Page 6 of Stalking His Target

“Ah, I get it,” she says knowingly. “This good Samaritan is a hottie, isn’t he?”

“Okay, nice talking to you, Tash!” I hang up quickly and turn back to Taylor. He’s smiling as he spoons more mint chocolate chip into his mouth. Is it possibleheknows what I’m thinking too?

No. I’m just being paranoid now.

“I should go,” I tell him. “I don’t want to inconvenience you–”

“You’re not an inconvenience, Layla. And let’s be honest–you don’t want to go back to that apartment alone tonight. All alone. Not after what happened.”

Yup. He can definitely read my mind.

“Well…maybe I’m a little scared…” I admit. “But I don’t want to impose on you.”

It’s crazy the effect he’s having on me from just a few feet away. He’s like an anchor and I’m a boat lost on the wild seas and ferocious winds of an ocean storm. The rest of the world is just dull, ambient noise, and his voice is a drill that goes straight into my heart.

“You’re not imposing, sweetheart,” he replies. This time I’m not seeing things; he definitely steps closer to me. So close I can smell him again. “You take the bedroom. I’ll take the couch.”

Are you sure you don’t want to take the bedroom with me?

That’s what I want to say, but of course I’m too afraid to.

I’m actually overwhelmed by the emotions whirling through me like a twister: jealousy, lust, excitement, embarrassment.

I actually do want to stay here with Taylor, and that’s a big difference from how I was feeling about basically being forced to go out with George earlier this evening.

Taylor leans in, and I brace myself. Is he going to kiss me?

My eyes move to his lips, and I start to shake.

“And don’t worry, little girl.” His Texan accent woos me as it washes over me like a warm breeze. “I won’t try anything while you’re asleep.”

With that, he sets his bowl down and goes to the bedroom to get it ready for me.

You can if you want,I think.I wouldn’t mind.

3

LAYLA

I wakeup with Taylor’s scent deeply embedded in my nose and lungs.

I smile and take an enormous breath, giggling as I bury my face in the sheets he’s been sleeping in until last night. I can’t remember the last time I slept so well–and after an attempted kidnapping.

Safe.

That’s how I feel.

Protected.

With a contented sigh, I roll over and am greeted with the smell of bacon seeping in from the other room. I swing my feet out of bed and find a huge pair of sweatpants and an enormous T-shirt set out on the side table, presumably for me.

They’re both massive on me, which has me laughing as I open the door and find Taylor hard at work in the kitchen. He looks up from a pan and smiles as I enter.

“Hey there, darling. Sleep well?”

My heart flutters at his greeting.

Darling…

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