be?” He flashed a crooked grin. I smiled back and bit my lower lip. “I have a package for you,” he continued. “This came for you today while you were out. I could have left it on your doorstep, but I thought it would be safer if I hung onto it for you. There’ve been some robberies in the area lately.” He pointed to a large cardboard box that he’d propped against the wall.
“ Oh, finally, my inversion table is here. Thank you!”
He raised an eyebrow. “What’re you going to do with an inversion table?”
“ You hang upside down on it,” I explained “and it’s supposed to help you reduce stress, heighten mental alertness, and improve circulation, among other things.”
His eyes moved up and down my body like a searchlight. “Are you having circulation problems?”
“ Not right now,” I managed to reply, feeling the warmth of a blush flood over my face.
A sexy smile played around his mouth. “So . . . is everything okay?”
“ Of course,” I responded lightly. “Why do you ask?”
“ I’m blessed with a certain sixth sense. Also, you’re holding a Taser.” He motioned to my hand.
I looked down, and realized I was still clinging tightly to my new pink Taser. “Well, that’s, umm, that’s kind of a long story,” I said, feeling more than a little embarrassed. I stepped back inside and deposited the Taser on the table by the door.
“ I have a few minutes before I need to leave, and I’m a good listener,” Judah said. His voice took on a gentle, comforting tone. He leaned in against the door jam and shoved his hands into the pockets of his grey slacks. Smiling, he lingered there, making him very hard to resist. The top two buttons of his white dress shirt were unbuttoned, giving him a well-dressed, yet casual, appearance, and I wondered if he was going out on a date. I had to admit I experienced a vexing little twinge of jealousy.
Perhaps it wouldn ’t hurt to confide in someone, I thought. My stress level was mounting and I was down to my last few scoops of chocolate ice cream. Relenting, I opened the door wide and stepped aside as he carried the massive box into my condo and propped it against my dining room table. For some indefinable reason, just being around him made me feel safer, although I couldn’t say why. I knew practically nothing about him.
“ How about a glass of wine?” I offered. “It’s the least I can do to repay you for your trouble.”
“ No trouble. Wine sounds nice though. What’d you do to your foot?”
I shook my head and looked down at my barefoot , bandaged toes, and said, “You don’t miss a thing do you?”
He followed me into the kitchen, leaned against the counter , and watched me as I pulled out my good wine glasses.
“ Kind of a hazard of my occupation, I guess,” he replied. “Awareness of your surroundings is always a good thing.”
I sighed. “Yes, I’m beginning to understand the importance of that myself.” After examining the meager offerings of my refrigerator, I gave him a choice, “I have chardonnay or chardonnay.”
He smiled. “Maybe I’ll go with the chardonnay.”
I explained my broken toe as I poured the wine, handed a glass to him, and we moved over to my sofa in the living room. When he lifted his glass for a toast, I noticed several jagged scars on his long, graceful fingers.
“ So what exactly is it that you do?” I asked after I took a sip.
“ A little of this, a little of that. You might say that I’m an independent contractor.”
“ I see. Well that explains everything.”
He smiled enigmatically then said, “Why don’t you tell me about the Taser?” I told him about the breather calls, the CD in the mail, the flowers, and the voice mail message from last night. He interrupted me occasionally to ask questions. “Is there anyone at work who seems odd?”
“ No.”
“ Did you have any old boyfriends that were a bit off?”
“ Yes, most of them, but none of them are stalker types.”
He
“ Oh, finally, my inversion table is here. Thank you!”
He raised an eyebrow. “What’re you going to do with an inversion table?”
“ You hang upside down on it,” I explained “and it’s supposed to help you reduce stress, heighten mental alertness, and improve circulation, among other things.”
His eyes moved up and down my body like a searchlight. “Are you having circulation problems?”
“ Not right now,” I managed to reply, feeling the warmth of a blush flood over my face.
A sexy smile played around his mouth. “So . . . is everything okay?”
“ Of course,” I responded lightly. “Why do you ask?”
“ I’m blessed with a certain sixth sense. Also, you’re holding a Taser.” He motioned to my hand.
I looked down, and realized I was still clinging tightly to my new pink Taser. “Well, that’s, umm, that’s kind of a long story,” I said, feeling more than a little embarrassed. I stepped back inside and deposited the Taser on the table by the door.
“ I have a few minutes before I need to leave, and I’m a good listener,” Judah said. His voice took on a gentle, comforting tone. He leaned in against the door jam and shoved his hands into the pockets of his grey slacks. Smiling, he lingered there, making him very hard to resist. The top two buttons of his white dress shirt were unbuttoned, giving him a well-dressed, yet casual, appearance, and I wondered if he was going out on a date. I had to admit I experienced a vexing little twinge of jealousy.
Perhaps it wouldn ’t hurt to confide in someone, I thought. My stress level was mounting and I was down to my last few scoops of chocolate ice cream. Relenting, I opened the door wide and stepped aside as he carried the massive box into my condo and propped it against my dining room table. For some indefinable reason, just being around him made me feel safer, although I couldn’t say why. I knew practically nothing about him.
“ How about a glass of wine?” I offered. “It’s the least I can do to repay you for your trouble.”
“ No trouble. Wine sounds nice though. What’d you do to your foot?”
I shook my head and looked down at my barefoot , bandaged toes, and said, “You don’t miss a thing do you?”
He followed me into the kitchen, leaned against the counter , and watched me as I pulled out my good wine glasses.
“ Kind of a hazard of my occupation, I guess,” he replied. “Awareness of your surroundings is always a good thing.”
I sighed. “Yes, I’m beginning to understand the importance of that myself.” After examining the meager offerings of my refrigerator, I gave him a choice, “I have chardonnay or chardonnay.”
He smiled. “Maybe I’ll go with the chardonnay.”
I explained my broken toe as I poured the wine, handed a glass to him, and we moved over to my sofa in the living room. When he lifted his glass for a toast, I noticed several jagged scars on his long, graceful fingers.
“ So what exactly is it that you do?” I asked after I took a sip.
“ A little of this, a little of that. You might say that I’m an independent contractor.”
“ I see. Well that explains everything.”
He smiled enigmatically then said, “Why don’t you tell me about the Taser?” I told him about the breather calls, the CD in the mail, the flowers, and the voice mail message from last night. He interrupted me occasionally to ask questions. “Is there anyone at work who seems odd?”
“ No.”
“ Did you have any old boyfriends that were a bit off?”
“ Yes, most of them, but none of them are stalker types.”
He
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