Page 31 of Beautiful Killer

My heart started to beat faster.

In his usual style, he just stared down at me like he used to—and I was positive I felt the air crackle around me, damn near vibrate. I needed to get a handle on these feelings I had for him, and it wasn’t going to happen if I threw myself at him, like I was on the verge of doing now, and begged him to come back. To spend his nights with me again. To still want me like I desperately wanted him.

Pull it together, Sunny.

I moved back and his hands dropped to his sides. Tilting my head back, looking up at him, I forced a smile, to lessen the sudden tension in the small room. His eyes dropped to my mouth, and I knew he was looking at the way it didn’t move right anymore.

I shouldn’t care, but I hated him seeing that, the way I looked now. I stopped smiling. “Do you need something?”

His eyes slid back to mine. “You’re not sleeping up here. Why?”

I jolted. “I beg your pardon?”

“I came by last night, to keep an eye on the place until Cage could come sort shit out. The downstairs light was on nearly all night. Why?”

I blinked up at him. What the hell? “Where?”

The muscle in his jaw jumped. “Parked outside.”

Oh . . .

“Tell me why you’re not sleeping up here?” he asked again.

I’d come to his agency and now he felt responsible for me because of our past. I didn’t want that. “Zeke . . . you don’t need to take a personal interest in any of this because of our . . . history. Really. I’ll be okay.” The muscle in his jaw jumped.

“But you’re not okay now.”

I got the feeling he wouldn’t drop it until I told him. “You’re stubborn, aren’t you?”

“Yes.” Not even a grin, just those dark eyes locked on me.

I released a sigh. “I’ve been . . . nervous. I just feel safer sleeping downstairs.”

His chest expanded with a rough breath. “I’m going to be out there tonight, and every night, until Cage has everything sorted.” He moved back in, crowding me again. His hand lifted, then dropped to his side, fingers curling into a fist. “You sleep in your bed tonight. I promise I won’t let anything happen to you. No one’s getting to you again.”

I was pretty sure my mouth was hanging open. I was trying to work out what to say when Cage called for Zeke from downstairs. Zeke’s eyes dropped to my mouth for a split second, then he turned and left me standing there.

* * *

I pulled the curtain aside and looked down at the street below. Zeke’s black truck was parked down there again. That was three nights in a row. I hadn’t talked to him again since he came into my bathroom. Cage had been coming every morning, doing his thing. But there’d been no sign of Zeke. Until it got dark, then he’d park outside my place and stay there all night. I didn’t know what to make of it, of him. I wanted to tell him he didn’t need to do that for me, and I was relieved all at the same time. I’d like to say I was sleeping like a baby, knowing he was out there watching over me. I wasn’t. Oh, I felt safe—I also felt restless and hot and achy. I knew what it felt like to have his hands on me, and I missed him. Missed the way he made me feel.

But he stayed out there.

And I stayed in here.

* * *

The next morning when I opened the door, it wasn’t just Cage. Zeke was there as well.

I’d dreamed of him all night. Hot, sweaty, dirty dreams of him doing all sorts of wicked things to me, and looking at him now, it became obvious that I hadn’t yet recovered from those dreams. His stare moved over me when he walked in, taking me in from head to toe. I was in an old shirt and a pair of shorts that I’d pulled on when I heard the knock at the door. I hadn’t expected Cage on a Saturday morning for some crazy reason and I sure as heck hadn’t expected Zeke to be with him.

I greeted them and offered them both coffee. They both nodded.

“Should be finished today,” Cage said when I delivered their drinks. “Just a little bit to do this morning then you’ll be all set.”

“That’s wonderful. I thought the company I used knew what they were doing. I had no idea how much they’d missed.” I smiled, my hand lifting to cover the unmoving side of my mouth, which had become my habit. “Thanks so much for getting this all sorted out for me at such short notice.”

Cage just stared at me like I was nuts.