Mia laughs, making introductions all around. I shake Dillian’s hand too, barely registering the contact. My mind is spinning, trying to reconcile this normal social interaction with what I know about Anthony. With what he’s done.
“Pull up some chairs,” Dillian offers. “Join us for a beer.”
“We were just finishing up,” Valerie says, glancing at her watch. “Actually, we should probably get going. Early day tomorrow.”
“Right,” Mia nods, though she looks reluctant to leave her brother. “But we should all get together soon. Anthony,you should come to dinner at my place soon. I’ll invite the girls.”
Anthony smiles, and there’s that dimple again, the one I glimpsed beneath his mask. “Sounds great. I’d love to get to know your friends better.”
His eyes find mine again, and the double meaning in his words isn’t lost on me. I feel exposed, like he’s seeing every thought racing through my head, every memory of that night on the steps.
“We should go,” I manage, touching Valerie’s arm lightly. “I’ve got that... thing in the morning.”
Valerie gives me a strange look, but nods. “Right, the thing. Can’t be late for that.”
We say our goodbyes, and I make it through without betraying the turmoil inside me. As we walk away, I feel Anthony’s eyes on my back, tracking my movement through the restaurant. It takes everything in me not to look back.
Outside, the night air is cool against my flushed skin. I take a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart.
“You okay?” Valerie asks, studying my face. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“I’m fine,” I lie. “Just tired. And I’ve got a headache coming on.”
“Well, text us when you get home safe,” Mia says, hugging me goodbye.
We part ways in the parking lot, them toward Valerie’s car, me toward my SUV parked at the far end. With each step, my thoughts tumble over each other. It’s him. It’s been him all along. Mia’s brother. Watching my house, breaking in, leaving books, pinning me to the stairs, making me—
I stop short, keys in hand, as I reach my car. Through the window, I can see something on the driver’s seat—a book, its dark cover gleaming in the overhead lot lights. My breath catches in my throat.
With trembling hands, I unlock the door and slide inside, picking up the book. It’s a romance novel, one I’ve never seen before. The cover shows a man in a mask standing behind a woman, his arms wrapped around her, her head tilted back in ecstasy.
I flip open the cover, unable to help myself, and gasp. There on the title page, is a handwritten inscription:
“For my gorgeous Lila.”
Heat floods my body, pooling low in my belly. I snap the book shut, clutching it to my chest as I glance around the parking lot. He must have put it here while we were inside. While we were sitting just feet apart, acting like strangers. While I shook his hand and pretended I didn’t know the feel of his body against mine.
I should be terrified. Should be calling the police, or at least telling Mia what her brother has been doing. Instead, I find myself running my fingers over the cover of the book, imagining his hands doing the same. Wondering what he has in mind?
“What is wrong with me?” I whisper to the empty car, but I already know the answer. I’m drawn to him, to the danger he represents, to the way he makes me feel. Alive. Wanted. Seen.
As I start the engine, I catch a glimpse of movement near the restaurant entrance. Anthony stands there, watching me, that same intense look on his face. Our eyes lock across the parking lot, and he raises a hand in silent acknowledgment.
I should look away. Should pretend I don’t see him. Instead, I find myself raising my own hand in response before pulling out of the parking space, the book still clutched to my chest like a secret.
18
Anthony
Istand in frontof the entrance of Akira Sushi, watching Lila’s SUV pull away, satisfaction spreading through me like wildfire. She found my gift. She saw me watching her. And instead of fear or disgust, she raised her hand in acknowledgment, a small gesture that sends my heart racing. The book I left on her seat wasn’t just any romance novel. It was carefully chosen, a story about a masked man who becomes obsessed with a woman. Just like us. I can’t stop the grin that spreads across my face.
Fuck, that went even better than I expected. The shock on her face when she realized who I was, priceless. I watch her car until it’s completely out of sight, savoring the moment. There is no way she doesn’t know it’s me now. And she didn’t run screaming. She didn’t tell Mia. She just waved at me, like we share a secret.
The night air is cool against my skin as I head back into the restaurant, the warmth and noise washing over me as soon as I step inside. Dillian’s still at our high-top,nursing his beer, a knowing look spreading across his face as I approach.
“So,” he says, pushing a fresh pint toward me. “That was interesting.”
I slide onto the stool across from him, unable to wipe the smirk off my face. “You could say that.”
