Page 2 of The Heat of Intensity

“No, why?” Parker fires back.

“Someone was in my house,” I whisper.

“Fuck,” Parker mutters. “You okay?”

My hands curl into fists, frustrated by the hard fact that I’m yet again freaking useless.

“No. I am not fucking okay,” I hiss.

Parker sighs, his breath with the scent of citrus teases my nose.

“No one came out of the back, and Parker just said he didn’t see anyone either,” Rourke states. “Eastlynne, do you see anything out of place?”

“Stay here, I’m going to check the rest of the house,” Parker states and I can hear his footsteps retreating.

“Are you sure you heard something?” Eastlynne questions.

I glare in her direction. At least, I freaking hope so because all I can see is a blobby figure against the bright light of the kitchen window so it might as well be Rourke, or both of them for that matter. Hell, maybe it’s the wall I’m glaring at, who the fuck knows? Not me, that’s for sure.

“All clear,” Parker grunts from behind me, scaring the crap out of me.

“Hey,” my sister says in a soothing tone. “It’s okay. Come on, why don’t you go lie down and I’ll fix you some breakfast. We’ll let the guys check out the noise you heard.”

I take a step back and bump into someone. Frustration and anger overwhelm me and I snarl, “I don’t want to lie down. Someone was in the damn house. In the fucking kitchen with me. I might not be able to see, am stupid enough not to close my curtains, and might have flashed fuck-knows who…but I heard someone inside the house, smelled his stinky presence, and fucking know damn well when I’m not alone, okay?”

“Eastlynne, mind making some coffee?” Parker rumbles from behind me.

I feel his fingers touch my arm.

I flinch and rip my arm away and hiss, “Don’t touch me.”

“On second thought,” Parker grunts and I hear him step around me.

I rub my eyes in an effort to clear my sight. Blinking a few times, I catch a clear view from my good eye of my sister and Rourke leaving through the back door before my vision becomes blurry again.

“Where are they going?” I ask panic now slipping through my veins.

Someone was in the house and for them it might not have seemed that way, but it was very real. What the hell am I going to do if I’m here alone and he or she returns? Or worse…what if there was someone here all along?

“They are going to check on the renovations. The stables should be completely rebuilt any day now and that’s why they were here this early, to check the progress,” Parker informs me. “Coffee?”

“Yes.” I release a sigh and reach for one of the chairs. “Where did you put my shotgun? I need to have it before you leave.”

“I won’t be leaving, and it’s right in front of you, darlin’.”

I reach forward to wrap my fingers around the shotgun and only grab air when Parker states, “You won’t be needing it as long as I’m here. So, let me put this back where you normally stash it.”

It’s as if the asshole knew I was going to threaten him with it. Grinding my teeth, I keep quiet and hear his boots retreat. He knows where I keep the shotgun because I mentioned it in one of our voice message discussions. Ugh. Why I keep talking to him is beyond me.

I don’t want anyone in my life right now and he sure as hell can do better than a woman who can’t freaking see. Blame it on boredom. At least, that’s my excuse. Parker, on the other hand, doesn’t have a legit excuse to be around a woman who can’t even leave the damn house.

Hearing his footsteps come closer I snap, “Why are you here?”

“Cranky without coffee,” he murmurs. “Hold that thought, darlin’.”

I grind my teeth and want nothing more than to run into the hallway and disappear into my bedroom, but with my luck, I’d run into a wall if I wanted to make a quick escape.

“Incoming,” Parker states and I flinch when he wraps his fingers around my wrist. “Easy, babe. Gonna place a mug with coffee in your hand now.”

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