He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. “It was too late, but I unloaded the bags.”
“Mulch?” Maybe my instinct told me whatever he’d been carrying was none of my business.
“Exactly. A little sprucing up.”
Even the way he offered the explanation was a reminder to let it go. “I need to do some of that. When I find the time.”
He took a deep breath as if relieved I wasn’t going to push the subject any further. We remained quiet for a few minutes, but the electricity inside the car was thick.
And wet.
I’d thought of nothing else as he’d driven to my house, driving cautiously given the precious cargo in the back. Only Indiana wasn’t in the mood to remain lying down like a good boy. He was full of energy even after what he’d been through.
The stranger was the most gorgeous man I’d ever laid eyes on, his well-tailored suit unable to hide his muscular physique. Broad shoulders. Long legs. His face alone was a masterpiece of sculpted excellence, his angular jaw and high cheekbones accentuated by raven black hair. I shivered just thinking about the effect he’d had on me. The realization was insane. For all I knew, the man was a monster.
The sounds were unmistakable in my mind. Someone had been inside the trunk. A person. Who’d been alive.
Don’t do it. Don’t go there.
I lolled my head to the side, staring at the stranger as he turned down my street. He hadn’t bothered to ask my name and I certainly hadn’t volunteered it.
He was in another suit, dark gray this time, the dark shirt on such a beautiful day just a little bit strange. Maybe I was trying to make something out of nothing. There were no latent sounds in his car, no bloodstains on his upholstery.
“That’s my house up there.”
As soon as I pointed it out, he smiled. “Nice.”
“I think so. The first thing I’d done when moving to my new home was to hunt down the perfect area to live in. Not too expensive, but safe enough.” I imagined he lived in a mansion.
“Beautiful.”
“She’s all mine. It took me years to get her the way I wanted her.”
He pulled into the driveway, his brows knitting together as soon as he placed the gear into park. “Her?”
“Houses have personalities, you know.”
He laughed in response.
Shrugging, I opened the door and Indiana bounded out over me, knocking me on my ass.
“Indy bear. What are you doing?” I was half laughing, half groaning, completely surprised when my mystery man was right there, helping me off the blacktop.
He pulled me closer just like he’d done when I’d smacked him in the face. This time, there was no anger, but the overwhelmingfeeling I’d had before was the same. My heart pounding. My breath hitching. My blood pressure rising.
The only difference was the butterflies fluttering their tiny wings in my stomach.
He took a deep breath, holding it for a few seconds. There was such power in everything he did, every action purposeful. I was struck by how dark and controlling he seemed, more so than he’d been the day before. Likely because the incident had caught him off guard.
I had a feeling that rarely happened with him.
With both my hands gripping his massive arms, I was given permission to dig my fingers into his muscles. He had a perfectly sculpted physique. A fluster of feelings and strange desires tore through me, highly inappropriate images swirling around in my mind.
Six foot three. Super broad shoulders. Long, muscular legs and I could only imagine his six-pack abs. The heat from another blush threatened to give away my thoughts.
“Are you alright?” Even his husky voice had dipped to a sensual level, the tone evoking tingles, fueling the insane visions that refused to stop even though I was doing everything possible to make them do so.
He no doubt had the power to pick me up, tossing me against a wall or in the middle of a bed, ravaging every inch of me. Fucking every ounce of breath and energy from me before starting again.
