Page 44 of The Stalker

Blake shrugged casually and let go of the button, allowing the doors to close. His warning rang in the air around them, and after some time, Hayden turned to look at Tatiana.

She sighed and said, “I hate to agree with Blake, but he’s actually right. As much as I prefer you being here for your safety, your mental health is also of concern. It could take months or years for them to find your stalker. You can’t hide away forever until that happens.”

“I’m not doing that,” Hayden objected.

“Aren’t you?” Tatiana raised an eyebrow at him.

They looked at each other for a few moments before he sighed and said, “Okay, maybe I am. I’m scared. I have nightmares about the crash sometimes. I just keep thinking about how much worse it could’ve been.”

“Do you need to see someone to talk about it?”

“Maybe,” he admitted, a red flush coming to his beautiful face before he looked away from her.

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of, Hayden. You certainly wouldn’t be my first client who needed therapy sessions to help cope with their situation. This is a highly stressful situation.”

Hayden laughed, “I wouldn’t even be the first of my friends who needed therapy, now that I think about it.”

“Exactly,” she told him encouragingly.

“I know a therapist who can give me sessions while I’m on tour, too. I’ll contact him in the morning. In the meantime, want to go to the library?”

Tatiana smiled at him. “Sure, sounds like fun.”

She followed Hayden to the living room, where he moved the pieces to open the door. He held it aside while she walked through, then closed it behind himself. Tatiana relaxed instantly as soon as they were locked away.

Tatiana had been surprised the first time Hayden invited her into the library with him, but she was even more surprised by how much she enjoyed being in there. She made her way over to the La-Z-Boy chair Hayden had ordered for her and relaxed into the smooth leather. She dropped her phone on the side table and picked up the book she was in the middle of reading.

Hayden had the entire James Bond collection of books, and Tatiana had never read them, so she’d chosen Casino Royale and had decided to work her way through the series. It was an amusing read, and she couldn’t resist poking holes in it at things that were unrealistic.

Nonetheless, this was a luxury she had never been afforded when watching a client before. Being able to be in here and knowing that Hayden was completely safe while relaxing herself was amazing. She had set up a camera facing the elevator with an app that would send her an alert if it detected any movement, so she was truly able to let go and enjoy herself.

She dropped into the world of James Bond, still occasionally looking over at Hayden. Despite their secure location, she did it out of habit. It was very enjoyable to watch him, because he seemed to really get lost in the books he was reading. Frequently, he would set a timer if he only had a limited amount of time in which to read.

She also knew now that he kept multiple books on the go at once. His ‘library’ book stayed in here, but his ‘other’ book was one he would often take with him when he went out for occasions he might have a chance to read.

“See, I would’ve much preferred to read an entire series of books about Vesper,” Tatiana said as she finished the book, closed it, and set it on her lap.

Hayden looked up and grinned at her. “Not happy with the ending?”

“Killing yourself over a man like Bond? Make her the main character and follow her story. Hell, even her career up to that point.”

“He was her one true love, though. She couldn’t risk betraying him,” Hayden argued.

Tatiana gestured to the books sitting in a row on a shelf nearby. “I’m led to believe that Bond has a whole string of ‘one true loves’ to carry on with.”

“Because of Vesper. He was never the same until he met Tracy.”

“Spoilers!” Tatiana exclaimed.

“It’s not my fault you’re about seventy years late to the party,” he teased her. “So what I’m hearing is that you wouldn’t kill yourself over a man?”

Tatiana considered it. She’d loved boyfriends in the past, but none so strongly that she would die for them.

“I’d die in the line of duty and be happy about it if it kept my client safe. I can’t see myself committing suicide just to keep a man safe.”

“What if that man was a client?” Hayden raised an eyebrow at her.

“Concerned I might not give myself up for you?” she laughed.

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