But even knowing that, I’d walked through the open security gate and was standing on Otto’s front porch trying to convince myself to knock.
“Made up your mind yet?”
Otto’s voice came from behind me, making me jump. I spun around to find him leaning against a tree several feet away, watching me.
“About what?” My voice was unnaturally high.
“Whether you’re going to knock or run away.”
Oh, that. I shrugged. “Not really.”
Otto gave a small smile. “At least you admit you were thinking it.”
I shrugged again. “Not like I haven’t already run.”
The smile faltered, Otto’s face tightening again. “I’m sorry you felt the need to,” he said quietly. “I’m going to come over and open the door, okay?”
I nodded and inched to the side, trying to unobtrusively make some space between the door and me as he pushed the door open and gestured me inside.
“Make yourself comfortable. I’ll be right back.”
I looked around, trying to ignore the pang in my heart at the familiarity of the surroundings. Otto was one of the first kids I met after my Dads adopted me and brought me to Unity City. We hit it off at once, so I spent a lot of time in the Nilsen house through the years.
Very little had changed since the last time I been there and I wondered why Otto hadn’t made any changes.
“Do you want me to leave the door open?”
“Hm?” I jerked back to the present when Otto walked back in carrying two glasses of lemonade. “Why?”
Otto quirked a brow at me. “You’re still standing by the door like you might want to bolt. If you’re more comfortable, I can stay on the other side of the room? Or leave the door open?”
What?
“You think I’m scared of you?” I asked in surprise. “After all these years?”
“Aren’t you?” Otto asked a little sourly. “I mean, it wouldn’t be strange for you to be scared of a criminal. Or to not feel safe alone with one.”
Yeah,thatmade me snort. “Right, because I was the one avoiding you when you got back.” Okay, that might have come out a little harsher than I meant it to.
Otto winced but nodded. “You’re right and I’m sorry for that. I thought I was doing the right thing by trying to stay clear of you. I didn’t want anyone to think badly of you for being around me.”
I rolled my eyes. “Well, that was stupid.”
“Does that mean you’ll sit down?”
Oh, right. I was still hovering by the door. I made a point of walking past the spot where Otto was standing to sit in the corner of the sofa as far from the door as possible. “Better?”
Otto cracked another small smile but the tightness around his eyes remained. “As long as you’re comfortable.”
Yeah, well,comfortablewas probably a stretch considering the way my body was starting to react to Otto’s presence. And when he sat next to me on the sofa, his scent enveloped me simultaneously soothing all of the sharp-edged feelings I’d battled while stoking the deep thrum of arousal that filled me every time I was close to him.
“Yeah, sure. I’m good.”
“That’s good.” Otto was looking at me strangely and I realized I zoned out and he had been talking for several minutes while I tried to get a grip on my, erm,reactionsto him sitting beside me. “Did you hear what I was saying?”
I shook my head. “No, sorry. I was, um, distracted.”
“Distracted?” Otto repeated, looking at me curiously. “By what?” And, of course,thatwas the moment that my stupid pheromones decided to betray me. I could see the instant that Otto caught the shift in my scent, his eyes darkened and he drew in a deep breath. “Oh.”
