He definitely isn’t just some spy or PI. There’s way too much going on with him that reads trained professional. Deadly.
“Yes, I’m serious, Claire. You need to stay in the apartment. I know for a fact that Teddy is going to send somebody else tocome looking for you. He’s got the funds to pull all of this off. He clearly has the ability to go outside the law, and I won’t have you getting hurt while I do some digging on the guy.”
“Hurt?” I reel back and immediately feel both worried and stupid for not considering what kind of intimidation someone might employ.
I mean, hell, I bit the guy and kicked him with my massive dancing heel. And something tells me that Theodore is very much the type of guy who’d want some revenge.
“I… I need to call my boss.”
Alec nods, stepping away to give me some privacy. It doesn’t take long to get the manager of the club on the line. I don’t give him the details, just say that I’m not feeling well and need to call in sick.
He’s grumpy about it, but eventually, I get Gary to relent, and I hang up.
“There aren’t enough supplies in here to last the few days I want you inside. We need to go to the store to get stuff.”
Rolling my eyes, I cross my arms as I hold my cellphone, still in my pajamas. “You always this bossy?”
Alec’s jaw works as he fights back a grin. “Yes.”
With a scoff, I turn around and head to my bedroom. “I’ll get changed. But I’m not sure how much we’ll be able to get, seeing as you just kept me from making money.”
The grocery store is busier than I expected for a weekday morning. Alec walks beside me, close enough that his arm brushes mine every few steps. He’s scanning the aisles like he’s looking for threats instead of produce.
“Relax,” I mutter, reaching for a box of pasta. “No one’s going to attack us in the cereal aisle.”
“You’d be surprised.”
We round the corner into the frozen section, and I feel Alec stiffen beside me. I glance up, confused, and then I see what he’s looking at.
A guy restocking the freezer case. Young, maybe mid-twenties, with floppy hair and an easy smile. He’s looking at me. Not in a creepy way, just… looking. The way guys sometimes do.
Before I can even process it, Alec’s hand lands on my lower back. Warm. Possessive. His fingers spread wide, covering as much of me as possible through the thin fabric of my shirt.
The stocker’s eyes flick to Alec, then away. Fast. Like he’s seen something dangerous.
When I look up at Alec, his expression hasn’t changed. Still that same stony mask. But there’s something darker in his eyes now. Something that sends a shiver down my spine.
“What was that?” I whisper as we move past.
“What was what?”
“That… look. You looked like you wanted to kill him.”
Alec’s hand stays on my back, guiding me toward the checkout. “He was staring at you.”
“So? People look at other people. It’s normal.”
“Not at you.” His voice is low, rough. “Not while I’m standing right here.”
I should be annoyed. I should tell him he doesn’t have any right to act like this. We barely know each other. He’s not my boyfriend. He’s not my anything.
But there’s a thrill racing through my veins that I don’t understand. A heat blooming low in my belly at the thought of Alec getting territorial over me.
What is wrong with you, Claire?
When we get back from the store, I’m still a little shellshocked. Alec went to town, getting food, household supplies, and even clothes.
And I wasn’t allowed to pay for any of it.
