Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 79052 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 395(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79052 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 395(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
“Oh my,” I said with a smile.
“Her assistant took care of it. She was already out on one of at least a dozen errands she was sent on that day. The list is never-ending with her.”
“He must love her.”
“He doesn’t discuss it, and I don’t ask. They’re a power couple, so I suppose it works for them.”
I didn’t understand that way of thinking, but it wasn’t my life. He asked me about my kids, and I made him laugh when I told him about little Frank and the crayon he shoved up his nose.
“Luckily, he left enough out for the school nurse to get a grip on it and remove it. We called his mother, who just sighed and informed us he did that at least once a week lately, and to send him back to class.”
He shook his head. “You must deal with a lot of parents and kids misbehaving.”
“I do. And I can be very strict, Mr. DeSalvo. Be warned.”
He winked. “Yes, Ms. Raven.”
The way he said my name made me blush.
He finished two plates, sighing in appreciation when he finished the last mouthful.
“You can cook for me anytime.”
“Sure. I don’t have a lot of room, so I have to keep the meals simple.”
He stood, taking our plates and bending to drop a kiss to my forehead. “You can come use mine. Marcus was a great cook, and his kitchen is rarely used now that I live there. You can bring it back to life.”
“That was your old boss?”
He sat down. “One of them—yes.”
“Do you miss him?”
“I miss him and Julian, even Matteo at times. But they’re happy and settled. I see them on occasion.”
I stood and switched on the coffee. I slipped to the washroom and washed my hands, coming back to find he had cleared the rest of the table and set out the dessert and coffee.
I sat down and poured us each a cup. He bit into a cookie, groaning at the taste.
“Oh my God.”
I grinned. “My own recipe.”
“You need to make these for me all the time.”
“I can do that.”
“You know what else you need to do?”
“What?”
He crossed his legs and studied me. “Tell me why you’re all jumpy. Something happened today, and you’re not sharing.”
I blinked. I thought I was acting normally. At my surprise, Damien smirked.
“I notice things. And your tells are screaming. Something upset you.”
“My tells?”
He leaned forward and touched my cheek. “Your left eye twitches a little when you’re upset. You keep darting your gaze to the windows. You jump at every sound.” He took my hand in his. “Tell me what happened today.”
“Probably just my imagination working overtime.”
“Tell me anyway.”
I told him about the thump and the daisy. What Andy had said to me once. The man disappearing around the corner. I shrugged self-consciously. “Probably nothing, right?”
For a moment, he said nothing, then he huffed out a long breath of air. “I think your first instincts were right, Raven. It was something.” He held up his hand before I could speak. “We are going to err on the side of caution and assume it was Andy smashing a daisy against your window as a passive-aggressive warning. Perhaps he was at the store and disappeared before you could be sure.” He bent forward, resting his elbows on his knees, staring into my eyes. His gaze was intense, determined, and furious. There was no doubt he was angry, yet his voice remained calm and steady. “And you should have called me. Immediately.”
“I didn’t want to bother—”
Again, he held up his hand. “You are not a bother. I would rather react to a hundred coincidences, than not be there the one instance you needed me. Do you understand?”
He cupped my cheek, stroking the skin softly. “I hate thinking of you worried when I could have sent someone to watch over you until I could get there myself.”
“Someone to watch over me?”
He nodded.
“I don’t need a bodyguard, Damien.”
“I disagree. Until I find this asshole and get him away from you, you need someone around so he can’t get to you.”
“You make him sound crazed.”
He sat back with a frown. “From what I saw and what you’ve described, he very well could be. He’s a stalker, Raven. He has you in his sights.”
“Today could have been nothing.”
He dipped his chin in acknowledgment. “Maybe. But it could have been something significant. Promise me next time you will call.”
I shut my eyes, drawing in some deep breaths. Damien moved, shifting his chair closer. “You came to me, Raven. You needed my protection that day. You need it now. I want to give it. Listen to me, please.”
I relented and nodded.
“Okay, good,” he said and pressed a kiss to my forehead. “I’ll come up with a plan and fill you in.”
“Do I get any say in this plan?”