“Tarek.” The voice was chilling and familiar, I quickly jerked my head toward the street where Timber stood. “You can go now.”
“You sure about that, boss?” Timber ground his teeth. “Because the way I see it—”
Timber held up his hand silencing Tarek faster than a trained puppy. “She’s safer with me than with you, especially after that spectacular attempt at claiming what isn’t yours.”
Tarek jerked away from me, looking massive in the moonlight as he stared Timber down. “You know why.”
“I also know when someone’s tempted.” His smirk was gorgeous, dangerous, as his eyes flashed. What was with the moonlight tonight? “Remember your place.”
Tarek snorted out a laugh. “Funny, I was just going to tell you the same thing…” He purposefully bumped into Timber’s shoulder and then whispered something I couldn’t hear, but it was enough for Timber to look disappointed. Was I getting fired?
He nodded once to Tarek, put his hand on his shoulder, and then Tarek was gone and I was standing in an alleyway with the boss who threatened me and made me cry.
Fantastic.
I think I would choose whatever chilling thing was out in that street than the boss whose eyes seemed to look right into my soul like he wanted to either devour it or just claim it as his own.
I wrapped my arms around my body and stared him down. “I’ll just be going…”
“And I’ll just be following,” he said in a voice I knew I couldn’t argue with.
And because I was too tired to fight and just wanted to get home without getting mauled or confused, I sighed and said, “Suit yourself.”
We walked in silence for the next few blocks.
It wasn’t until we were four blocks down that I realized every single person was walking on the opposite side of the street, which wouldn’t be strange except it looked like they were purposefully crossing.
I frowned. “Did that person just bow?”
“He’s probably high as a kite.” Timber said with nonchalance, but I didn’t miss the consistent eye contact he had with people like he was somehow bending them to his will.
Creepy.
It had just been a really long confusing day.
Sleep always made me feel better, and I always loved the dark anyway, I preferred the warmth of the hidden shadows, like the way Tarek had felt when he licked—
“Sorry.” Timber bumped into me then gripped me by the arms. “I wasn’t paying attention. I didn’t mean to run over you.”
We were at my apartment building already. It wasn’t very new, but it did the trick and I had a load of locks and a ring camera, so I felt safe-ish.
“I don’t like your apartment building.” He eyed it up and down. “Too many windows.”
“Some of us like a little light,” I fired back. “Some of us aren’t vampires.”
I kept it to myself that I preferred shadows and a heavy darkness like a gravity blanket draping over me.
Timber gave me an amused look, his eyes lighting more than I’d ever seen them like he was trying to hold in laughter and then he shrugged. “You’re right, I’m much better looking.”
I rolled my eyes. “And maybe if they existed I’d agree with you but… sorry fresh out of those so I’m just going to be heading inside. Thanks for walking me home.”
“One minute.” Timber reached out, his skin felt colder than Tarek’s but still soft, so velvety soft that I let out a shocked hiss of breath when he somehow managed to pull me against his rock-hard body.
The problem? I let him.
And I had no idea why I was even letting him near me after today—after the kiss with Tarek, after the rejection from Timber himself. I hated girls like that, girls that wanted the guy they believed they could fix, the angry one with a chip on his shoulder, of course I’d be attracted to that guy not the one who said he’d be as loyal as a dog.
My body started to tremble like something was going to burst out of my soul.