Page 31 of Twisted Hearts

My teeth ground together. Had this been someone I knew more, I’d have been on their ass about taking care of themselves, being safe, how stupid it was that a woman who I assumed lived alone above an alley was giving anyone access to her door.

But I bit that back, too.

Something told me if I showed her just how protective I could be, I’d scare her the hell away.

“Thank you,” she said, and it was the quiet sincerity in her tone that made my gaze jump to her eyes. There was a vulnerability in them, an uncertainty I didn’t like but that sparked my alpha instincts. “Thank you for caring. It’s been a long time since someone has.”

She stepped up the stairs, away from me, in a hurry as if she’d just told me more than she intended. That was twice now. Why was it so hard for her to open up? Who had made her think she couldn’t? I wanted to know all her secrets.

“Addi.” She stopped and glanced at me over her shoulder. “You’re welcome, and I mean it when I say that if you ever need a safe walk home, you can call me.” I flipped open my wallet and held out my business card. “My cell is on here. Any time you want anything, call me.”

She read the card like it was the most important piece of paper she’d ever encountered, and when she met my gaze, there was such a seriousness in hers it almost threw me back a step. “You take your job to protect seriously, don’t you?”

One hundred percent. But why it seemed to mean so much to her baffled me.

“That’s only part of the reason I’m giving you my number.”

“Yeah?” She still hadn’t taken it from my hand, but her gaze ping-ponged between my own and the card enough times to tell me she was considering it.

“In case you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m attracted to you. I want to get to you know you. If you can’t give me that, I’ll live. But you walking here at the time of night you’ll be doing it and doing it alone honestly makes me want to wait outside for you every night. Call me if you ever want. Or don’t. The choice is yours but know I’m open to getting a call from you at any time, for any reason.”

Her lips lifted at the corners, telling me I hadn’t scared her away, which was good, because that was a lot to throw on her when she’d had a hard time giving me her name.

“Even at three in the morning?” She arched a brow in challenge, gaze now lingering on the card in my hand.

“Any time. Foranyreason. Yeah, I mean that.”

Had the lighting been brighter, I was certain I’d have seen a rosy hue on her cheeks. She reached out and took the card.

Thank God.

“Thank you, Shawn. Have a good night…or a good day as it is, I guess.”

“You too. Get upstairs and lock yourself in. I’ll stay here.”

She turned, and while I’d gone into the night wanting something more than to walk a woman home, the view of her heading up the stairs in those jeans was enough to get me through.

I waited until she punched in a code on a keypad, used a key in addition to it, and then disappeared inside.

I turned and jogged out to the alley then down the street to where my truck was still sitting. Before I started my ignition, I caught lights on in the apartment above Stamped, and my phone pinged with a text.

The reason I don’t lift the stairs is because I figure it’s quicker for me to get up them and behind my door than it is to struggle with lowering the stairs.

That actually wasn’t a bad thought. Not fool-proof, but I could follow her logic. She’d given thought to her safety, which made some of the tension in my chest ease.

Also,I know the main level code to get inside Stamped, and there’s another entrance to my apartment through there. If I can’t get up the stairs, I can get in through the store.

My thumbs tapped the screen of my phone.

Me:Good. Glad you’re being safe. You still need pepper spray at minimum.

It’s on my list. Thanks again, Shawn. For caring. And the walk.

A yawn hit me while I read her text, signaling it was definitely time for me to get on the road. My townhome was only a few miles away. I’d be there in a few minutes, but I still didn’t want to drive while fighting sleep.

Me:Like I said, any time you need it, call me. Now get to sleep. Rest well.

To avoid further temptation of grabbing my phone while I was driving, I tossed it into my glove box and drove home.

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