Page 10 of The Price of Forever

SEVEN: Of course.

JORDAN: What’s my name?

SEVEN: Jordan Marie Haynes.

JORDAN: Knowing my middle and last name hardly makes you a security expert.

SEVEN: Do you need me to prove that I’m a security expert?

I bit back a grin. It felt a little too easy to snipe and banter with this one. I thought back to his eye-rolling response when I asked him last night why I kept seeing him everywhere—because you have eyes. I’d almost laughed out loud. But I needed to force him out of my life, not engage with him.

But it’s hard not to engage with a man who has such luscious eyelashes…

JORDAN: Kinda stupid that you’re supposed to be assessing my risks but I don’t even get to assess whether you’re qualified or not.

I barely breathed as I waited for a response to that one.

But none came.

I couldn’t tell if I’d poked the bear. Or maybe Seven was just running to Damian to complain that I was uncompliant. Maybe he wouldn’t rise to the occasion whatsoever. After all, the likelihood was that Seven was just a dumb bodyguard with too many muscles and not enough brain. That’s what I decided to believe. It would just make things easier, neater.

Still, though, I peeked out my front window one last time before leaving the living room. Just to see if he was lurking somewhere on the sidewalk.

All clear. Which meant I needed to get on with my day.

I drifted toward the bathroom, humming to myself as I thought about the day ahead of me. No coffee shop today, just a pick-up shift at the club from five until ten. At least I wouldn’t be getting out super late. Monday was my off day across the board and usually served as my recovery day. Doing my routines on the pole—in those heels—for too many nights in a row really took a toll on my hips and calves. If I made enough tonight, I’d treat myself to a luxurious spa day on Monday. But only if I was able to hit my weekly savings goal first.

I took a quick shower, my thoughts stuck on Seven—remembering the way his biceps filled out his silky black button-up. The way he’d shown up at the coffee shop with the cuffs of his shirt rolled up, his forearm veins bulging.

His dark, neatly trimmed hair and olive skin tone did something to me that didn’t really happen anymore. Just looking at him turned me on.

When I felt a tingle of excitement between my legs, I decided that was enough. I was not going to sit here and fantasize about a hired stalker. I had better, more important, things to do with my time. And I would certainly not think about him if I just so happened to find my vibrator in my bedroom.

I huffed as I stepped out of the shower and grabbed my towel.

Jordan, what on earth is wrong with you?

My feet padded softly over the thin rug that ran from the bathroom to my bedroom as I toweled off my hair. I planned on lush curls for tonight’s short shift, so I’d start with a quick blowout in my bedroom. I crossed the threshold into my bedroom and froze.

A tall, shadowy male figure stood tucked near the window, his back to me, peering through a slit in the curtain.

Panic zipped through my veins, icy hot and consuming. I stumbled backward as I fumbled to cover myself with the towel.

“What the fuck?” My voice came out ragged. I bumped into the doorframe, hard.

The man turned toward me slowly. And that’s when I noticed the neatly clipped dark hair. The black stubble along his jaw, the silky black button-up straining at his biceps.

A smirk curled at Seven’s lips as he faced me fully.

“If I were a sexual predator, I’d already be taking what I wanted,” he said, his deep voice coming out like smooth velvet. Excitement prickled across my shoulder blades, and I tried to shut it down immediately. I should not be aroused by this man breaking into my bedroom. Even though it put him in an incredibly useful position for what I’d been thinking about during my shower…

“How the fuck did you get in here?”

“Oh, you mean this time? Or are you asking how I broke in the first time, last week?”

I swallowed hard, trying to school my reaction.

“You need a new apartment. Badly. The first time I got in, I literally walked inside. The front doors were open, and you didn’t completely lock your door. Easy. This time, I claimed I was your boyfriend. The super showed me into your apartment with a smile.”

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