Page 17 of Dragon Detective

“Interesting bureau.” He frowned as he took them from me.

“They’re clean. I promise.” During our relationship, I’d done the laundry, so I was sure about that.

With a nod, he tugged them on and hiked them up over his hips. My ex was six feet tall and good-sized, but the sweats coated Reylor’s body like a second skin. He tossed aside the cushion, and he sure filled my ex’s sweats out nicely.

I needed to stop gaping at the muscles rippling across his chest and shoulders, his taut abs, and that bulge below his waist.

“Thanks.” He pivoted and padded from my room on bare feet. “I’ll let you get dressed. Join me in the parlor after? We need to talk.”

“Do you want slippers?” I called out to him.

He turned, and his gaze cut to my fluffy pink ones beside my bed. The curve of his smile made my heart speed up. “I’m all set.”

Maybe I should ask Monsters, PI if they had any other available detectives. If I was lusting after Reylor within such ashort time, I was going to be in trouble before this investigation was over.

I’d think about it.

He left the room, shutting the door behind him, and I hurried to my bureau, where I tugged out a pair of flannel pajamas, donning them quickly. After stuffing my feet into my fluffy slippers, I joined him in the parlor, perching on a chair near the unlit fireplace, opposite the one he’d taken.

He leveled me with a long look. “I want you to move in with me until we finish this investigation.”

“Excuse me?” I lifted my eyebrows. “I’m fixing this place up, which means I need to be here, not at your place.”

“I’m worried about you here alone.”

“Do you have a spare room at your place?”

He paused. “No. I thought you could take my bed. I’ll sleep on the couch.”

“You’re six-four or so. No couch is big enough for a guy like you.”

“Six-seven, but I’ll make do.”

I shook my head. “I’m safe enough here alone.”

“Someone got into your place tonight, and they’re playing games with you. Nothing’s stopping them from turning those games deadly.”

Chills peppered my skin, and I crossed my arms on my chest to hold in my quivers. “You think they’d physically hurt me? So far, it’s only been pranks.”

“You said they wroteleave, or elseon a mirror?”

“I could be mistaken.”

“Were you?” he drawled.

My shoulders slumped. “No. I read it just fine.”

“My guess is that whoever’s doing this wants to drive you away. They hope you’ll leave and sell the place—to them, no doubt.”

“Why, though?”

“The location’s gorgeous. You said you got it at a great price. You can’t be the only one to see its potential.”

“If I stay and show them I’m not afraid, they might give up.” Yes, I was stubborn, but this was also the chance I’d been waiting for. The pricehadbeen amazing, but even more, after a short time in Mystic Harbor, I felt like I’d found a new home. I didn’t want to sell this building, and I didn’t want to slink back to the suburbs of Boston.

“And if they don’t?” he asked. “What if they take this further? You could be hurt.” His snarl ripped out. “I’m not allowing that to happen.”

“I appreciate that you feel protective of me, but—”

---