Guilt spears my belly.
He came and stayed in my plain, characterless place so that he could get close to me. So that he could spar with me and figure out why I didn’t want to date him.
On one hand, that’s extremely egotistical, but also.. hella intuitive.
I’m filled with self-loathing right now. And panic that’s making every cell within my body bulge with fear.
I move to the bed and help him get the fitted sheet on.
“Where should I put Georgie’s litter box?”
“I’ll take care of it.”
“Making your bed up for me? Planning to sleep on your couch?” I try.
“As if,” he grumbles.
“I can take the couch,” I say, knowing full well that’s not an option in his eyes, because why would he drag me here?
“Yeah,” he mutters, and this surprises me.
“I don’t think I wanna stay here,” I say quickly.
He says nothing.
I wait.
And then I start talking again, haughtily. “How about you give me the rundown of all the things you found out today, including why the fuck you dug into me when you agreed not to, and then I’ll…” I trail off.
He’s standing still, arms folded across his chest, spearing me with a dirty look.
And it hurts.
I start pulling pillowcases on the pillows.
“This is a bad idea,” I change tact, pushing the pillow into the new case. “All of it’s been a bad idea and that’s why I tried to take a step back. My troubles are why I wasn’t jumping in with you. Because I don’t wanna draw attention and I don’t want to get anyone hurt.” I get the pillow done so toss it and reach for the next before yammering on. He stands there in his black t-shirt with his ridiculously big, tattooed arms folded across that sexy chest giving me stink-eye and saying nothing.
“You might look at me and think the way I dress, the crazy hair colors, all the tattoos and piercings mean I’m a girl that likes standing out but that’s not it. I made myself so different from what I used to look like in order to hide from my troubles. And the last thing I wanted to do was bring them here with me.”
“I know this isn’t what you used to look like. I’ve got all sorts of information on you including pictures and old surveillance footage of you.”
“Oh. He speaks,” I say, gesturing to him before tossing the pillow to the bed with its new case on. I reach for the next one.
“Yeah. He speaks,” Jude says snidely.
“And what else does he have to say for himself? Like maybe about reneging on our agreement from yesterday. And what right did you have? What right do you have for any of this? Just because we went on a date and then had a booty call, what gives you the impression that means I want you to save me from my problems?”
“I didn’t dig into you. I had other people do it.”
Loophole. Fuck. Like that makes it okay? My eyes roll.
“I woke up to a call from Aiden today. He bugged his ride this morning and gave me the audio of yours and Carly’s commute into your office.”
My mouth drops open.
That fucking alphahole. He and Carly broke up over his sneaky ways with video footage of people a few months ago.
I am so telling on him.
“And my brother Julian. He’s on his way back from Columbus.”
“Columbus?” I whisper.
“He saw your landlord, was at your old job, and met with a friend of a friend in law enforcement who let him look through an entire file on Thaddeus Steele. Three hours ahead there; he got a lot done while we were still asleep.”
“And?” I manage to ask, though the room is starting to twirl around a bit. “And Jonah Steele?” I ask quietly.
“The ex,” Jude says with obvious contempt. “Yeah, I’m still gathering information on your ex. Let’s talk about the psycho brother first.”
A ding. His phone. He pulls it from his pocket and eyeballs the screen. “That’s Boyd. I’ll be right back.”
“Who’s Boyd?”
“The cop you’re giving a statement to.”
“I’m not sure this is a good idea. You haven’t even finished telling me what you know yet, and-”
“He’s here so I gotta let him in. Let’s go.”
“I’m not sure I can do this.” Or wanna do this. Or can do this.
My throat is suddenly dry and my heart feels like it’s galloping in my chest.
“At least talk to him.”
“I need to freshen up.”
“Be down in five,” he orders.
“You’re not the boss of me,” I snap.
He turns and looks at me from the bottom step. His eyebrows go up and despite that I’m freaked out, angry, and did I mention, freaked out – a little thrill shoots up my spine.
“If you’re after a spankin’, Vixen, you’re dangerously close.”
I stick my tongue out and then turn my back on him.