Page 18 of Smith

But if I had a girl and me or one of my boys couldn’t get to her I’d call in any favor available to me.

“My dad would like you,” I told him. “I have no plans to work late but if I do, I’ll call.”

I lost Philip’s attention when I heard footsteps on the stairs.

Then Philip ratted me out. “She doesn’t have lights out front. No camera at the back entrance. There’s also an egress at the side into the garage. I checked, lock’s shit.”

I wasn’t sure why Philip was filling Smith in on the state of my house but I didn’t get a chance to comment when Smith joined the conversation.

“How often have you delivered materials?”

“About once a week.”

“Have you noticed anyone watching you, a neighbor, someone walking their dog, car slowing?”

Philip shook his head.

“Can’t say I’ve paid attention but no, nothing caught my notice. From now on, I’ll be paying attention.”

I wanted to sigh at their protectiveness that I feared would turn suffocating if I didn’t put a stop to it. I didn’t sigh, I cut in.

“You know I can…”

Smith’s silvery-blue eyes landed on me in a dare. Normally, a look such as this would send my blood pressure skyrocketing, but there was something behind his challenge that had me clamping my mouth shut. There was no condescension, no arrogance, nothing that asserted no matter what I said he’d contest the validity and argue.

“You can what?” Smith prompted.

Not ugly. Not antagonizing. Not patronizing.

There was something there, in his tone, in his posture, and in his eyes but I couldn’t place it. It looked like he was bracing for the worst.

I looked between the two men and changed course.

“I appreciate you both looking out for me. I don’t like someone broke in. I hope whatever they wanted, they found, and won’t be back.” My gaze slid back to Philip. “I have the outside lights in the garage. I wasn’t going to install them until after I replaced the siding. But I’ll do that today.”

I had to admit I was proud I’d conceded without gritting my teeth and growling my irritation.

“I know it’s extra work, Aria, but I think it’s smart.”

Philip was correct, it would be extra work, but that wasn’t why I was annoyed. I didn’t like the meddling—the intrusion on my life and my plans. Though the timeline of the project was less bothersome than the invasion of my privacy—even if I didn’t live in this house and broadcasted updates, it was still mine and no one had the right to intrude. But because someone had, now I had to adjust my life.

I didn’t like that.

At all.

“And it doesn’t matter you have lights outside, I’m serious about you calling me.”

Yeah.

I seriously didn’t like having to adjust my life but I really hated someone else having to adjust theirs.

That made me a burden.

“I’ll call you if I’m working after dark,” I begrudgingly confirmed.

Goodbyes were said then Philip was gone, leaving me with a Smith I had yet to meet.

The man I’d spent time with in my kitchen and more time with last night at dinner and the one who’d shown up this afternoon was nowhere in sight. Gone was the teasing, playful, and downright sinful Smith I’d flirted with. This wasn’t the same man who talked to me on the phone for hours keeping me calm.

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