“I’ve got a spare room, don’t worry. Let’s get you a change of clothes. We’ll figure out the rest tomorrow night.”
She stood up and put her hands on her hips. “Since when did you become my keeper?”
“Since the moment you stepped foot back on my property and started to bait me. Want to argue some more? I’m going to win, so you might as well accept it now. The sooner we get back to my place, the sooner we can eat.”
Her nose lifted and lowered a few times, her eyes narrowing.
It was almost as if her brain was going through phases before it could get to the final decision. He didn’t want to say it was fascinating to watch someone’s face go through cycles of mental processing.
“You’re cooking,” she said.
“Hope you like grilled cheese.”
“I spend most of my time around five-year-olds. I’d be in big trouble if I didn’t.”
He followed her up the stairs. She grabbed some clothes to put in a bag for the night and tomorrow, then locked her place up and left.
He noticed that Karl was watching Meredith pull out; then Clay left right after her in his truck.
“How couldshe do this to me?” Karl said when he slammed the door to his bedroom.
He wanted to slam the front door but then might get noticed by those outside so he controlled it until he was alone.
Friend? That’s what she said the guy was?
No. Didn’t look it to him.
He’d seen that look in Meredith’s eyes before, pointed at any man buthim.
Deep breath in and out. It was new yet. Probably just a rebound. And the guy was rude. Meredith wouldn’t go for that for long. Might just be a passing thing. One of those opposites attract things that he’d always heard about.
No reason to panic. He still had the upper hand. He knew her better, longer, and she always came back to him.
That was a sure sign of victory in his eyes. This time, he was the one who was going to win the girl in the end.
He walked over to his laptop and pulled up the footage, but didn’t see her anywhere in view. Maybe he should have installed more cameras, but he needed to keep his image of her pure in his mind, so viewing her anywhere else would ruin it for them both.
If she wanted to soil herself with other men, he’d let her get it out of her system now. Then he’d cleanse her the right way when she was his.
21
A GENTLE TOUCH
Meredith couldn’t sleep.
The day was finally catching up with her.
The vandalism of her home.
The uptight dinner that she’d cooked while Clay was on his computer and barely talked to her.
The sounds of their forks hitting the plates as they both more forcefully than necessary stabbed the chicken she’d baked.
Not one part of this night was going the way she thought when he’d told her he wanted her to stay with him.
How the hell was it possible she was in Clay’s spare room in the dark and staring at the ceiling?
She’d been in bed at least two hours, maybe longer.
