But of course he prodded. “Or?”
“I suppose this has to do with you kissing me.” You wanting to get me into bed.
Now he had the strangest expression. “No,” he said slowly. “That isn’t what I was thinking. But let’s just forget I suggested it.”
Even with her alarm bells ringing, she wanted to have dinner with him. Listen to him tell her what he intended to do with his house. Get to know the man who did come running every time she needed him.
“If you meant it, I’d like to have dinner with you,” she said a little shyly.
He studied her face for a moment before he nodded. The set of his shoulders eased just enough to betray that he hadn’t been enjoying what must have felt like rejection. “You’ll be glad to know I even have a table and chairs now.”
“You went furniture shopping?” If she sounded amazed...well...she was.
“Me? God, no. I stopped at a garage sale.”
Her bubble burst. Of course he hadn’t bought anything that might be permanent.
Before she could dwell on it, a worry struck her. “What if someone follows me there?”
“I’ll follow you there.” His voice had become steely. “I kind of hope someone does show up on your tail. I’ll hang around until closing.”
“Actually... I can probably go once I find out whether the customer looking at wallpaper is still here.”
He strolled out into the main showroom while Tess stuck her head into the back room. The woman had decided to check out several books and carried them to the counter in front. Tess jotted her name and phone number on the cards and filed them, chatting as she did so.
As soon as the customer had carried her hefty pile out the door, Zach quit pretending interest in carpet samples and planted himself in front of the counter. He turned a now-serious gaze on Tess. “Got your purse? Let’s do this.”
She hadn’t known Greg had popped out of his own small office until his voice came from behind her. “Do what?”
“Oh.” She swung around. “I’m cutting out early, if that’s okay?”
“You know it is.” His gaze went past her to Zach. “I repeat, do what?”
Tess made a face at him. “You know the trouble I’m having. Zach asked me to have dinner at his place and he’s going to follow me to be sure no one else does.”
“You need an escort home? Damn it, Tess!”
“Zach wants to see if anyone tries to follow me,” she said uncomfortably.
“But they already know where you live.”
“They” had become one of her least favorite words, assuming horror movie proportions. She could still picture Andrew Hayes’s face, first with his lips drawn back from his teeth as he’d swung his fist over and over, then when he’d tried to resume his cop facade but forgotten his face was flushed a deep purple-red from his killing frenzy. And then there were his bloody hands.
She hated that his confederates were still faceless to her. It was almost creepier to imagine one of them watching her than him.
Zach stayed silent, letting her handle this. Of course, he had no way of knowing how much she’d told her business partner.
“But they might like to be sure that’s where I’m going when I leave work,” she explained, knowing Greg could tell how disturbed she was.
“I suppose that’s true,” he said grudgingly, not looking any happier.
“And there’s nothing I’d like better than to have a license number to run,” Zach interjected, after which he determined where she was parked and which way she’d be emerging from the alley.
“All right. Give me a minute before you go out.”
Tess nodded and watched him leave. When she turned around, she found Greg frowning at her.
“Tess, you’re welcome to stay with Josie and me until this is resolved.”
“And your children?” She shook her head. “Thank you, Greg, but there’s no way I want to have something happen that scares the daylights out of Maddy and Dominic.”
He raised his hands in acceptance. “Then let your cop take care of you, Tess. Don’t get stubborn.”
“Stubborn?” she said, trying to lighten the moment. “Me?”