Page 29 of Code Violation

Soft skin quivers beneath my touch, and my heart cracks a little more.

“Tell me what happened,” I urge, kicking her door shut with my foot.

“Security threw him out.”

“I know that part,” I reply, dropping my face closer to hers. “What did he do before he got escorted off the premises?”

Vesper’s body shudders as she pulls in a deep breath. If her red eyes didn’t give away that she’d been crying, her hitching sobs sure do. She isn’t wearing any makeup, and I wonder if she removed it to try and hide the evidence of her being upset.

“I was about to leave for work when security called on the intercom, explaining that the same guy they’d removed from the parking garage was now downstairs in the lobby, claiming that I had stolen one of his credit cards and he needed to gain access to the apartment so he could retrieve it. He alleged that’s why he was here that day in his car, waiting for me to return home so we could talk.”

Vesper drops her face back into my shirt, almost like she’s embarrassed. I hate that she could feel anything other than comfortable with talking to me.

“Whether it was the aggressive way he demanded access to my apartment tonight or the bourbon bottle in his car that raised security’s suspicions, they wouldn’t give him the visitor code, and that only made him worse.”

She can probably feel the fast beat of my heart as it thumps in my rib cage.

“Thank God they did their job properly and didn’t just grant him access to make their lives easier.”

Vesper nods, but still won’t look at me, so I take her by the hand and guide her toward the couch. Her duvet is thrown over the back cushions, and I pull it over her lap, careful not to let my eyes linger on her bare legs. Vesper in black sleepwear is the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen, but tonight isn’t the right time to let her know that.

I don’t miss the crooked smile as it forms on her lips though or the way she pulls the black tie from her hair, a familiar oud scent circulating around me as she edges closer when I take a seat next to her.

“I keep thinking about what could’ve happened if I’d left the apartment a couple of minutes earlier. I was running late because I couldn’t find my keys and planned to head out the front exit so I could catch a bus to work.” She shakes her head, eyes closing at a thought. “The owner is going to kill me for not showing tonight. He probably thinks I was trying to get out of a busy shift when I told him I had a family emergency.”

“He doesn’t,” I respond, taking her small hand into mine. “I was in Riley’s when you texted me, and I set your boss straight before I left.”

Her eyes shoot to me, jaw popped open. “You did what?”

Fuck. I never considered that speaking to Vesper’s boss could piss her off.

I scratch at the back of my neck. “I interfered again, didn’t I? I just hate the thought of anyone thinking badly of you, so I told him you were in an unsafe situation and I was heading over to your place to stay the night and make sure you were okay.”

Her eyes soften a fraction. “And what did he say?”

I gaze down at her hand in mine. “He passed on a message, making it clear you didn’t need to come back to work until everything calmed down and that your safety was his only concern. He will cover your shifts until you are ready to return.”

Relief relaxes her shoulders.

“He really said that? I always thought he hated me or at least doubted that I could cope in a managerial position and regretted hiring me in the first place.”

I interlace our fingers, a sharp tug in my chest as I say, “Not everyone is as they seem, Ves. And not everyone has bad intentions either. Sometimes, we just want the best for you.”

A heavy silence settles between us, but she doesn’t take her eyes off mine.

“Thank you, Silas. I know I haven’t always been kind to you when you’ve only ever tried to look out for me. I can see that now that Kane is out of the picture.” She blows out a cynical breath. “I guess it tracks that he would say bad shit about you because he knew you were only trying to protect me. Love really is blind, isn’t it?”

I want to tell her that love can’t be blind. If it were, then I wouldn’t be staring at her right now or falling harder each time I hold her hand.

Instead, I pull open the coffee table drawer and fetch out Vesper’s coloring book and pencil case.

“Why don’t you wow me again with your shading skill set, Knockout?” I flick to a woodland scene this time.

Reaching into my lap, Vesper takes the coloring book and pencil case, unzipping it before selecting the colors she wants.

“Okay, Si, here’s another deal: I’ll create you another masterpiece while you order the pizza.”

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