“Of course,” Tilly replies.
“Your landlord, Gary.” I feel her tense slightly, and I squeeze her hand. “How long has that been going on?”
She’s quiet for a moment. “A while, I guess. He’s always been a little... off. But it’s gotten worse lately.”
“Worse how?”
“I don’t know, more persistent, maybe. He comes by more often now and makes a lot more comments.” Her voice is smaller now. “Tonight was the most direct he’s ever been.”
The rage that flares in my chest is white-hot. I keep my voice calm, but it takes effort.
“You won’t have to deal with him anymore.”
She turns to look at me. “What does that mean?”
“It means I’ll handle it.”
“Ben—”
“This isn’t a negotiation, Tilly.” I meet her eyes briefly before turning back to the road. “A man like that doesn’t stop unless someone makes him stop. And I’m very good at making people stop.”
She’s quiet for a long moment. When she speaks again, her voice is soft.
“You don’t have to fight my battles for me. We just met.”
“And?”
“And that’s not normal. Most people don’t go around threatening to deal with their first date’s landlord.”
“Yeah, well, I’m not most people.”
“I’m getting that.”
I pull onto the long gravel drive that leads to the ranch. The house comes into view. It’s a sprawling log structure with warm light spilling from the windows. Smoke curls from the stone chimney, and I can see Reign’s truck parked by the barn.
“This is it,” I say, pulling up to the house.
Tilly leans forward, taking it in. “It’s beautiful. It looks like something out of a magazine.”
I climb out of the truck and round to her side, opening the door and offering my hand. She takes it, letting me help her down, and doesn’t let go when her feet hit the ground.
Good. I like her hand in mine. I like the way her small fingers feel wrapped in my larger ones. I like the way she gravitates toward me, pressing close to my side as we walk toward the house.
Mine, that voice whispers again.She’s mine.
And by the end of tonight, she’s going to know it too.
Chapter Four
TILLY
My head is spinningwhen we walk through the front door.
This morning, I woke up worried about making rent. Now I’m in a gorgeous log cabin that smells like roasted meat and woodsmoke, with a man who paid ten thousand dollars just to take me to dinner.
What is my life right now?
“Tilly!”
