Page 4 of Hayden's Stalker

Blake. My boyfriend.

I didn’t realize that I started to instinctively lean toward her while we were talking. I’m so drawn to this wombat that I haven’t thought about Blake once. Is being intrigued and drawn to a person cheating? Blake has accused me of it so many times that I find myself second-guessing every interaction I have with people because I don’t want him to be angry with me.

I sift as far back in my chair as I can, trying to distance myself from her as much as I can. I know that if Blake was here right now, he would definitely have something to say about the way I’ve been interacting with Tatiana. I already know that I want her to work with me, so I don’t want to do anything that might cause Blake to somehow jeopardize that.

I shake my head at her. “No, Blake’s not coming on the tour.”

It’s so frustrating, I’ve been begging him to come for weeks, and he’s been saying no, he doesn’t want to leave Chicago. It just feels like a repeat of the last time we were together. I go on tour, he gets jealous as hell and accuses me of cheating when I’m not, then we fight about it over and over again. It’s exhausting to even think about.

Tatiana sighs. “I hope you understand that I have no interest in prying into your personal life, but I need you to be an open book with me. Like the calls I make, the questions I ask are rarely without purpose.”

I realize that she took my silence as being offended by her question, so I reply, “I understand. Will you work with me, Tatiana?”

She smiles at me and says, “Yes, Hayden, I will.”

I’m intensely relieved to hear her say that, and I smile back at her. “Thank you. I appreciate it.”

We’re silent again, and we just look at one another across the table. I don’t know what’s going through her head, but I wish I did. I have a strong desire to make her smile again because it lights up the room.

Fuck, why am I even thinking that? I’m dating Blake. Holy shit.

Why can’t Blake make me feel like this? Tati has agreed to be my new bodyguard, and I sure as shit need that more than I need a new girlfriend. At the same time, there’s something about her that makes me want to throw caution to the wind and just be with her.

“Do you have any more questions for me?” Her voice has returned to that coolly professional tone from before, which pulls me from my thoughts.

I come crashing back to reality with a heavy weight in my stomach because I love Blake and every thought I’ve had about Tati from the moment I met her feels like a betrayal to our relationship.

I need her to do this job, but I’m worried that even being near her will cause a fight with Blake. I know that I’ll have to be very careful around him. I’m not going to cheat with Tati, but I don’t want to give him any reason to think it’s happening, anyway.

“When will you start?” I work to keep a casual tone in my voice, some part of me still just wanting to see her smile again.

“As I said, I can start today, or I can hold off if you don’t need me to start until the tour begins.”

I think about it, and having realized how stressed I’ve been, I want her help sooner rather than later. “I would feel better if you started as soon as possible. That way, we can get to know each other, and I can get used to the way this works in a place I’m familiar with before we move on to the tour.”

“That’s very sensible,” Tatiana agrees.

“Where do you stay, and what hours do you work?”

“I’m contracted for twenty-four seven availability. Clearly, I can’t be with you twenty-four hours a day. I do actually need to sleep.” I grin at her comment. “Basically, I will sleep when yousleep, I will eat when you eat, and you should probably get used to my face because you’ll be seeing it a lot.”

I don’t think I’ll mind seeing her face a lot, but I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to it because she really is stunning. Hopefully, we’ll get along well if we have to work together this closely, but it’ll only be until my stalker is caught. I’m hit with a pang of sadness at the thought of her moving on whenever that happens. I don’t know if it’ll be weeks or months, but somehow, it feels like whenever it is will be too soon.

“That being said, I try not to impact your life as much as I can. I will be in every room you’re in, but when I deem it safe enough, I’m able to remain at a distance to give you space. In your home, if it’s secure, we can be in separate rooms, and obviously, I’m not expecting to be in the room if you’re being intimate with someone.”

I burst into laughter when she says this, and I can’t resist teasing her, “Live sex shows aren’t a part of the gig?”

“I prefer them not to be.” She grins back at me. “As for where I stay, my clients usually have a spare bedroom in their places where I make my home for the duration of the contract. If you don’t have that, or are not comfortable with it, you’ll be required to pay for me to have accommodation nearby. Preferably in the same apartment building, and the maximum is within two blocks, so that in a worst-case scenario, I can reach you in minutes.”

“Not a problem. I have spare rooms.”

“That’s excellent. We’ll discuss tour logistics later, but it’s similar. Ideally, you’ll have a suite with a room for me. If not, I’ll need to be in the room next to yours and have a connecting door between our rooms.”

I nod, but her words have brought my thoughts back to the situation, and a sense of panic rises in me that I try hard to ignore.

“This is what I do, Hayden. I am very, very good at my job. In a perfect world, you wouldn’t need my services, but we all know the world isn’t perfect. Hopefully, this person is caught quickly, and I can be out of your hair before you know it.”

I wonder how many times she’s given this speech before, but then she smiles at me, and I’m awestruck as she once again lights up the room. I’m also painfully aware that I’ve never once wanted to sit and stare at Blake when he smiles at me. This desire isn’t appropriate to have for someone I want to work with me, and this thought reminds me of my stalker.

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