in exasperation. “No. What I mean is, why are you in this room with me?”
He stood. “There are detectives here to see you.”
I shook my head to clear my thoughts. “You couldn’t have told me that from the get go?”
He shrugged his big shoulders. “I could have. I just didn’t.” He strode towards me, and I took a step back. “Get dressed,” he commanded over his shoulder at the doorway. “They’re waiting.” Then the door closed.
Grr. I wished I had something to throw at the stupid door. Better yet, at his head. Oh, the man was pushing all my buttons. And I would be lying if I didn’t admit; he was turning me on. Big time.
*****
I put my clothes back on, sans panties—since that always grossed me out to put on dirty underwear after I was clean—and walked into the living room to meet the detectives. Once introductions were fulfilled, we got down to business. I learned that they, Detectives Michaels and Reeves, had no idea who had broken into my place, which wasn’t at all a huge surprise. I knew they had done their job, but, still, I felt uneasy. I inquired, “Do you think whoever it was will return?”
Reeves answered, “Can’t predict that, ma’am. If they do, you’ve now made a paper trail. That’s always important in prosecuting, if it comes down to that.”
“Alright. Is there anything else I should do?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Michaels replied. “Don’t go back to your apartment until it’s been cleaned up.”
Well, duh. As if I would want to step foot in there again with it looking like a tornado had hit it. Plus, I didn’t want to see that horrid word—albeit fact—written across my stuff.
Reeves pulled me from my reverie. “Do you have some place to stay?”
I was pretty sure Renée would let me crash with her. Of course, there was a reason we were no longer roommates; however, a few days wouldn’t kill either one of us. “Yes. Thank you for asking.”
When Detective Reeves smiled, I realized he was an attractive man. I glanced down and caught a glimpse of the wedding ring on his left hand. Ah, a very married good-looking man. “Stay aware, Ms. Taylor. Make sure you don’t go anywhere alone.” I heard the concern in his voice and was touched.
Then Nik replied, with a resounding, “I’ll see to it myself, Detective Reeves. Thank you for your time. If you need to reach Ms. Taylor, she’ll be here,” he announced.
WTF? Was he joking? There was no way I could spend another night in the same space as Nik Strand! I just stared at him while Alex showed the detectives out. As soon as they were gone, I responded, “No. I’ll go call Renée. I will not stay here with you.”
He prowled forward and grabbed my upper arms firmly. “The hell you won’t.”
I tried to pull away, but he tightened his grip. He hadn’t hurt me, per se.
Although Alex didn’t see it that way as he asserted, “Get your hands off her, Nik.”
Nik growled low in his chest as he dropped his hands to his sides. He was looking at me when he spoke to his brother. “I didn’t hurt her,” he affirmed.
Alex’s brows rose. “Aimee?”
I held Nik’s gaze as I answered, “I’m fine, Alex. He didn’t harm me.”
Alex walked over to me and placed his hand on the small of my back. I reverted my gaze to his when he queried, “Do you want me to stay?”
I shook my head. “No, thank you. I’ll be fine.”
He nodded, “All right, then. I’ll be in the other room if you need me, just yell.” With that he sauntered out of the room, but not before I saw the look that passed between them.
While Nik stroked his hands up and down my arms, which he had clutched earlier, he looked at me intently. “Did I hurt you?”
“No. You didn’t.” I stepped away from him so I could think clearly. “Why do you want me to stay here?”
“It’s safer.”
That was true. But I had a feeling there was more to it. “Nik?”
“Yeah.”
“What aren’t you telling me?”
He sighed. “Sit
He stood. “There are detectives here to see you.”
I shook my head to clear my thoughts. “You couldn’t have told me that from the get go?”
He shrugged his big shoulders. “I could have. I just didn’t.” He strode towards me, and I took a step back. “Get dressed,” he commanded over his shoulder at the doorway. “They’re waiting.” Then the door closed.
Grr. I wished I had something to throw at the stupid door. Better yet, at his head. Oh, the man was pushing all my buttons. And I would be lying if I didn’t admit; he was turning me on. Big time.
*****
I put my clothes back on, sans panties—since that always grossed me out to put on dirty underwear after I was clean—and walked into the living room to meet the detectives. Once introductions were fulfilled, we got down to business. I learned that they, Detectives Michaels and Reeves, had no idea who had broken into my place, which wasn’t at all a huge surprise. I knew they had done their job, but, still, I felt uneasy. I inquired, “Do you think whoever it was will return?”
Reeves answered, “Can’t predict that, ma’am. If they do, you’ve now made a paper trail. That’s always important in prosecuting, if it comes down to that.”
“Alright. Is there anything else I should do?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Michaels replied. “Don’t go back to your apartment until it’s been cleaned up.”
Well, duh. As if I would want to step foot in there again with it looking like a tornado had hit it. Plus, I didn’t want to see that horrid word—albeit fact—written across my stuff.
Reeves pulled me from my reverie. “Do you have some place to stay?”
I was pretty sure Renée would let me crash with her. Of course, there was a reason we were no longer roommates; however, a few days wouldn’t kill either one of us. “Yes. Thank you for asking.”
When Detective Reeves smiled, I realized he was an attractive man. I glanced down and caught a glimpse of the wedding ring on his left hand. Ah, a very married good-looking man. “Stay aware, Ms. Taylor. Make sure you don’t go anywhere alone.” I heard the concern in his voice and was touched.
Then Nik replied, with a resounding, “I’ll see to it myself, Detective Reeves. Thank you for your time. If you need to reach Ms. Taylor, she’ll be here,” he announced.
WTF? Was he joking? There was no way I could spend another night in the same space as Nik Strand! I just stared at him while Alex showed the detectives out. As soon as they were gone, I responded, “No. I’ll go call Renée. I will not stay here with you.”
He prowled forward and grabbed my upper arms firmly. “The hell you won’t.”
I tried to pull away, but he tightened his grip. He hadn’t hurt me, per se.
Although Alex didn’t see it that way as he asserted, “Get your hands off her, Nik.”
Nik growled low in his chest as he dropped his hands to his sides. He was looking at me when he spoke to his brother. “I didn’t hurt her,” he affirmed.
Alex’s brows rose. “Aimee?”
I held Nik’s gaze as I answered, “I’m fine, Alex. He didn’t harm me.”
Alex walked over to me and placed his hand on the small of my back. I reverted my gaze to his when he queried, “Do you want me to stay?”
I shook my head. “No, thank you. I’ll be fine.”
He nodded, “All right, then. I’ll be in the other room if you need me, just yell.” With that he sauntered out of the room, but not before I saw the look that passed between them.
While Nik stroked his hands up and down my arms, which he had clutched earlier, he looked at me intently. “Did I hurt you?”
“No. You didn’t.” I stepped away from him so I could think clearly. “Why do you want me to stay here?”
“It’s safer.”
That was true. But I had a feeling there was more to it. “Nik?”
“Yeah.”
“What aren’t you telling me?”
He sighed. “Sit
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