“It’s fine.” Her answer came quickly. Too quickly?
“Don’t lie to me.”
Her arms wrapped around her waist.
“Elle—”
“It’s nothing, just…for the last week or so, I’ve had this strange feeling that someone’s watching me.”
Something hard twisted in his gut as he scanned the streets around them. He didn’t see anything, but that didn’t put him at ease. “Why do you think that?”
“I don’t know. I just…I feel it. It’s stupid and I’m sure it’s nothing. I haven’t actually seen anyone. I just hear rustling sounds around me sometimes. I hear occasional footsteps during my walks.” She shook her head. “It’s probably nothing.”
“But it feels like something to you. Why did you walk to dinner by yourself then?”
“Because there’s not actually anyone following me. I’m just being ridiculous. And besides, maybe Art would have offered to drive me home if you hadn’t come along.”
He grabbed her arm and tugged her to a stop. “You’re joking, right? You’d have actually let a man you met on a first date drive you home?”
Her lips twitched. She was screwing with him. And he deserved it.
“You know me better than that, Jace.”
Yeah, he did.
She continued forward, and when they reached her apartment building, she put in the code and opened the door. He slid in after her.
“You don’t need to come up.”
He sure as hell did. “I’m seeing you to your apartment door.”
She shook her head. “Jace—”
“Gentleman, remember?”
She rolled her eyes before stepping toward the elevator.
Fuck, he loved those eye rolls.
They went up the elevator together, and when they reached her door, he thought she’d say goodbye to him there, but instead, she unlocked it and stepped inside, leaving it open for him. Because she was sick of fighting with him? Or because, despite what she said, she liked his company?
He grinned and stepped inside, closing the door after him.
She dropped her bag onto a side table and turned. “There. You crashed my date and walked me home. You got everything you wanted. Your job is done.”
Everything he wanted? That wasn’t even close to being accurate.
He stepped toward her. “I can’t leave until you say you forgive me.”
“Not gonna happen.”
She started to turn, but he gently gripped her arm and tugged her back. “Tink, I don’t like you being mad at me.”
Something flickered in her eyes. Some kind of heat…maybe even desire? But then, maybe that was in his head.
Her voice was low when she spoke again. “I don’t like you crashing my dates.”
“Liar.” The word was barely a whisper. His thumb caressed the soft skin of her arm, and her eyes flared. He should turn around and go home, leave her the hell alone, but right now, he felt rooted to the spot. Stuck.
