By the time Vanessa pressed the Nespresso’s brew button the next morning, she’d slept a solid nine hours and was feeling more relaxed than she thought she would.
Gabe had already knocked on her apartment door that morning to check in and reassure her that he was having the locks on all the doors upgraded and security cameras installed at all the entrances.
She should’ve reminded him that she’d be gone by this time next week but couldn’t bring herself to do it. What happened with Jordan last night had her second-guessing everything.
The shower was running down the hall. Knowing he was in there was so comforting and domestic that she smiled to herself.
Taking her coffee to the kitchen table, she sat and tapped on her socials. Before she could even register any of the new hundreds of notifications, there was another knock. With a sigh, she got up to answer.
The door opened the second she flipped the lock—before the knocking even stopped—and her cousin barged in looking annoyed. Dex stood behind her, his fist still raised from his knocking.
“Since when is it hard formeto get into this place?” Natalie demanded, closing the door on an annoyed Dex, and waltzing in carrying a brown paper bag. “And why are there a real copandRoboCop standing at both entrances?”
“Good morning, Nat.”
Natalie dropped the bag on the table, then gave Vanessa a smacking kiss on the cheek. Vanessa kissed the air beside Natalie’s face in return.
“Also, what are you talking about?”
Natalie gestured over her shoulder. “There’s a cop car outside the building, a real cop at the street entrance, and Dex at your apartment door.”
Not surprising given what happened. Knowing she’d have to eventually, Vanessa told her cousin about the events of the night before.
“Fucking hell,” Natalie said when she was finished. “You’re okay, right?”
Vanessa touched the fabric of her high-necked, zip-uphoodie she wore. The bruises beneath were still tender. “I’ll be okay.”
Natalie looked skeptical but didn’t push. Her cousin had always been able to read her well, and Vanessa appreciated that. Right now she needed a distraction, not a deep dive in to her emotional trauma.
“Where is that shithead now?” Natalie asked.
“Out on bail, probably.” Money and power talked in the world of Kurt Robertson. He’d made more than one incident disappear with the help of his lawyers and influence.
“I guess that explains why Dex was being hypervigilant. You know, he asked if you were expecting me. Can you believe that?” She let out a sharp laugh, and shook her head. “Why would you be expecting me? It’s me. I just show up.” She spun in the living room in her typical carefree but also dramatic way. “Like a fairy godmother. Bearing gifts.”
Without missing a beat, she lifted a whole pineapple from the paper bag. “Speaking of which, look what I got. I read an article that said eating pineapple will make your kitty taste like sugar, so?—”
Jordan appeared in the living room, hair damp, tugging the rest of his t-shirt over his torso, revealing a flash of toned abs and more tattoos. How many did he have? And why had she not yet seen him shirtless?
He greeted Natalie with a nod, and Vanessa might have imagined it, but she thought she saw a blush creep up his neck as he smoothed his t-shirt over the slice of flesh that was still exposed.
Natalie’s gaze toggled between him and Vanessa, widening with realization.
Vanessa thought about correcting her, but she honestly didn’t mind her cousin jumping to conclusions, so she sat back and took a sip from her mug.
“Time for a coffee?” she asked Jordan, who still looked vaguely like a deer caught in the headlights. Cute.
He cleared his throat and made his way over to her. “Um, no, I actually have a meeting I need to get to. But Dex is outside, and I know this will piss you off, but you’re not going anywhere without him. He’s under my orders, and he won’t defy them again.” He gave Natalie a pointed glare, likely because Dex had left yesterday to take her home.
“Hey! I told him he didn’t have to. I was totally cool taking an Uber.” She turned to Vanessa. “Are you sure you’re o?—”
Vanessa interrupted before it became bigger than necessary. “I’m fine.”
Jordan bent and caught her chin. “You almost weren’t, and it scared the living shit out of me.” He tightened his grip on her chin, sending shivers down her center. The good kind. The kind from last night. “Never again, princess.”
She wiggled in her seat as he hovered above her, his proximity awakening all the places he’d touched last night. “Yes, sir,” she murmured quietly, holding his gaze challengingly.
His low growl reverberated through her, and his heated gaze pinned her for another moment before he released her.
