that time. Melanie let out the shallow breath she’d been holding and nodded in relief. He'd have to free his hands if he wanted to grab her. That second of distraction might give her more of a fighting chance.
"Someone tried to kill you tonight." He pitched his voice so low that the rumble of his words turned her skin to gooseflesh, as if each letter had a palpable weight. "You don't have to like me but I'm not going away."
And there was the problem: she did like him. What she knew of him, which admittedly was next to nothing, and really should have had her examining the inside of her head. Yes, he had some brutish qualities. Yes, barking orders and inviting himself home was annoying, but if he hadn’t been there tonight, would she be alive?
She had to clear her throat and wet her lips to speak. The expression she read in his eyes promised she'd have a fight on her hands if she thought she could dismiss him. And if she listened to the voices in her head, she'd confess she still didn't want to be alone.
"Nobody stays in my apartment but me. It's private space. Sacred, you understand."
An eyebrow lifted. "Warded?"
"What?"
Kade snorted. "Never mind." Her plan to distract him backfired. He tugged a hand free of a pocket, caught her wrist and pulled her toward the building's stairs. "You've got a new roommate. You should be glad I don't snore."
She jogged up the stairs behind him as he took them two at a time. He let her go when they stood outside her door, watching as she rummaged the keys from her purse. She slid one into the lock and felt the tumbler snap open. Then she paused, head bowed and gaze on her hands. Was she really going to let him in? Had she lost her mind?
She didn’t believe in magic, but something he 'd done melted the threat away. She briefly considered the idea that this had all been an elaborate performance, meant to convince Melanie to take home the handsome hero for a one-night stand. Noura had been trying to set her up for months, but not even she would go far enough to get Melanie shot.
Oh God. Someone had shot her!
She looked up and found him studying her intently. Heat threatened but didn't make it all the way to her cheeks. "I could call the cops." The warning held no weight.
Kade's shoulders rose and fell. "Could," he agreed. "If you really want ed to get rid of me. But." He braced his hand against the doorjamb just above her head. Not stopping her. Not trapping her. He leaned into her bubble of personal space but they didn't, quite, touch. "They'll just send someone else."
She was abruptly too aware of the shape of his mouth, the breath tickling her cheek again, the shadow of stubble on his chin. The inappropriate throb of desire. She swallowed hard and pried her gaze away. "Who's they?"
He cracked a faint, one-sided grin. "Invite me in. Pour me a drink. We'll pretend we're friends. I'll answer your questions." He paused, then added, "Please."
Melanie pushed the door open. When he said, "Ladies first," she stepped in. Please , her thoughts echoed. Don't let this be a mistake.
Chapter Five
Melanie didn't entertain in her apartment often. Make that ever. These rooms were her sanctuary, an escape from life at the office and the bustle of San Francisco's streets. She wasn't used to having anyone else take up her space and breathe her air.
Certainly no one like Kade.
The living room seemed smaller with him in it, somehow. When she'd found the place, she agreed with the landlord that it was a bargain. She'd seen too many postage-stamp-sized apartments and choked at the rent they asked for supposed luxury. Here, though, she had room to move. The walls didn't feel too close or cramped.
The architect had clearly never met Eric Kade.
Melanie edged around him as he took stock of her belongings, a faint frown painting shadows between his eyebrows. She used the sofa as a barrier between them and cleared her throat.
"Something wrong?"
"I don't know," she
"Someone tried to kill you tonight." He pitched his voice so low that the rumble of his words turned her skin to gooseflesh, as if each letter had a palpable weight. "You don't have to like me but I'm not going away."
And there was the problem: she did like him. What she knew of him, which admittedly was next to nothing, and really should have had her examining the inside of her head. Yes, he had some brutish qualities. Yes, barking orders and inviting himself home was annoying, but if he hadn’t been there tonight, would she be alive?
She had to clear her throat and wet her lips to speak. The expression she read in his eyes promised she'd have a fight on her hands if she thought she could dismiss him. And if she listened to the voices in her head, she'd confess she still didn't want to be alone.
"Nobody stays in my apartment but me. It's private space. Sacred, you understand."
An eyebrow lifted. "Warded?"
"What?"
Kade snorted. "Never mind." Her plan to distract him backfired. He tugged a hand free of a pocket, caught her wrist and pulled her toward the building's stairs. "You've got a new roommate. You should be glad I don't snore."
She jogged up the stairs behind him as he took them two at a time. He let her go when they stood outside her door, watching as she rummaged the keys from her purse. She slid one into the lock and felt the tumbler snap open. Then she paused, head bowed and gaze on her hands. Was she really going to let him in? Had she lost her mind?
She didn’t believe in magic, but something he 'd done melted the threat away. She briefly considered the idea that this had all been an elaborate performance, meant to convince Melanie to take home the handsome hero for a one-night stand. Noura had been trying to set her up for months, but not even she would go far enough to get Melanie shot.
Oh God. Someone had shot her!
She looked up and found him studying her intently. Heat threatened but didn't make it all the way to her cheeks. "I could call the cops." The warning held no weight.
Kade's shoulders rose and fell. "Could," he agreed. "If you really want ed to get rid of me. But." He braced his hand against the doorjamb just above her head. Not stopping her. Not trapping her. He leaned into her bubble of personal space but they didn't, quite, touch. "They'll just send someone else."
She was abruptly too aware of the shape of his mouth, the breath tickling her cheek again, the shadow of stubble on his chin. The inappropriate throb of desire. She swallowed hard and pried her gaze away. "Who's they?"
He cracked a faint, one-sided grin. "Invite me in. Pour me a drink. We'll pretend we're friends. I'll answer your questions." He paused, then added, "Please."
Melanie pushed the door open. When he said, "Ladies first," she stepped in. Please , her thoughts echoed. Don't let this be a mistake.
Chapter Five
Melanie didn't entertain in her apartment often. Make that ever. These rooms were her sanctuary, an escape from life at the office and the bustle of San Francisco's streets. She wasn't used to having anyone else take up her space and breathe her air.
Certainly no one like Kade.
The living room seemed smaller with him in it, somehow. When she'd found the place, she agreed with the landlord that it was a bargain. She'd seen too many postage-stamp-sized apartments and choked at the rent they asked for supposed luxury. Here, though, she had room to move. The walls didn't feel too close or cramped.
The architect had clearly never met Eric Kade.
Melanie edged around him as he took stock of her belongings, a faint frown painting shadows between his eyebrows. She used the sofa as a barrier between them and cleared her throat.
"Something wrong?"
"I don't know," she
Similar Books
