furrow formed between her eyes. Then she looked up and crossed her eyes in a way that had him smothering a laugh.
“Yes, the police were here. I’ll tell you about it later. I’ve got company right now…No, he’s here about the break-in, so I have to go…Love you, too. Bye.” She crossed the kitchen to replace the receiver. “Sorry about that. My neighbor apparently observed the chaos this morning and couldn’t wait to inform my mother. They used to be bridge partners, when my parents lived in this house.”
“Why didn’t you tell her what happened?” Ethan asked, puzzled that she’d told her mother she loved her, but hadn’t called her when something of this magnitude had occurred. His own mother would crucify him if he’d left her out of the loop. Despite the overwhelming testosterone that he, his three brothers and his father had brought to the household, it was definitely a matriarchy.
Maggie hugged her middle as she shrugged. “She would have worried.”
“She’s a mom. She’s supposed to worry. It’s in the job description or something.”
She turned away, clearly wanting to end the discussion. “I’d like to get back to scrubbing the living room, if we’re done here.”
He didn’t answer for a moment, studying the rigidity of her spine, the stony set of her shoulders. The woman was holding it together. Barely. Dr. Levine struck him as an intensely private woman. It was obvious she wanted her privacy now.
“We’re done. For now. You’re not to go anywhere alone.”
She turned back to protest but seemed to think better of it and pressed her lips together instead. She nodded. “Okay. How am I supposed to get around?”
“Limit your activities to what you absolutely need to do.”
“And let him win?”
“And survive,” he corrected. “Your safety is my job, so listen to me and you’ll stay alive. Work, home, grocery store. That’s about it.”
“I could ask David to go with me, I suppose.” The furrow between her eyes was back.
He didn’t know who David was, and until he passed Ethan’s stringent security check, the guy wouldn’t be allowed alone with his client. “I’ll accompany you, or Becca will.”
“Becca? The woman who called earlier?”
“She’s new at SSAM, but she’s good.” He hoped. “She’ll pick you up for work tonight.”
Snapping her rubber gloves back in place, she muttered something under her breath and grabbed the sponge from the bucket.
“What was that?” he asked, perversely wanting to see the flare of heat in her eyes once more. He wasn’t disappointed.
“I hate being babysat.”
“But you like being alive.”
She looked as if she was about to object to that, and he raised an eyebrow expectantly, but she only turned back to the wall and began scrubbing. He strode to the door and stood with his hands on his hips, waiting for her attention, but she was engrossed in her work. Allowing himself the luxury of watching her for a moment, he took in the slim line of her body, the slight part of her lips as she blew out a breath. His body stirred in response.
“Maggie,” he said, frustration making her name sound like a growl.
She turned, her face flushed. That pesky tendril had escaped its confines again, curling across her cheek. “What? You can’t find the door? It’s right behind you.”
He shook his head in disappointment. “Did you listen to anything I said today?”
“What?”
“The alarm? You need to set it behind me. Immediately. And I hope you changed the code since this guy somehow knew it.”
Jesus. If this Owen guy was Fearmonger, Maggie had to be more careful. Didn’t she know that? But then, he hadn’t told her yet about the possible serial killer connection. He hadn’t wanted to worry her until he had more evidence the break-in was linked to a murderer. As long as she was taking proper security measures, it wouldn’t matter anyway. A stalker could be just as dangerous.
Looking sheepish, she rose
“Yes, the police were here. I’ll tell you about it later. I’ve got company right now…No, he’s here about the break-in, so I have to go…Love you, too. Bye.” She crossed the kitchen to replace the receiver. “Sorry about that. My neighbor apparently observed the chaos this morning and couldn’t wait to inform my mother. They used to be bridge partners, when my parents lived in this house.”
“Why didn’t you tell her what happened?” Ethan asked, puzzled that she’d told her mother she loved her, but hadn’t called her when something of this magnitude had occurred. His own mother would crucify him if he’d left her out of the loop. Despite the overwhelming testosterone that he, his three brothers and his father had brought to the household, it was definitely a matriarchy.
Maggie hugged her middle as she shrugged. “She would have worried.”
“She’s a mom. She’s supposed to worry. It’s in the job description or something.”
She turned away, clearly wanting to end the discussion. “I’d like to get back to scrubbing the living room, if we’re done here.”
He didn’t answer for a moment, studying the rigidity of her spine, the stony set of her shoulders. The woman was holding it together. Barely. Dr. Levine struck him as an intensely private woman. It was obvious she wanted her privacy now.
“We’re done. For now. You’re not to go anywhere alone.”
She turned back to protest but seemed to think better of it and pressed her lips together instead. She nodded. “Okay. How am I supposed to get around?”
“Limit your activities to what you absolutely need to do.”
“And let him win?”
“And survive,” he corrected. “Your safety is my job, so listen to me and you’ll stay alive. Work, home, grocery store. That’s about it.”
“I could ask David to go with me, I suppose.” The furrow between her eyes was back.
He didn’t know who David was, and until he passed Ethan’s stringent security check, the guy wouldn’t be allowed alone with his client. “I’ll accompany you, or Becca will.”
“Becca? The woman who called earlier?”
“She’s new at SSAM, but she’s good.” He hoped. “She’ll pick you up for work tonight.”
Snapping her rubber gloves back in place, she muttered something under her breath and grabbed the sponge from the bucket.
“What was that?” he asked, perversely wanting to see the flare of heat in her eyes once more. He wasn’t disappointed.
“I hate being babysat.”
“But you like being alive.”
She looked as if she was about to object to that, and he raised an eyebrow expectantly, but she only turned back to the wall and began scrubbing. He strode to the door and stood with his hands on his hips, waiting for her attention, but she was engrossed in her work. Allowing himself the luxury of watching her for a moment, he took in the slim line of her body, the slight part of her lips as she blew out a breath. His body stirred in response.
“Maggie,” he said, frustration making her name sound like a growl.
She turned, her face flushed. That pesky tendril had escaped its confines again, curling across her cheek. “What? You can’t find the door? It’s right behind you.”
He shook his head in disappointment. “Did you listen to anything I said today?”
“What?”
“The alarm? You need to set it behind me. Immediately. And I hope you changed the code since this guy somehow knew it.”
Jesus. If this Owen guy was Fearmonger, Maggie had to be more careful. Didn’t she know that? But then, he hadn’t told her yet about the possible serial killer connection. He hadn’t wanted to worry her until he had more evidence the break-in was linked to a murderer. As long as she was taking proper security measures, it wouldn’t matter anyway. A stalker could be just as dangerous.
Looking sheepish, she rose
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