“Thanks.” To hide the guilty look on my face, I took a tentative sip and managed to burn my tongue. “How do you know I like my coffee black?” I asked.
He shrugged. “Just a guess. But if you want sugar and cream, I have some.”
“I’m fine.” I took another sip of my coffee and eyed the two plates with blueberry waffles. “That looks great.”
“I made us breakfast.” He placed the plates on the table and sat down. “Be my guest.”
Realizing how hungry I was, I took a bite and nodded, impressed. “They’re really good.” I took another bite as my gaze trailed back to his tattoo.
“Did you sleep well?” Chase asked and took a mouthful of his waffles.
“Great, actually. Your bed is pure heaven.” It was the truth. His bed was heavenly, but I knew something else had helped me sleep.
I remembered the waves of ecstasy tearing through my abdomen, and the thought drove a pang of heat through my cheeks.
“You’re welcome to stay as long as you want,” Chase repeated the same words as the night before. Either he really wanted me around or he was just being friendly. As much as I wished I could stay, life was calling. In the darkness of the night, I had been scared and alone. In the safety of the daylight, however, last night’s demons were long gone and the whole paparazzo incident felt like a distant memory. I had to get back to my routine, not least because I was beginning to enjoy my time with Chase a little too much.
Guard your heart.
“I have to go. Jude’s probably worried about me.” At his surprised glance, I added weakly, “This is the first time I ever stayed away for the night.”
“I’m not so sure about that.”
I frowned. “It’s the truth. I never spent the night with anyone before.”
“That’s not what I meant, Laurie.” He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “I wanted to say that it’s not a good idea to go back to your place now.” In spite of his smile, his tone worried me.
“Why not?” I asked slowly.
He grabbed a manila envelope and pushed it into my trembling hands, his facial expression tense. “Have a look.” He nodded his head encouragingly, but his expression didn’t soften. “It arrived this morning, addressed to me.” His eyes met mine, hesitating, heavy with words unspoken. “And you. To us.”
The strange undertones in his voice sent a chill down my spine.
As I stared at the thick brown envelope, my heart heartbeat picked up in speed. I turned it slowly, prolonging the moment. My mouth dropped open as I finally glimpsed the names and Chase’s home address. Why on earth would someone address an envelope to us when we weren’t even living together? And worse yet, this wasn’t even a real relationship, and I hadn’t told anyone about it.
“What’s inside?” I peered up at Chase, my fingers lingering over the brown paper, strangely afraid to open it.
Afraid to reveal the truth.
Chase looked at me for a few seconds that seemed to stretch into an eternity, and I realized his good mood had been all pretense. He was worried and trying hard to hide it.
My fingers squeezed in at the corners and opened the flap of the envelope. But even before I pulled out the papers, I knew those were long-lens pictures of Chase and me, taken the previous day, as we exited the restaurant.
We looked happy…like a real couple. Laughing. Bodies pressed together to escape the evening chill. It would have been a nice snapshot, were it not for our faces circled with a red marker pen, giving the impression that we were a target.
Was someone targeting us?
But why? I had no money. Nothing anyone would want from me.
I shook my head, as though to sort through the thoughts inside my mind.
We had been followed. That in itself was scary as hell. Add a few photographs and the target sign, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to walk down the street without peering over my shoulder repeatedly for a long time.
“It’s a warning,” I whispered in shock as realization dawned on me. “But why would anyone want to send us a warning?”
“I have no idea.” Chase drew a sharp breath and his gray-blue eyes hardened into layers of ice. I had never seen anyone look so cold and composed, and for some reason it almost scared me more than the letter.
Maybe I didn’t know the man I was about to marry particularly well.
Maybe I didn’t know him at all.
The End…for now