Page 9 of Burn for Me
As he pulled into the parking lot behind Decadence, he checked the time. Seeing it was not quite three thirty a.m. he realised she might not be there yet. He decided he’d check, and if she wasn’t there, he’d wait for her; so he headed over to the back door. When he got no answer to his knock, Gray made himself comfortable against the door frame and hoped he wouldn’t have to wait too long.
Rewarded for his patience not ten minutes later, he saw Kitty pull into the lot. She got out of her vehicle, locked it, and looked around her before striding quickly his way. He watched, and he enjoyed what he saw.
* * *
What the hell?Kitty did a double-take.Had someone been standing over by the dumpster?
That feeling she was being watched raced up her spine again, raising every hair on her body. It was really starting to freak her out. She was so sick of feeling like this every time she came to work — to the point she was toying with the idea of hiring a security guard for the parking lot. Maybe her neighbours would be willing to share the expense. With all the fires that had happened in their immediate vicinity, she was sure they would be happy to. Dashing to the door, she was so deep in thought she didn’t see the man standing in the doorway of her shop.
Looking up to insert her key in the lock, she started violently as she spotted Gray lounging against her door.
“Wow, Gray!” she exclaimed as she clapped a hand over her galloping heart. “You scared the hell out of me.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to. You seemed so far away. Everything all right?”
She chewed on her lower lip, briefly mulling over whether she should share her suspicions. His eyes followed the movement, and Kitty saw them warm. Feeling a little flustered at the look, she motioned toward the door.
“Come on in. Let’s chat inside.”
He stepped out of her way so she could unlock the door and followed her in.
As she filled the coffee machine’s tank with water, Kitty tried to arrange her thoughts. She got mugs out of the cupboard, ready to pour the coffee. Turning to speak, she bumped into a solid body. Looking up at him, she licked her lips. She saw his eyes on her mouth, watched them darken.
“Sorry, I didn’t expect you to be standing there.”
Smiling apologetically, he took a step back.
“Are you okay? Something seems to have you pretty jumpy.”
Taking a deep breath, she admitted, “I think someone is watching me.”
“What?Have you been to the police?”
Kitty shook her head. “No, I don’t have anything concrete. I just get this really creepy feeling. Every morning when I get to work and again in the evening when I leave, I get the sense someone is watching me come and go. I don’t have any solid evidence. Maybe I just have an overactive imagination. But it’s really starting to get to me.”
“Honey, I may only have known you a short time, but you definitely don’t come across as the flighty, high-strung kind of woman who would imagine things like that.”
Blushing, she turned to pour the coffee, now finished brewing, to give herself a minute to collect her composure. His endearment had delivered a heady punch to her feminine senses. She had no idea what it was about him, but Gray made her want things she hadn’t in the longest time. With just a look or a smile, he made her hot and needy. She wanted him in the worst way.
Handing him a mug, she pushed the sugar over to him and headed over to the fridge for the milk.
“So Gray, what brings you to my door so early in the morning? Wait, is that smoke I smell?” Her brain finally catching up with the rest of her, she’d just noticed a strong scent of smoke when she was near to him.
With a grim set to his beautiful face, he nodded.
“I’ve just come from the scene of a fire up the road.” His sigh seemed to come from his soul.
“Oh. Areyouokay?”
“It’s been a bitch of a morning. The building collapsed, and one of our guys couldn’t get out in time. They got him out, but he’s in critical condition. I’m headed home to shower so I can pop in at the hospital before I get started on processing the scene.” Pausing, he seemed to debate whether to continue before he finally said, “I just wanted to see you before I go home. Needed to see you.” Leaning into her space, Gray’s eyes moved over her face, intense and so very green. He went on. “I’m drawn to you, to be with you. Why do you think that is, Kitty?”
Her eyes went big, and her lips parted in surprise, but no words came out.
“There’s so much that needs to be done, and all I can think about is you. What you sound like when you wake up in the morning, what you do in your spare time, what you taste like, what you sound like when you come. And yet I barely know you.”
She couldn’t seem to catch her breath. His words evoked a slow burn in her. Still, she said nothing. Just looked up into his beautiful eyes and got lost there, in his intensity.
“Kitty...”
