Page 67 of The Stalker

The backstage area had people moving around, with different crew members organizing things for the show. She retrieved an access-all-areas pass and hung it around her neck before she walked through the building, looking for possible security issues.

There’s only about a thousand.

Metal detectors were in place at all the entrances for what little use they might be in preventing anything from happening. Anyone who really wanted to get a gun in here would.

Tatiana knew from the rehearsals that Hayden would be at the back of the stage, which was some relief. Still, there were times when he would go near the crowd, and her heart pounded in her chest at the thought. She hated that a part of her strategy for this contract had to be, ‘gee, I hope the stalker doesn’t try to attack him during the times he simply has to be vulnerable.’

It made her sick to think about, and it went against everything she knew about personal protection. She also knew, though, that a stalker was incredibly unlikely to attack him onstage unless they had homicidal intent.

The emails led her to believe the stalker intended to pursue some fantasy of a life with him, which made her think they weren’t murderous. It still wasn’t something she liked, though, and the thought of Hayden being murdered was so horrendous that she couldn’t imagine it for more than a few seconds.

She headed toward the dressing rooms and passed Gabriel and Ariana, nodding at them as she did. She knew she’d reached the right room when she saw Jesse sitting outside it.

“Hey, all good?” she asked him.

“Yup.”

“Did you sweep the room?”

She really should have come here with them and done it herself. Another strike against her for unprofessionalism.

“Yes, it was fine.”

Tatiana nodded and knocked on the door.

“Come in,” Hayden called.

Jesse was firmly looking away as she entered the room, but she could feel his judgment. It wasn’t like she was doing anything she otherwise would with any other client, but she still felt heat rush to her cheeks as she entered the room.

Hayden was sitting on a sofa reading a book, and Tatiana couldn’t stop herself from laughing, “Okay, for once, I didn’t expect that.”

“See? I’m not predictable after all,” he grinned at her.

“Except that I should have predicted it from a bookworm like you. I’m just losing my touch, apparently,” she teased him.

“Pick up your game, Tati. I, of course, accurately predicted that you would come in here looking gorgeous and say something about how I’m not allowed to say anything like what I just said.”

She shook her head and ignored the pleasure she got from him saying she looked gorgeous, then said, “Hayden, you really can’t say stuff like that.”

“I nailed it! You said exactly what I said you would and”—he paused as he allowed his gaze to traverse her from head to toe—“you always look gorgeous.”

Tatiana folded her arms in front of her chest and said, “You know, you’re not very good at pretending.”

He set his book aside, stood up, and walked over to her. He looked into her eyes and smiled down at her.

“I never said I was. Want to know what I am good at?” He raised an eyebrow at her.

It’s a trap! You most definitely do not want to know, trust me.

“Being a pain in my ass?” she suggested.

He laughed his low, sexy laugh and said, “Amongst other things. Would you like a list, or would you like me to just show you some of the things I’m good at?”

She desperately wanted him to show her, but she could not say that.

“Neither. I can imagine—”

Fuck.

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