What if Gregory is waiting for me? Barely a foot outside, she froze as she glanced around.
The sidewalk proved bare of stalkers, just regular run-of-the-mill pedestrians. It all seemed so normal, so benign. The hand buried in her purse didn't loosen its grip on her can of mace. She wouldn't be caught unprepared.
Steeling herself, she glanced at the door that spelled the end of her short-lived, new life. Only the nasty message wasn't there.
She blinked and looked again. Still nothing.
Tacky, fresh paint met her fingers as she touched the pristine white surface of the door, and she could see her own reflection in the sparkling clean glass.
A shadow loomed over her. "It might still need another coat."
She let out a sharp scream, as Arik seemed to melt out of nowhere. How a man his size could sneak up on her baffled.
"Someone really should put a bell on you," she muttered.
"But then you'd know I was coming."
"What I'd like to know is what you're doing here."
"I wanted to make sure you were all right. After your abrupt departure last night and the unpleasant incident of the graffiti, I was concerned."
If she were a Popsicle, she might have melted. As it was, her knees went a little weak. "That's sweet, but as you can see, I'm fine, and I'm guessing I owe you thanks for getting my door painted."
He waved a hand. "No thanks necessary. The message offended me. So I took care of it."
"Well, whether you want any or not, thanks. It was nice of you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get to work."
"Busy day of appointments?" he asked. Leaving his car at the curb, he matched her steps as she took off up the sidewalk.
"Not quite."
"In that case, why don't we stop in for some breakfast at the coffee shop across from it?"
"I can't."
"Lunch?"
She shook her head.
"Dinner." He stated, didn't ask.
She stopped and turned to face him. "Listen, Arik. You're a nice guy and all, and last night was real fun, and if I were staying, I'd-"
"What do you mean if you were staying?"
Funny how he got this weird, growly tone in his voice when he got upset with her.
"After what happened, I can't stay here. I'm leaving. Today. Probably within the next two or three hours. As soon as I can get my paycheck cashed, I'm heading to the airport."
"To go where?"
She shrugged. "I haven't figured that part out yet. I figure the less I plan, the less chance my ex will find me."
His brows drew together. "You're running because of him?"
"It's the safest thing for me to do, not only for me but the rest of my family."
"It's dumb."
Starkly said, and she felt the sting of the rebuke. "To you maybe." To her, it was the only plan that made any sense and kept her family out of harm's way.
"You're not thinking clearly. Running isn't going to make this guy go away."
"If I'm not here, he'll have no reason to stay."
"Or, if he can't find you, then he'll go after your family and try to make them divulge your location."
"He wouldn't-"
"What? Hurt them? Threaten them? Do you know that for certain? Are you really willing to take that chance?"
She clamped her lips shut as his reasoning filtered. How dare he poke holes in the only plan she had?
His voice softened. "I'm not trying to scare you, Kira. You've obviously already been through enough. But let's be honest here. This asshole is desperate. Desperate guys do unpredictable things."
"So what do you suggest I do? Stay here and hope I don't end up a blurb in a newspaper? Hairdresser's body is found, victim of psycho ex-boyfriend."
Arik's eyes flashed golden as they caught the morning sun. "I won't let him hurt you."
A bitter laugh built of frustration left her lips. "And how will you stop him? You can't stay glued to me, twenty-four-seven."
"Want to bet?"
Funny, he sounded utterly serious. But she was a stranger to him. A no one. A CEO of his stature had better things to do than babysit a hairdresser. "You're being ridiculous."
"I see nothing ridiculous about wanting to protect you. Actually, most would call it chivalrous."
They would, except she couldn't help but wonder at his motive. "Why do you care so much, anyhow? We barely know each other. We hated each other until dinner yesterday." A lot had changed since then, though. Now they didn't hate, but she couldn't exactly define what she felt for him, or he for her. Lust, yes. Intrigue as well. But more than that?
"You know what they say about hate."
Yeah, she knew, but surely he wasn't so arrogant as to think she loved him, and she wasn't gullible enough to believe for a minute he loved her.
"This whole conversation is nuts. And I'm wasting time. I need to get moving."
"If you insist. Let me give you a lift."
"It's not far."
"No, it's not. However, given the possible danger to your person, you shouldn't go alone. So ride with me, or walk. It doesn't matter. Either way I am accompanying you."
"You are as stubborn as a donkey." She politely refrained from using the word ass, but more because it made her think of his tight butt instead of a braying animal.
"I prefer tenacious kitty."
Kitty? Arik had too much presence for anything so domestic as a cat.
"So what will it be, mouse? Are we walking, or shall I drive you in style?"
In the end, she chose comfort and immediately regretted it as soon as she planted her butt in the decadently warm passenger seat. The cab of his truck, while spacious, was still rather confined-and intimate. The scent of him, his cologne and general essence, surrounded her, teased her with memories of what had happened last night in that very same vehicle.
Staring at his hands on the steering wheel, she couldn't help but recall what those hands had done to her the previous evening. How he'd brought her such pleasure. The recollection flushed her, and a shiver went through her as desire throbbed between her thighs. It appalled Kira that her mind could so easily get distracted, especially at a time like this. She forced her gaze away.
Yet, that didn't diminish her awareness of him.
A good thing he didn't seem to notice. His eyes remained trained on the road, and he kept his hands-unfortunately-to himself.
Not in the mood to talk, she toyed with a loose thread on her jeans, not paying much mind to their route until she realized they'd driven for a while and not yet arrived.
She peered through the windshield and frowned. "Where are we? This isn't the way to the barbershop."
"No, it's not."
"Are you taking a roundabout way? Are you trying to shake Gregory in case he's following?" She craned to glance behind them, wondering if one of the cars tailing them held her ex-boyfriend. Was he even now plotting to ram them and turn them into road kill? Would he drive them off a bridge? Open fire? Or …
She slammed the door shut on her overactive imagination that ran through too many movie plots for a paranoid mind to handle.
"We're not actually going to the hair shop."
His words penetrated, and she diverted all her focus to Arik. His amber gaze briefly met her own, striking her anew with his good looks-and the smug smirk he wore.
"What do you mean we're not going there? Exactly where are you taking me?" Hopefully not to some deserted location where he could kill her and dispose of her body. With Gregory on the scene providing a likely suspect, perhaps Arik now saw his chance to get revenge for his hair. It wouldn't be the first time her poor judgment in men had led to her jumping from the frying pan into the fire.
She gave herself a mental slap.
Not all men are psychos. She somehow doubted that the CEO of a billion-dollar company was a closet serial killer. But she had to wonder at his plans when he answered.
"We're going to my condo."
His condo? Which probably meant a place with a bed and privacy. A comfortable location where they could pick up where they'd left off the previous night. Not exactly the most awful plan, and yet … "You can't be seriously thinking of seduction at a time like this. I realize you're probably still a bit blue balled considering how our evening ended, but really, what makes you think I'm in the mood to have sex?"
He laughed so hard the vehicle swerved, and she squeaked as she grabbed at the handle on the door.
"You think I'm taking you there for seduction?"
His incredulous tone had her frowning in annoyance. "Well, what else am I supposed to think? I tell you I need to go to work to grab my paycheck so I can leave, and you decide, without asking, to hit your bachelor pad. I fail to see your humor."