Page 20 of David's Chase

Erase that…

Oh, shit.

My eyes snap open as my hand reaches for the towel.

I forgot about Chloe. I said I’d call her, and that was like an hour ago.

Water clouds my eyes, and I rub it out while struggling to grab the towel when someone hands it to me.

A dark silhouette catches the corner of my eye, and a sharp scream zips out of my chest before the man grabs me, pulls me into the soft wool of his suit jacket, and palms my mouth.

“It’s me. Stop screaming,” David says firmly, his lips pressed against my ear.

I go quiet, but the adrenaline still soars through me, and I have a hard time stopping myself from panting and shaking.

Slowly, I remove his hand from my mouth and slump into his arms.

I’m so shaken up that I feel like crying.

“How did you get in?” I ask while he runs the towel over my chest and my thighs.

“You left the back door open,” he says and lifts his gaze to me. “You need to be more careful with that.”

I suck in a short breath.

“Why did you go there?”

“I knocked on the front door, and you didn’t answer.”

“Did you call?”

“I did call. Yeah…”

“Oh. My phone is in the kitchen,” I say, trying to compose myself.

He gives me a soft smile.

“Make sure the back door stays locked at all times, and no key under the potted plant. That makes no sense. Anyone can get in,” he says, concern woven in his voice.

I study his face, trying to imagine how he’d feel if something bad happened to me.

“What made you come here?” I ask as I steady myself and breathe normally.

He drops the towel to the side, having a hard time peeling his eyes away from me.

“I wanted to make sure you were all right,” he says evenly before checking his watch. “I’m leaving in a couple of hours. I’m flying to New York,” he adds, offering me way more information than he has given me before.

Yet the moment is brief.

“I should get going,” he says, avoiding my stare while tilting his lips to my cheek.

That can’t be all.

So, I grab the lapels of his suit jacket and erase the space between us before pressing myself against his frame.

My eyes seek his, and we eventually connect.

“Why are you here, David?”