“Will you at least let me help?” she asked.
“Nope.”
Another huff. “You’re a stubborn ass, you know that?”
He bit the side of his cheek to stop the smile. “I’ve been called worse tonight.”
“Really?”
“Yes, ma’am. I didn’t even understand half the insults that were thrown my way, but I’m sure if I had, I would have been deeply offended.”
At the silence, he looked up to see her bottom lip between her teeth and a ghost of a grin on her face. “Well…at least you’ve been put in your place.”
Maybe. But now, looking up at her beautiful midnight eyes, all he could think was that he’d been completely knocked off center.
Sadie’s bellydid a little flutter. He was following her home. Back to her apartment building. Of course, she’d told him he didn’t need to follow. She’d told him a whole bunch of times, but he didn’t seem to be listening to a word she said tonight.
Once she’d pulled into the parking lot in front of the building, she climbed out of her car to see Eastern already out of his, his gaze skirting the streets around them.
Why? Because he was expecting danger? Or because he was always on guard? Something told her it was the latter.
He crossed his arms, and her throat dried when his thick biceps stretched his shirt.
God, he was just so much…man. Big and protective and strong. Yeah, he definitely radiated strength. And that did things to her belly that she shouldnotbe acknowledging.
She straightened her spine and forced her features to blank as she crossed the space between them, not wanting him to see the effect he had on her. “Thank you for following me home. I’ll see you soon?”
In a few days, or a month, or longer, depending on how long it took her to get over this little crush.
“I’ll walk you up.”
Her brows shot up. Eastern in her space? No. No, no, no. Absolutely not.
She opened her mouth to tell him exactly that, but then his hand went to the small of her back, the heat from his touch zipping into her skin, piercing her belly, and the words just died on her lips.
She’d always thought she was strong and able to put up a good fight to get what she wanted, but when it came to this guy, she was powerless.
As they walked, she worried her keys in her fingers. “I’m sorry I couldn’t look after Avery tonight.”
“It’s okay. My neighbor, Mrs. Hanley, was free. Avery might not like her as much as she likes you, but I have a feeling there aren’tmanypeople she likes as much as you.”
Her heart gave a little twist. “There aren’t many people I like as much as Avery either.”
An odd expression crossed his face before Sadie slotted the key into the foyer door and let them in.
Eastern frowned at the door. “It’s a pretty old-school lock.”
“Yeah. Unfortunately, this building doesn’t get much TLC. We have a working elevator though.” She hit the call button.
Eastern was still looking back at the door like it was on the verge of letting in an ax murderer. “This is a new apartmentfor you, right? Not the same place you lived before moving to Atlanta?”
The elevator doors opened and they stepped inside. “New apartment in the same building.”
His gaze swung back to Sadie. “So Scott could have a key to the building.”
What was he getting at? Did he think Scott was going to come here and harass her some more? “No, Scott and I both turned in our keys before we left town. And besides, Scott wouldn’t do that. I know what he did tonight was…”
“Inappropriate?” Eastern finished for her when she couldn’t. “Dangerous? Bordering on stalker behavior?”
