Page 144

“Elena, get back,” I snarled, making a move to get in front of her.

No way was I going to let this bastard get anywhere close to her. Even if it was only a static threat.

But before I could get in front of her, a peal of excitement screeched out of her. “It’s here!”

She hopped up and down on the top step, sending that skirt flying.

“What’s here?”

“The painting I told you about. The one that the artist who I’m carrying her little postcard paintings was supposed to do for me? She was at the shop a couple months ago when I was sourcing art, remember?”

Elena peeked back at me. Twilight glinted in her hazel eyes and kissed her cheeks. “It’s supposed to be a thank you. It’s a total surprise of what it is, but she said she was positive I would love it.”

Crap.

That’s right.

Without giving my mini heart attack any further consideration, she skipped to her door.

I was right behind her, remaining wary. Refusing to let down my guard.

But it did have the woman’s name and address tacked to the corner, and Elena Mercer was capped with a heart.

Elena scooped it up, wielding the large box while she basically slow danced with it like it was her husband on her wedding day.

No doubt falling in love with an inanimate thing without ever having laid eyes on it.

“Get the door for me? I can’t wait to see what she did. I mean, she is crazy talented, right? Those cards are to die for, and I saw a few of her larger paintings on her website. They are stunning. I can only imagine the kind of magic she whipped up for me.”

It was only partial speculation I was feeling as I stepped up to the door, and I pulled my keys back out from my pocket, slid the key into the lock, and turned it.

The door creaked open, and the alarm began to beep. I stepped in and tapped the code into the panel. “Come on in.”

She followed, and I locked all the locks behind us before I turned and made a loop through her apartment the way I always did. There was little chance someone could get in here with all the precautions we’d taken, and for sure not without setting off the alarm.

It didn’t matter.

I didn’t take any chances when it came to her.

“All clear,” I grumbled as I strode out of her bedroom.

Elena all but rolled those pretty eyes. “There are no boogeymen hiding under my bed, Trevan. You all have this place a padlocked fortress. And two prospects are always on patrol.”

“Can’t be too safe.”

If she was irritated, she didn’t let it show. She’d long since accepted her circumstances.

She pranced down the hall and laid the box onto her bed, moved to the desk on the right wall, and dug into the top drawer. She produced a pair of scissors, lifting them high, the blades clacking as she scissored the air. “Here we go!”

I gave her a scowl. “Didn’t anyone teach you not to play with scissors? You could kill someone with those.”

She scoffed a teasing sound. “I think it is all clear and safe. No vital body parts are anywhere near these blades.”

Did her gaze just drop to my dick?

Fuck me.

This girl was going to be the end of me.