Page 34 of Scorpion

She blinks a couple times before saying, “What are you doing here?”

I look around at the pool house, the pool, then the main house. “I believe I might own this place. One would say it affords me certain liberties with my property.”

She gives me a blank look that gets me all excited. Her fire has returned. “Let me rephrase. Why have you left the warmth of your home when it’s three in the morning?”

“A leisurely stroll?”

She purses her lips, silently saying, try again.

“It’s a full moon. It’s my duty as your employer to ensure that you are safe from all the night creatures.”

We both glance up at the crescent moon. I guess that that’s not very believable either.

I grin and help myself to the spot beside where she sat. Tapping the empty place next to me, I give her a bashful look. She narrows her eyes and considers for a moment before complying. The heat from her body seeps into the small space between us, and I want nothing more than to drag her closer to me.

I want her back.

It’s a fact I’ve known since I was a teenager, and despite every change I’ve endured since she left, that is the only thing that has remained true.

I want Zalak back.

If she’s picked up on my intentions, she hasn’t let on. If there’s a glimmer of reciprocation, she’s hidden that just as well. I’ll wait a lifetime if I have to.

The Zalak I knew from years ago and the one now wouldn’t take these kinds of advances for very long. I have to trust that her continued employment and residence on my property is an indication that maybe—just maybe—she wants me back too. I’ll settle for knowing that she misses me.

And perhaps I’ll take the old hoodie of mine that she’s wearing as a sign as well.

“You know it’s cold out here, right?” She catches my teasing smile, and I wrap her fallen blanket around her. To my surprise she doesn’t throw it off.

That’s a win in my books.

“I hadn’t noticed,” she deadpans.

“If you get a cold, I’d be a man—woman—down.”

“As long as you follow protocol, I’m sure you’ll survive.”

Somehow, I don’t think teasing her over how she cares about my safety will bode well. I’m going to tell myself that she cares about me because it’s me, and not because she has to.

“Did you give all your supervisors this much attitude?”

“Fuck no.”

I smirk. “Are you implying that I am not frightening?”

Zalak shrugs. “If you’re willing to wake up at five in the morning to make me run drills, the fear factor might be taken up a notch.”

I resist the urge to touch the cheek—the same soft skin I’ve kissed more times than I can count. “I’ll have you know that everyone knows my name and the power I wield.”

“Mathijs Halenbeek. Wow.” She rolls her eyes. “It really strikes fear in my heart.”

There she is.

I throw my head back and laugh. She chuckles alongside me—not the earth-shattering laugh I used to hear all the time. But it’s closer than anything I’ve gotten in the past two months since she started accompanying me every time I leave the compound.

“It feels good,” I say.

“What does?”

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