Page 128 of Dangerous as Sin

Clutching her purse, she slid her hand inside, searching for her taser. It was in there somewhere. Damn it. She really needed to clean out her bag. Found it. Being a travel nurse had taught her to keep mace, a taser, a knife, or something available in case an idiot tried to attack her. If Caleb’s crazy stalker had followed her, she would light his ass up.

She’d seen a gray sedan in her rearview from when she pulled out of Fitzgerald and Wright. It had slowed to a creep as she turned into the hotel, then sped off. Thankful the car had passed by the hotel, she pulled into the parking lot and parked. She briskly walked toward the entrance, paying close attention to her surroundings.

As she walked, she held the taser close to her thigh. Her heart did a summersault when she realized the gray sedan had doubled back, sped into the lot, and pulled up beside her. If she sprinted, she could reach the door. Especially if she ran between the parked vehicles. Still holding her taser in her hand, she decided to run for it after a countdown.

Three. Two. On…

A car door opened and slammed behind her. She took off running. She raced behind a black truck, then darted in front of a white SUV. She heard footfalls beating the pavement behind her. They were gaining on her. She ran faster. Tires squealed. Were there two people after her? One in a car and one on foot?

Had her decision to help Caleb landed her an audition for an action movie? If so, she wasn’t ready. Almost out of breath, she turned around and raised her taser. An assailant in a dark hoodie raced toward her. He wore a mask over his nose and mouth that covered most of his face.

“Take one more step toward me, and I will light your ass up,” she screamed.

The hooded man chuckled.

A deep, baritone barked, “Hey! Leave her alone!”

The hooded man froze.

She hadn’t been so happy to hear Caleb speak in a long time. The man ran away after hearing him. Caleb chased behind him, but he’d reached his car and fled the parking lot before Caleb could catch him.

“I called the cops. They’re on their way,” a frantic hotel guest screamed.

“Are you okay?” the hotel attendant asked.

“I asked you to stay on the phone, Tiera. Why in the hell would you hang up?” Caleb’s tone wasn’t as gentle as the bystanders.

“I—I panicked. I had to make sure I was actually being followed. I didn’t know anyone would follow me here.” She blinked back tears. Why did she always want to cry when he was angry with her?

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I’m so fucking sorry, Tiera. This is all my fault.” He wrapped his arms around her.

Over a dozen emotions hit her. Fear. Confusion. But the most dreaded was comfort. No matter how much she hated to admit it, she was comfortable in his arms. As she wrestled with her emotions, she pushed him away. His eyes widened, and his mouth dropped open. His body began to shake. Fuck. She was tasing him.

“I pressed the button by mistake.”

“Are you trying to kill me?”

“No. It was a mistake. I promise.”

“Mistake, huh? Go get your bags and check out of this hotel,” he said as another round of aftershock made him tremble.

She grinned, doing her best not to laugh.

“So, you think it’s funny that you shocked me?”

“I’m not laughing.” However, she did find humor in the fact that her taser went off after she found comfort in his arms. Maybe her taser was protecting her heart too.

He pointed toward the hotel. “Go pack your things. You’re staying with me tonight.”

“I can go to my mother’s.”

“You’re staying with me.”

“Uh, no. I’m not.”

“Would you rather I call your mother and tell her what happened? Then, she can spend the rest of her vacation worrying about you.”

Frowning, she resisted the urge to tase him again. “Does it feel good to bribe me to stay with you?”

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