Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 73208 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73208 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
He tilted his head to the side slightly. “Were you watching me?”
I swallowed, then nodded, lifting my chin higher. It wasn’t like I was being a voyeur. I had just wanted to make sure he didn’t come inside—which he had!
“I was checking to make sure you were staying outside, where you belong.”
“I hadn’t planned on knocking on your door. I was doing a sweep of the place.” He nodded his head toward my door. “You can go to bed now.”
Crossing my arms over my chest, I huffed, hating that I was about to tell him what I’d done. He’d no doubt laugh at me. But what did I care?
“When the stairwell door slammed, I was startled, and my door closed. Locking me out.”
He raised both his eyebrows. “You can’t get inside your apartment?”
“Not until my landlord is awake tomorrow.” Which was a lie.
“Guess you’re stuck sleeping in my Jeep then.”
Frowning, I shook my head. I was knocking on this door the moment he left until Dovie heard it and let me inside.
“I’ll wait right here. Or go down to the common room and sleep on the sofa.”
His eyes dropped back to my body. “Dressed like that?”
Okay, he had a point. I wouldn’t be sleeping in either place, but I just needed him to leave. Then, I’d fix this. No one but him would get a view of me in my cropped red camisole and matching red shorts that barely covered my ass. I just wished he’d stop looking at me like that. He was never touching me again. I had learned my lesson.
“Just go,” I urged him.
He shook his head. “No. You’re coming with me.”
Like hell I was.
“No thank you.”
He grinned then and cocked an eyebrow. “No thank you? I didn’t offer you a drink. I’m taking you to my Jeep until morning. Unless you’d rather I take you to a hotel.”
I shook my head. “No. I am staying here.”
“My Jeep it is then.”
“I’m not going to your Jeep.”
“You’re not staying out here alone.”
I took a deep breath, trying not to lose my temper and scream at this man. “I am okay here. You’re outside watching, right? I will be fine. Go back outside and do your stalker thingy.”
He turned and leaned up against the wall beside my door.
“What are you doing?” I asked in frustration.
“Waiting here with you.”
“You’re serious?”
“Very.”
“Why are you being so stubborn?”
He turned his honey-colored eyes my way and let them slowly drift down my body. “Because, Briar, you’re out here, barely dressed, looking like a goddamn centerfold. I will not leave you alone for one of your neighbors to walk out and see you like this.”
I was ignoring the centerfold comment. I. Was. Ignoring. It. I didn’t care that he thought I looked like one.
I do not care. I wouldn’t care. But clearly, my body did because it was very aware of the man.
“And you being out here with me keeps any one seeing me dressed like this, how?”
Storm smirked in response, and good Lord, now, my panties were damp.
“I’ll cover you.”
The image of him covering me wasn’t helping. My imagination was working overtime on that one. I had to get a grip.
“I’ll go to the gym locker rooms. They have benches. I need to use the restroom anyway.” If they were unlocked, that was.
He waved a hand. “Lead the way.”
“Are you following me?”
“Yep.”
Okay, fine. It wasn’t like he was going to go into the ladies’ locker room with me.
I went over to the elevator, and we waited in silence for it to open. Stepping inside, I was very aware he was behind me and that my butt cheeks were slightly visible in these bottoms. I didn’t know if he was looking, but the thought that he could be made me get goose bumps.
The doors closed, and he stood on the other side of the elevator, as if getting too close to me would somehow taint him. I ignored it the best I could, and when the doors opened up again, I bolted out of them.
“The gym is this way. I have it from here,” I told him, striding off, hoping he’d go outside to his Jeep.
The heavy footsteps behind me told me otherwise.
Stopping at the gym door, I spun around and threw up my arms. “What are you doing?” I demanded.
“Following you.”
I rolled my eyes. “I can see that. I meant, why are you not going back outside?”
He leaned forward and pushed the door behind me open. “Because anyone could be inside here.” Then, he nodded his head for me to enter.
I went in the direction of the women’s locker room and held out my hands as I walked. “See, it’s empty.”
He said nothing, and I bit back a groan as I shoved the door to the locker room open and went inside. If I stayed in here long enough, then maybe he would leave.