I nod. “Well, I plan to keep to myself for the most part, and if I can remember to hang up my key, then I think Mr. Reed and I shall get along fine.”
“Get some sleep. I’ll be by tomorrow to see if you need anything.”
“Thanks, Nolan.”
He waves before closing the door. As I turn to go unpack, I hear Nolan’s muffled voice and that of another man’s. I inch closer to the back door where a window is cracked open.
“You’re never here,” Nolan says.
“Well, when I am, I like to be alone. A woman, Nolan? Are you fucking kidding me?”
“Yes, a woman. She’s from London, and I think you’ll like her. Besides, she’s agreed to pay double what you’re paying for rent, so play nice.”
“I don’t need a goddamn woman making a mess around here and smelling the place up.”
I lift my arm and drop my chin, taking a whiff. “I don’t smell,” I whisper to myself.
“Smelling the place up? I didn’t pick her up off the street, Theo. I think she practices good hygiene.”
“Even worse. That’s what I’m talking about. All that girly crap: perfume, shampoo that smells like fruit, lotion that smells like a donkey’s ass, and every damn piece of clothing saturated with fabric softener. Candles, crap-smelling oils plugged into every outlet, and incense shit—it all gives me a fucking headache.”
Nolan’s voice begins to fade. “A thousand bucks, Theo. If you want to pay her part, then I’ll evict her tomorrow. If not… she’s staying. Get some nose plugs.”
“We’ll see if she’s staying,” Theo mutters.
The back door flies open, sparing my life by less than an inch as it nearly squashes me behind it. I can’t breathe as part-man, part-beast Theodore Reed stalks into the house. He’s ten feet tall and maybe thirty-five stones of solid muscle and anger—at least that’s how my five-three, seven-stone self perceives him.My immediate assessment could be a little inflated, but there’s no denying he’s built like a brick shithouse.
The average hummingbird’s heart beats 1,200 times per minute. I’m a humming bird trapped in a corner.
He runs one hand through unkempt, long blond hair. My eyes shift to his other hand, half-expecting to see a hammer, because he looks like Thor. His skin peeks out from scattered rips and holes in the denim wrapping his tree trunk legs. The tattered sweat and dirt-stained rag he wears as a shirt does nothing to hide his thick muscles and inked skin.
Inhaling a deep breath, as if hesmellsme, he turns. I wait for red eyes and six-inch fangs dripping with saliva to greet me before I become his evening snack.
The eyes aren’t red. They’re blue—just like Thor’s.
“Stay out of my stuff and don’t make a mess.”
Another interesting fact about humming birds: despite their size, they rank as one of the most aggressive species of birds, attacking hawks and crows without hesitation.
“Or what?”
My name is Scarlet Stone. I am the smallest kid in the playground. I kick bullies in the balls because they never see me coming. My self-defense skills—zero. My hundred-meter sprint time—thirteen seconds.
“Don’t push me, little girl.”
Standing ramrod straight, I tip my chin up. “It’s recently come to my attention that I’m paying double the rent you’re paying. I’m splitting the house into thirds; each bedroom/bathroom space is a third, and the kitchen and living room together are the final third. You’re only paying enough to cover your sleeping and bathing space. So unless you’re coming or going, I don’t want to see you in my kitchen or living room. Understood?”
“Go to your room.” Steely blue eyes narrow into slits, giving a more chilling vibe instead of the warm ocean.
Yet… I love how I feel right now. Nolan is gone. This man could move two steps, snap my neck, and throw me into the Atlantic. That morbid possibility, no matter how remote it is, thrills me. I want time to stop so I can enjoy the rush this fear gives me.
“Sorry?” I laugh, trying to hold back the level of excitement that runs through my veins.
“I think we need to establish the ground rules, which should be easy since there’s only one.”
Crossing my arms over my chest, I flip my hip out and cock my head to the side. “And what’s that?”
“I am the law.”
