Page 50 of Sheltered By Love

When we reach our destination, he rolls to a stop and looks at his front door. “I’ll use the gate and see you inside in a minute.”

It’s raining heavier by the time I exit his truck, so I sprint for the front door, keys in my hands, and ready for a cup of coffee to chase away the brisk sea air.

The alarm beeps its warning as I punch in the code Zane gave me and tense as I wait for it to deactivate.

When it’s glowing green again, I hang up my wet coat, toss my keys in the bowl by the door, and make my way into the kitchen.

I have just enough time to flick the light switch on before Zane taps at the back door.

Stepping over Roger’s pen, I open the door and find him cradling a casserole dish in his hands. “There’ll be more to come, I’d expect.”

As he steps inside, I look at the sizable dish. “Who’s it from?”

He places the dish on the counter and takes the lid off. The savory fishy scent fills my kitchen. “Doesn’t matter, it’s clam chowder and I’m starving.”

I’m not sure I’d be so willing to eat something left on my doorstep. Just another thing I have to get used to.

Zane doesn’t wait for an invitation, just picks up a spoon resting on the drying rack, and digs in.

At least I don’t have to worry about tasting it. He’s claimed it as his own. “There is a table, you know. It’s literally two feet away.”

He looks at me, grunts then carries the chowder over to the table. “It’s going to take me a while to go through the tapes. If you need anything out of your office, now’s the time to grab it.”

I open my mouth to tell him once again he has lousy manners but think better of it.

He did just save a boy’s life.

“I was planning on working in there. But I guess I can work in here.”

He barely acknowledges me, and I have a few dishes to do, so I fill the sink and clean off the baking trays and platters I used.

When I hear the scrape of his spoon on the bottom of the dish, I turn around and gesture for him to hand it to me.

“Since I have the sink full,” I say.

A faint smile twitches at his lips and he offers me a mumbled ‘thank you’ along with the dish.

His phone rings, so I take the chance to slip upstairs and gather the tools I’ll need.

I reach my office and growl under my breath. I didn’t notice in the dark last night, but he’s pushed aside my soldering iron, my pliers, and my wire cutters, so he can put his equipment on it.

I grumble as I collect my jeweler's saw, the lubricant I use, and the piece I was working on, and place them back inside my toolbox.

In the process, I accidentally nudge his laptop removing the screen saver.

There’s not a lot to look at. Just the front, back, and sides of the house.

I angle my head, squint at my bedroom, and breathe a sigh of relief that even with the curtains open, there isn’t much to be seen.

At least I don’t have to worry about that.

Movement on the screen draws my attention and it takes my brain a few seconds to register what I’m seeing with what I’m hearing.

Of all the nerve! Zane is in my bathroom.

I inhale and don’t seem to be able to breathe.

I should move. I really should but my eyeballs are glued to the screen.

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