Page 23 of Nothing to the Wedding
“Okay.Please, come in.”
Keeping hold of the door, he stepped back, sweeping an arm her way.Security ducked around her first, something he hadn’t expected judging by his expression.
“It’s their thing.You’re not vetted.Sorry.”
Was she sorry?No one wanted their home to be invaded, but Zairn had his reasons and she’d always trust them.If it made him happy, it made her happy too.Funny that he always felt she was safer when they were together.Yes, that meant more bodies protecting them, but if someone wanted to hurt her, chances were they wanted to hurt Zairn too.His chivalrous self would get between her and danger, of course, what she relied on was Ballard getting between her guy and the baddie first.
Security gave her the nod of admission before clearing the doorway and letting her inside.The apartment wasn’t offensive, there was just little to it.She’d seen tidier but didn’t fear catching anything.
“You want anything to drink?I have soda and vodka.”
“Staples,” she said, going to look out the window at the street below before answering him over her shoulder.“No, thank you, I’m good.”
“Here to threaten me some more?”
Dipping a hand into her bag, she spun on the spot and produced the tablet.“Missing something?”
“Shit,” he said.“I wanted to believe I dropped it somewhere.”
“You did.On my couch,” she said, leaving the window to put it on the coffee table.“You don’t have to worry.Any secrets you have on there are safe.”
The tilt of his head and narrowing of his eyes was dubious.“You telling me The Great Zairn Lomond doesn’t know someone who’d get through a passcode?”
“He does.The Great Zairn Lomond, which I take as a compliment, not in the snide way you just said it, is in New York.”
“He has buddies out here.”
“He has buddies everywhere,” she said, exaggerating the last word.“Rather than be hostile, you should know he was the one advocating two wrongs don’t make a right.”
“Roxie—”
“You have your tablet back.Safe.Unviolated.”
“I don’t get it.”
“Whatever you’re going to write about us, you’ll write it either way.It is funny though…”
“What’s funny?That you stole my property?”
“Your affront is funny given you invade people’s lives for a living.And no one stole anything, you left your property in my residence.My guy often leaves his love seed inside me, would you accuse me of stealing that too?”
It was so much better to just be her and not concern herself with giving him sound bites.If she did, so what?Not like she would say anything incriminating… would she?
“That’s given voluntarily.”
A quip died on her wide mouthed inhale.Yeah, this wouldn’t be the best time to joke about consent.Reporter, Roxie, this guy was a reporter.And men could be violated too.Not her guy, when it came to her, but other guys.
“Your property has been returned to you,” she said.See, very mature.“Write about this if you want, but please include the reason you came to me in the first place.”
In two long strides, he came closer.“You invited me.Entrapped me.”
“What is it you have to hide, Mr.Crosby?What are you afraid of?”
“I’m not afraid of anything.”
“Good, then you’ll have no problem including your own guilt of setting up Anjelica.”
“I didn’t—”
