Page 86 of Stone
Jumping out, I debated grabbing my weapon but didn’t. I’d already managed to freak her out again.
“Come on. Let’s get you out of there.” I took her hand, pulling her from the back and almost instantly, she tugged her fingers free.
Dani backed away slowly before turning and heading toward the door.
Once inside, she watched my movements as I engaged the locks and turned on the system. I hadn’t taken any chances before we’d left, closing and locking all windows and doors, which I hadn’t done since I’d moved in.
She took off her shoes, placing them in the entrance foyer and immediately heading for the kitchen. I was prepared for her to blast me again. That was fine. I thought about what Kekoa had suggested and immediately headed to the room I’d turned into an office. After sitting down, I opened the lid on the laptop, hitting the space bar then tilting my head back.
Closing my eyes, I rubbed my forehead, the ache more pronounced than before.
There were no sounds, but I knew the moment she’d walked into the room. I didn’t dare open my eyes, fearful of seeing hers. A slight sound caught my attention, but not enough to make me change my mind.
Finally I felt her hands on my shoulders.
“You’re very tense,” she said in her sultry tone, shocking me that there was no anger or even indignation in her tone.
“Yeah, I guess I am. I’m sorry about dragging you away from the party. I know you were having a good time.”
“I enjoyed myself, but I’m not here to have a good time. You’re keeping me safe.” She squeezed my shoulders and I moaned from tension and anger.
“That feels good.”
“I heard you have an opportunity,” I blurted out.
As her hands froze, I realized I shouldn’t have said a damn thing. “Kekoa told you.”
“Not much. He just said you had an opportunity.”
“A gallery tour. Kind of a big deal since the man who owns the galleries in Europe is an expert and highly influential.” She started rubbing again, but I sensed she was stiffer than before.
“How long is the tour?” Every muscle tensed as I waited for her to answer.
“I don’t know the details. I’m assuming a few weeks.”
“It’s important to you.”
“To be honest with you, Stone, I don’t know what’s truly important any longer.”
This time when I closed my eyes, I could see her face the night I’d opened the letter of acceptance into the fancy school in London. “This is what you’ve worked for your whole life since the day you headed to London.”
She exhaled but said nothing. This would be the right time to tell her I didn’t want her to leave, yet I couldn’t. Because of my enjoyment of living alone or because I didn’t want to drag her away from her life as her father had tried to do? Maybe a little of both.
Her fingers worked magic and for the next few minutes, she massaged my shoulders and upper arms, using her fingers to knead the tight muscles in my neck. “You need to learn to relax.”
“Around you?” I asked. “Not possible.”
Every time she chuckled, the sound sizzled in my eardrums, more like the soft purr of a kitten than a laugh. It was another electrifying moment that I wished would never end.
“Did you get a good glimpse of who was stalking us?”
“No, and stalking you. He was a guy in dark clothing. He may or may not have been carrying a weapon.”
“Like you. My protector. My hero.”
A strangled groan left my throat. “I’m not a hero, Dani. I never was one and I’ll never be. But I’ll take protector any day.”
“We’ll have to agree to disagree on the hero part. You know what I was thinking?”
