Page 24 of Hayden's Stalker

“No, I’ll definitely need to shower before we leave. We’ll be having dinner at Sebastian and Lita’s, then we’re meeting the rest of the guys at Club Delirium afterward.”

She smiles brightly at me and says, “Excellent.”

I grab my shirt off the floor before I follow her to my bedroom, and she opens the door, then steps aside.

“I’ll just wait here for you.”

“You don’t have to come with me?” I ask.

Her cheeks turn bright pink, and I realize what the fuck I just said.

“Into the bathroom, I mean. Will you just stay here in the hallway and wait? It’s just that Jesse always hangs out by the elevator, so you’re different, I guess.”

Smooth, Hayden Vega. Real smooth.

“Yeah, I think Jesse protects the entrances. I prefer to protect the person. I doubt someone’s going to get into your apartment by some means other than the entrance, but I don’t want to risk it.”

“I see.” I chuckle and raise an eyebrow at her. “What if someone makes a hole in my bathroom ceiling and attacks me in the shower?”

She bursts into laughter. “I hadn’t considered that option. If you see any signs of a hole being made in the ceiling, you should run straight to me. I’ll deal with whoever it is.”

“Solid plan. I just wanted to be sure I’ll be safe, and I feel very reassured that you’ve prepared me for any rooftop assassins.”

“Glad to hear it.”

She doesn’t close the bedroom door behind me, and when I look back at her as I enter the bathroom, she’s leaning against the doorframe, watching me. I smile at her but then frown as I walk into the bathroom.

I turn to face her again and ask, “Uh, am I meant to leave the bathroom door open?”

Her face turns red, and she shakes her head. “No, that’s fine. I’m confident in your safety here, but…”

She strides across the room, and I step aside as she enters the bathroom. She opens the toilet door, looks inside, and then turns to face me.

“I did a sweep while you were playing the drums, but it’s worth me double-checking before you shower. All clear.”

She smiles at me, and my bathroom suddenly seemsfartoo small. I’m bombarded with images of fucking her all around the room, and it takes a second for me to pull myself together enough to manage a reply.

“Awesome. Thanks.”

She closes the bathroom door behind her, and I quietly blow out a breath of air once she’s gone. My cock is semi-hard, and I hope to fucking god she didn’t notice.

I shouldnothave signed that contract.

4

The Qualifications

After my shower,I spray on some cologne before I get dressed in black jeans, a white shirt, and a black leather jacket. When I head back into the main living area of my apartment, I find Tatiana sitting at the dining table next to Jesse.

“It’s so weird having a bodyguard who doesn’t look like a bodyguard,” I say as I look her over while I sit next to her.

She’s also changed her outfit, and she’s wearing a short, dark blue dress. The sleeves are off-the-shoulder, leaving them bare, and it’s shorter than I would’ve expected her to wear. I can see that the skirt of her dress has ridden up her thigh.

She looks as beautiful as she always does, but I find myself wishing that her hair was down instead of braided around the crown of her head the way it has been other than when we had our meeting at Cooper’s office and when I saw her sleeping.

She looks more like someone I might date than any kind of personal security.

Is that going to be a problem?

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