He pointed diagonally across her hall. “There’s a doorbell cam. It’s late, but maybe your neighbor will show us the video.”
Providence knocked on the door. “Hello, Providence,” said the white-haired man. “Everything okay?”
“Someone stopped by tonight and slid a card under my door, but it wasn’t signed.”
Her neighbor chuckled. “I didn’t think young people did those types of things nowadays.”
“Is your doorbell camera on?” she asked.
“Sure is.” Her neighbor fetched his phone and checked, then showed Providence and Dakota.
Someone cloaked in a dark hoodie walked past. Fifteen minutes later, the same person walked by, heading toward the elevator.
“Can you forward those to me?” she asked.
He did, then said, “I hope you find your mystery admirer.”
She and Dakota returned to her apartment.
“Let’s get you out of here,” Dakota said.
“I’ll stay in a hotel until I can figure out—”
Stepping close, he stroked her shoulders. She was okay and that’s all that mattered. Still, he wanted to rip the perp’s face off. “I have a guest room, not that I want you in there. I want you in my bed. But, I have a child and we need to be smart about this.”
“I panicked and called you, but I don’t want you to feel obligated—”
This time, he stopped her with a kiss. And she moaned into him, wrapping her arms around him and holding him so hard, he smiled. Her lips curved as she ended the kiss.
“I will tell you this as many times as you need to hear it. I want you to come home with me. I want you safe. I want you in my bed, but we have to take this slowly. Not for me. Maybe for you. Definitely for Sammy.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
He returned with her to her bedroom while she finished packing. “Bring your laptop and your checkbook. And your passport, if you have one.” He spied a picture on her night table. It was of Providence and her adorable baby. In the picture, Providence wasn’t just smiling, she was radiant. Like before, his heart ached for her loss.
“This must be Annabel. She’s beautiful.”
A rueful smile touched her eyes. “Thank you.” Without another word, she finished packing. He wanted to go to her, comfort her, but something kept his feet cemented in place. His gut told him that she needed space when it came to her daughter, and he wanted to respect that.
As soon as she finished packing, they left. Providence followed him back to his place and parked on the street in front of his house.
After pulling into his garage, he walked out to her. “You can park in the driveway in front of the other garage door.”
“Doesn’t Miranda park in the garage?”
He pointed to the car parked along the curb. “That’s her car. I keep my sports car in the garage.”
“That sounds fun.”
“When I turned thirty-five, I bought myself a Porsche Spyder, but I rarely use it.”
Once in his office, he opened his safe and handed her a house key. “This is for the front door and the door from the garage, but we only lock that door at night.”
“Got it.”
He led her upstairs. “Sammy’s bedroom,” he said as he passed an open door. “Mine’s at the end of the hallway.”
He entered the guest room, flicked on the light, and set her bags on the bed. “You’ve got your own bathroom. It’s fully stocked with towels and soap.” He didn’t want to linger, didn’t want her to feel uncomfortable that he was standing in her bedroom. But damn, he could not leave.
