Page 14 of The Stalker

Tatiana imagined the worse scenario of someone coming in armed with a gun and considered what she would do in that case.

“If they’re armed…big difference. It depends on the weapon, but I’ll still push you to the ground and take cover. Then, I’ll assess the situation and probably try to shoot them before they can shoot you or me.”

Hayden gasped as he looked her over from head to toe, and she assumed he was trying to see where she’d concealed her weapon. “You’re armed?!”

“Yes, I am. I’m licensed to concealed carry and very adept at using a gun. I prefer not to use it, so in the situation where I subdue the person, I wouldn’t even take it out.”

There was silence in the air, and the tension was back, this time laced with the very obvious fear written all over Hayden’s face.

“Have you ever killed someone?”

That question.

She got it a lot, and she didn’t like answering it.

Tatiana tilted her head to the side and asked, “Do you actually want to know the answer to that question?”

Hayden’s eyes widened and he met her gaze, still clearly fearful of her. Tatiana hated this look from clients. It made her feel like a monster. They always looked at her as if she somehow enjoyed taking lives.

Seeing that look on Hayden’s face was deeply disappointing, so she couldn’t stop herself from pointing out, “The important thing is, Hayden, you won’t be dead in any of these scenarios. You’re the only thing I care about. My sole focus is your safety, and I will always do whatever is necessary to ensure that safety.”

He didn’t say anything for a minute. Hayden stared out the window and looked at Chicago, spread out in front of them. Tatiana watched him while also keeping an eye on the door. She didn’t have the luxury of sitting and enjoying the view.

“That makes sense. I guess I should just be glad that you’re here to protect me.” Hayden smiled at her, signs of tension still evident in his expression.

Tatiana didn’t know what more to say, so she smiled at him and asked, “Did you want to do anything? You don’t have to stay in your room.”

“I’m fine reading here, unless you have something you want to do?”

She shook her head and said, “No. I am a bit hungry, though, so dinner in an hour or so would be good.”

“We can certainly do that,” Hayden smiled back at her.

Tatiana stood and walked to the door, standing near it and relaxing against the doorframe. Hayden was looking at her when she looked back at him, seeming surprised at her leaving the sofa, but he smiled at her and then went back to reading his book.

A part of Tatiana did this because she wanted to be able to have a view of the rest of the apartment in the case of someone coming in, but another part of her needed to get away from Hayden.

She allowed herself to watch him as he read his book. Occasionally, a smile would come across his face as he read, and Tatiana was fascinated with watching his reactions to what he was reading.

She was surprised when a song started playing from his phone after some time had passed, and Hayden looked up to smile at her.

“Time’s up.” He looked back down at his book, flicked forward a couple of pages, then asked sheepishly, “Can I finish this chapter? I only have three pages left.”

She couldn't believe he’d actually set an alarm for them to have dinner. It was oddly sweet, and she laughed, “Sure, I’m not about to die of starvation.”

Hayden finished his chapter, then put a bookmark in his book before Tatiana escorted him back into the rest of the apartment. He entered the kitchen and opened the fridge, assessing what was there before he turned to look at Tatiana.

“Do you eat fish?” he asked.

She raised her eyebrows. “You’re planning to cook?”

Hayden burst into laughter, and Tatiana tried to ignore how sexy he looked in his amusement. “Well, yeah. Did you think I was too good to cook for you?”

“Hey, in my defense, I can count on one hand the number of clients who have cooked for me. Most either order in food or have staff that does it for them.”

Hayden began pulling vegetables out of the fridge and he said, “Well, my mamá and abuela taught me better than that. I don’t usually eat out unless I’m with the guys.”

Tatiana was again impressed by how down-to-earth Hayden seemed to be. She watched as he pulled out a pot to start boiling some water in it, and slid onto a stool at the kitchen bench as she watched him work. She kept an eye on the entrances to the room, and it wasn’t long before the locksmith turned up.

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