Page 51 of Unlawful Seduction

When I purposely closed the bedroom door, even blocking Jax from entering, he was still staring at me. I refused to beintimidated by his tremendous size, his brawn, or his attitude. Surly as it was.

I needed to consider him my roommate and nothing more.

A hard exhale left my lungs. I also needed to remind myself if the man wanted to hurt me, that could have easily happened at any time. He didn’t need to bring me here for protection or anything else. I was so busy trying to control my emotions that I no longer recognized myself.

He was one of the good guys, just in somewhat tarnished capes for a hero. But that’s the role he’d accepted after stopping to help me. My hero.

No, it didn’t help that he was so sexy, but I’d learn to ignore that as long as the close proximity didn’t become an issue. The storm couldn’t last longer than a day. Could it? Then I could get away from him.

If that’s what I wanted. Was it?

I laughed softly as I headed toward his bathroom, finding it just as surprising as the rest of his house and every aspect about the man. And I could certainly see myself soaking in the huge tub or enjoying the shower made for two given the size of the enclosure.

My thoughts were certainly all over the place, but he had that kind of effect on me.

At least I’d have the opportunity to repay the kindness. Maybe I’d make breakfast. Was that a decent enough thank you for being a spider wrangler?

My thoughts turned filthy. I knew the thank you he might appreciate. It would need to be food. Food for nourishment. Not dessert.

Wouldn’t my besties be happy with me now?

I was certainly no beauty queen, but I was toasty and extremely relaxed after the long, hot shower. The enigma of the man continued. Blueberry coffee. Now lavender shower gel. I knew the scent was supposed to be soothing and even used it in examination rooms with the animals. But I was shocked how much better I felt after drying off and getting dressed.

Wearing ridiculously thick socks, I padded down the stairs, half surprised not to find Jax on the other side of the door when I’d opened it.

Neither male was in the living room. I stood in front of the fire for a few seconds, enjoying the warmth as I took a much better look at his place. I hadn’t noticed before, but he also had an electric guitar on a stand on the other side of the room. Maybe I could ask him to play for me some time.

There were no family pictures or any of friends either, but that definitely wasn’t a surprise. He would remain a mystery to everyone, including me. What was it about the man that required me to get to know what secrets he was hiding? I typically wasn’t a snoop, but Beckett had told me to make myself at home.

I headed down the hallway leading away from the kitchen, finding another bedroom and a den or small library including hundreds of books. The last room appeared to be locked. What was he attempting to hide from me? I tried the handle again, becoming frustrated. Now I really wanted to see what was on the other side.

Maybe I could pick the lock. Right. With what? I was no thief, no con-woman. I’d never broken into anything in my life. For a few delightful seconds, I thought about kicking the door in. That wouldn’t work. He’d hear me and I could only imagine how he’d react. Frustrated, I was about to walk away when I thought about the age of the house. It was older, maybe twenty plus years. I wondered…

I reached above the doorjamb, sliding my fingers along the casing. Bingo. A master key. Placing one on the top of various doors had been very popular since kids liked to lock out their parents. I’d done that a few times myself. I held the small, tarnished brass piece in my hand before inserting it into the lock, rewarded seconds later with a slight click.

Yes! It felt like a solid win.

A small part of me was more mischievous than I’d originally thought.

Thankfully, the door hinges didn’t creak when I opened it, taking a deep breath before stepping inside.

The last room was an office, another gorgeous representation of a Vermont lifestyle. The snow was still coming down, but I could only imagine how gorgeous the scene of the mountains was on a clear day.

After being mesmerized by the view, I finally noticed he had several monitors, two on his desk and others on his credenza, and what appeared to be at least two or three computers. Instincts told me they were all networked together. I moved to the other piece of furniture, uncertain how I felt when catching on this was his security room.

He had cameras planted everywhere. Not that I could see anything, but I could tell the angle was different with each view, an indication they were placed around the perimeter.

A cold chill came over me, managing to interfere with the earlier warmth I’d felt. I continued to ask myself what I’d somehow gotten myself mixed up in. After staring at the screens for a little while, I turned back toward his desk.

There were papers scattered on top. As soon as I walked closer, a rush of anger drowned out the apprehension.

He’d brought my phone with us while whisking me to safety. No clothes or other personal items, yet he’d insisted on bringing my phone. He’d riffled through my purse to find my phone and brought it with him. What was he doing, checking up on me? Who did he think I was?

Perhaps the exact same type of person I thought him to be. Corrupt. Jesus. His grilling of me had been furrowing in his brain for hours, maybe days. Meanwhile, I couldn’t make heads or tails of what was going on.

Except for one thing.

Someone was determined to kill him at all costs and collateral damage didn’t matter in the least.

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