the front door.
”I input my phone number on your landline under B,” B,” he said. ”Hand me your cell phone for a second.” he said. ”Hand me your cell phone for a second.”
Rolling her eyes, she moved to the sofa to get it out of her purse, and walked back over and handed it to him. She watched as he entered his name and phone numbers-both for his cell phone and landline-into her BlackBerry. He then handed it back to her.
”Now I need your numbers,” he said, taking his phone out the pocket of his jacket. She gave them to him and moments later he returned his own BlackBerry to his pocket.
He met her gaze. ”I guess I don't have to tell you to be careful opening the door for anyone you really don't know.”
She forced her eyes not to roll. ”No, you don't have to tell me, although you've done it anyway.”
He frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. ”You like having a smart mouth, don't you?”
”I don't know. Do I?”
His frown deepened. ”Keep it up and I'm going to get p.i.s.sed.”
She couldn't help but inwardly smile at that. ”Mmm, what else is new, Blade? Same place-” she looked at her watch ”-and almost the same time. Seems like your mood is a repeat of last night.”
When she saw anger flicker in his eyes, she drew in a deep breath and then said, ”Look, sorry I brought up anything about last night. I'm not in a good mood right now. I'm tired, sleepy, aggravated and-”
”Trying to make the best of a difficult situation.”
She was. And the fact that he knew it almost was too much for her. All day she'd tried being strong, but now she felt vulnerable. Knowing there was someone out there who wanted to do her harm had her stomach in knots, and it had taken everything she had to fight back her fears. She was a Di Meglio, she had come from a long line of Italians and Africans who were mighty and invincible. Brave to a fault. Not a coward among them and she was determined not to be the first.
”If you want to get to the office by eight, then we need to leave here no later than seven-thirty,” he said.
She nodded. ”I'll be ready. And I'm doing breakfast if you'd like to drop in. It will be ready around six-thirty.”
”Thanks, but fair warning. I'm not a morning person, Sam.”
She shook her head and glanced down as a chuckle erupted from her throat. She glanced back up at him and smiled. ”Neither am I, but I can do a good job at faking it.”
The smile that touched his lips-those incredible lips-she thought, was refres.h.i.+ng. His eyes held hers for the longest time and then he reached out and touched her cheeks. The fingertips touching her skin felt warm, soothing...caring. She inhaled deeply at the thought that there was a slight possibility that he did care. He might not want to, but he did anyway. Otherwise, he would not be here now. She couldn't help but find that interesting.