Page 4 of Ruthless Salvation

I was a glutton for the worst sort of punishment.

I took in a gasping breath and spun away from him as though I’d surfaced after being caught beneath a wicked undertow.

Torin kept his eyes averted, grabbing the box and handing it to me. “You need something, ask.” He’d regained every ounce of his composure, speaking with perfectly crafted indifference before leaving the room in his usual unhurried gait.

Meanwhile, little bits of my brain were short-circuiting with puffs of smoke and sparks.

That couldn’t have been a figment of my imagination. But what exactly wasthat? Why did he care if I alerted him or Blaze? Why did his hands linger on my body after stopping my fall? Where had all this come from, and what on earth was I supposed to do about it?

I was so damn glad we were busy because otherwise, I would have spent every minute of my shift overthinking our exchange. However, when Moxy closed for the night, my worries returned, and for good reason.

Torin’s change in behavior would have been confusing but not disconcerting if it weren’t for the fact he’d been following me home after work every night for the past month.

The sweet old man who ran a flower shop on the corner had let me see his security camera feed to verify my suspicions when I first noticed I had a shadow. I was shocked when I saw who it was. Then I started to freak out until I remembered an incident where a man had gotten handsy with me at the club. Tor had kicked the guy to the curb and likely followed me home to ensure I was safe. That was when I first noticed the feeling of being watched.

The series of events had made sense. I assumed that when he saw how close I lived, he decided it was easier to walk the couple of blocks than to deal with the fallout of an employee being attacked. After all, he’d never shown any interest in me whatsoever. In fact, it made more sense that he’d rather follow me than make a big deal out of escorting me.

My panic subsided at the time, though I still put careful consideration into looking for a new job and even moving, but with each day that passed, his actions seemed more and more benign. And in a messed-up way, I kind of appreciated knowing he was there. It had been an awfully long time since I had someone watching out for me.

But now I had to ask myself where was the line between watching out for someone and stalking? Because he was out there. I felt his eyes on me from where he lurked in the shadows.

My steps carried me home faster than normal. I made it to the front of my building without incident, my relief doubling when I saw the security keypad had finally been replaced. I’d been hassling the super about it for a week. The buttons on the last one had been going out for ages. A few nights ago, I’d almost given up getting the darn thing to unlock. At times like that, it was an odd sort of reassurance, knowing I wasn’t alone.

I walked up the stairs to my third-floor apartment and debated whether I’d misjudged Torin entirely. I’d been confident he wasn’t a threat. But maybe that had been my hormones talking. Was it even possible to have a stalker if you were attracted to the man in question?

Good Lord, Stormy. You are a hot mess express.

Didn’t I know it?

“How was your day, Blue Bell?” I scooped up my precious kitty and ran my thumb up and down the bridge of his nose while he purred. Nose rubs were his favorite. “Anything exciting happen today?”

He chirped at me. That was part of why he made such a great companion. He was a surprisingly good conversationalist for a cat.

“Is that so?Twobirds on the fire escape? I hope you didn’t scare them away.”

Meow.

“Good. My day was somewhat eventful as well.” I walked over to the drapes and pulled them almost all the way shut. I stared at the gap, a gnawing sense of guilt clawing at me.

I’d been leaving them cracked every night since I realized Torin was following me. It was stupid and reckless. I had no good explanation as to why I was repeatedly going against my better judgment.

People off the street couldn’t see much from down there, even if they wanted to, but that was irrelevant. I shouldn’t have wanted anyone looking in at me.

Not with my past.

The feeling was too good to push away when I thought Torin was looking out for me. I didn’t want to sever that connection. But if Torin’s motives weren’t purely protective—if he wanted …morefrom me—I should have instantly yanked the curtains closed. The thought of a man as dangerous as him having any interest in me at all should have repulsed me.

So why couldn’t I force my hand to slide the fabric those few inches farther?

“Blue Bell, what’s wrong with me?” I kissed my sweet kitty on his forehead and sat cross-legged on the sofa.

No matter how irrational my reluctance, I still couldn’t do it. I couldn’t cut myself off from the fantasy of a ruthless protector keeping me safe. From the feeling of comfort I got when simply thinking about Torin. He’d looked out for me and the other girls at work, and somehow, my brain had latched onto the association.

Shouldn’t my feelings change after learning he might actually be stalking me?

Hells bells.

The answer was unsettling, not because of my extreme fear but the opposite. A surge of exhilaration tingled in my palms and down the back of my legs.

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