Since there’s nothing fragile in my bag, there’s no worry of breaking anything. As for the second thud, I’m already broken.
Dispelling the morose thoughts, I swipe my bag from the floor so I can bring it into my room. After flicking on the light, I take a step into the living room.
And I freeze.
I’mnotalone.
There’s a man on my couch.
Oh no, no, no. Not again.
Instincts taking over, I scream bloody murder and hurl my purse at him with all my might. He swats it away easily.
Without hesitating, I find two more items within reaching distance, preparing to heave them at the intruder.
He puts his hands out in front of him protectively. “Dammit, Lila. It’s just me. Calm down.”
The familiarity of his voice soothes my nerves.
A tad.
Now that I’ve had more than a second to process what’s happening, I return the remote to the coffee table instead of throwing it at his head. However, I keep the flower vase in my other hand.
Just in case.
He’s only aslightlypreferable option to Silas.
Chest heaving with nervous breaths, I eye him down. “What are you doing here, Reed?”
“What kind of a greeting is that? I thought you’d be happy to see me.”
“Not even a little bit.”
“Aw, I thought you liked me.”
This cheeky SOB.
“Those days arelonggone. If they ever existed at all.” I shift the vase to my right hand so I’ll have better aim. “Why did you break in just to sit in my living room in the dark? What kind of creep does that?”
If I had a nickel for every time a man has done this to me, I’d have two nickels. Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it’s happened twice.
Reed narrows his absurdly captivating eyes at me. “Thought I’d pop by to visit my sister.”
“Why now? I mean... how long has it been since you’ve seen her? Two years? Three?”
“Well, you mentioned Kenzie earlier, and it got me thinking about her. I miss her.”
Liar.
He drags his palms along the tops of his thighs like he’s offering me a seat. “Is she gonna be home soon?”
I can’t answer out of fear he’ll hear the anguish in my tone. So I simply shake my head and resort to my typical way of dealing with uncomfortable conversations. “Did you knowmaleblack widow spiders are too weak to bite human skin?”
Rolling his eyes, he rises to his full height of about six feet and eases around the coffee table. His eye contact is unnerving because of how much I like the way he’s looking at me. With heat. It’s a far cry from the harshness he’s been giving me all week at the casino.
With my brows raised to the ceiling, I take a step back and adjust my hold on the vase, giving him a silent warning. Naturally, he ignores it.
“Don’t come any closer,” I order when he keeps stalking toward me. “State your business, citizen. Explain why you’re really here. Or I’ll call the cops and tell them you broke in.”
