Page 69 of Somewhere You Belong

“What?” I blink, clear my throat, and then rip the clothes from his hand. “Sure. Fine,” I say as I walk away, trying to keep my dignity intact.

“You can come back and stare a bit more, if you want. I won’t judge.”

His self-induced laughter makes my blood boil again as I go down the short hallway off the kitchen to the laundry room, tossing his clothes in the dryer and turning it on, huffing out my frustration in solitude for a moment.

“Jackass,” I mutter to myself.

“I heard that.” Or, so I thought.

As if he appeared out of thin air, I spin to find Dallas blocking the doorway, watching me intently as I jump.

“Ugh. Are you just going to follow me around all night?”

“No. But I do need your help loading batteries into the flashlights, setting up candles, and putting away the food.”

“Sure. Just give me a minute, okay?”

He rolls his eyes and leaves the doorway, somehow making it easier for me to breathe again. “I’ll meet you in the kitchen.”

I walk back out to the main part of the house, trying not to stare too hard at his back, but when he turns to face me again with the packages of batteries, that’s when I notice a detail about him I must have been too blind with rage and lust to detect sooner.

An anchor tattoo rests right over his left pec, etched in black and blue ink. There’s an inscription on a banner across the symbol, but I can’t quite make it out.

My eyes instantly veer over to the refrigerator magnet that Penn gave me my first week here, and somehow, the connection makes me smile.

“Are you going to help me or just continue to stare at me?”

Flicking my eyes up at him, I tear the package of batteries from his hands and take residence on the other side of the kitchen counter just as a loud crack of thunder booms above us, making me jump. “Jesus!”

Dallas looks outside before our phones start blaring with a high wind warning. “We should hurry. And then we need to go in your downstairs closet and take shelter.”

“Why?”

“In case windows shatter or anything falls on the house. You’re safer in an enclosed space.”

“What the hell have I gotten myself into?” I whisper to myself.

We keep filling the three flashlights, small electric candles, and then I look at the food Dallas brought with him.

“I have some leftover sandwich stuff from the restaurant, so we need to eat those right away. Otherwise, I brought chips, beef jerky, protein bars, some apples and bananas, and of course, candy and bottled water.”

“Why candy?”

His eyes narrow on me beneath his dark lashes. “I have a sweet tooth, and maybe some sugar will sweeten you up too.”

I roll my eyes at him. “Ha. Very funny.”

Another loud crack booms overhead. “Shit. I hate this.” I can see my hands trembling in front of me as I grab the bag of food and take it to the closet.

“I’m right behind you. Do you have any extra blankets or pillows? Or even towels?”

“They’re all in there. I don’t have much, but we’ll make do.”

He juts his head in that direction. “Go inside. I’ll be right there.”

The entire house creaks from the wind as I scurry along the floor, reaching the closet and ducking inside the small door to go under the staircase. I set the food to the side on one of the shelves and then turn and find the blankets, unfolding them, as well as grabbing two spare pillows and covering them in cases, making the floor more comfortable. I’m lost in the task as Dallas steps in behind me, getting a full access view of me bending over in front of him.

Peering up at him between my legs, I say, “It’s not polite to stare.”

---