Page 14 of Quinlan

“Yes. You’ve been following me,” I taunt him. I interrogate him. Doesn’t matter how hot he is. He’s still basically a stranger. “I heard you walking behind me. That’s why I stopped.”

“I wasn’t following you.” I feel his heated gaze on my skin. When I look up, I see him staring. “I was on my way home.”

It’s hard to believe a man wearing such expensive clothes wouldwalkhome. He has to have a car. Maybe even a driver.

Questioning his honesty would be the right thing to do.

Then there’s his hand on my back. The warmth of it turns me into a foolish, wanting girl.

“Where’s home?” My voice is hoarse.Snap the fuck out of it. I give myself a mental shake, clearing my throat.

His lips tick higher at the sound. At my obvious embarrassment. Great, now my cheeks are blazing. Now he’s closer, his hand sliding to my waist.

“A few blocks up the road.” He jerks his chin in that direction. No address. No neighborhood.

“Oh,there.” I manage a smile. A teasing response. “Nothing vague aboutthere.”

“Curious little thing.” His eyes darken.

He called me…Sigh. Did he really have to do it inthatvoice?

A voice I’m falling for. I can’t stop looking at him. I’m not worried I might stumble on another person or bust my foot on a fire hydrant. This man won’t let anything happen to me.

Anything other than himself.He’s happened to me.

His fingers apply the slightest pressure on my skin. His eyes are evil again.

How does he do that?

“I am.” I’m back to fishing for information. He’s a predator, I can’t afford to forget that. “I thought maybe I could walkyouhome.”

“You care about my safety?” he repeats my question to me.

Flirting. That’s what he does. He isn’t evading. He…flirts. Another green flag.

Compared to his thousand red ones.

“Exactly.” Feeling more comfortable, I lift my fists to my chest. Take two, three punches in the air. “Anyone comes anywhere near you, I’ll kick their butts.”

At that, mystery man lets out a low laugh. “You’d do that for me?”

“Yes.”

He makes a low voice at the back of his throat. It’s on the tip of my tongue to continue our back and forth. Dare him to let me walk him home and fight off anyone who’d come near him.

“Oh.” My eyebrows furl. How disappointing. We’ve made it to my apartment building. “This is me.”

“Yes, it is.”

Ice latches itself around my heart, freezing me down to my bone.

Or it could be the fact that the man’s hand no longer warms the small of my back. He’s returned it to his side, and I’m cold. It’s physical.

I’m not worried about his strange statement, like he knew I lived here.

He won’t do anything to hurt me. He could’ve and he hasn’t.

“Well, then,” he says.

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