remembers anything from when he was guarding you then. Maybe someone hanging around when you moved in or anything out of the ordinary. Whoever this is, they’re smart. They’re leaving no evidence of their entry, so we can’t really go to the police until we have proof that a crime has been committed. They’d probably consider sending a cat trinket to be nothing more than a childish prank.”
“But you don’t think it is,” Kay commented.
“No. I don’t think it is.” In typical Elliott fashion, he didn’t offer any additional thoughts on the matter.
Kay got up and brought back a comforter and several pillows. “I appreciate you staying here with me. I don’t think I could have stayed here alone knowing this guy has been in here.”
Eli accepted the pillows with a nod. “You’ll never be alone, Kay. Remember that.”
His words warmed her as surely as a touch. Kay had figured any chance they’d had was gone when he disappeared after Christmas, but maybe he’d had a legitimate reason to leave town. Maybe his leaving hadn’t had anything to do with her or their kiss.
“My mom considers you one of hers now. She’d kill me if I didn’t take proper care of you.”
Kay’s heart sank. His mother. Of course.
She was just an obligation. She wasn’t sure if it was better or worse than when he’d only been helping her because Jackson had hired him to.
“Of course. Good night, Eli.” Kay didn’t wait for him to acknowledge it, just walked down the hall to her room and closed the door.
KAY WOKE EARLIER than usual the next morning. The knowledge that Eli was in her living room had contributed to a long night of tossing and turning. At first, she’d just been on alert in case he needed anything. She’d heard him moving around, drawers and cabinets opening and closing and the hum of the pipes as he’d used the small bathroom off the hall.
Luckily, her room had its own connected bathroom so she didn’t have to worry about any awkwardness there. She’d taken her shower before bed and changed into her favorite tank-and-shorts pajama set. It wasn’t sexy by any means, but then she wasn’t trying to seduce him. He’d shown less than zero interest when he’d been in her room and hadn’t lingered when examining the “scene of the crime” as she liked to think of her collection of figurines now. He’d looked at the blank space in the collection and nowhere else. Not at the lingerie she’d been mortified to discover was hanging over the chair or at the romance books on her nightstand.
He’d just done his usual tough, gruff routine. It was too bad she found his deep, gravelly voice so sexy. It would be so much easier if she hated him. If she hadn’t spent half the night wondering about what he was doing on her sofa. Whether he’d stripped off all his clothes to sleep or just gone down to his underwear.
Coffee. If she could just get some caffeine in her system, then maybe she could think practically. About anything other than what Eli wore when he was sleeping.
Kay spared a cursory glance at the clock, then decided it was early enough to chance making a run for it. Eli was probably dead to the world, so it didn’t matter if she looked like hell. Turning on the coffeepot should take two minutes, max. She pulled on a short, silky robe and knotted it in the front. Even if he rolled over and caught a glimpse of her, he wouldn’t see much other than a bunch of pink silk.
In the kitchen, she made quick work of measuring out the coffee. The huge jumble of blankets on the couch didn’t move, so she had to assume that Eli was a pretty sound sleeper. After adding water to the machine, she set the coffeepot to brew. She turned at the sound of a door opening. Startled, she glanced over at the couch. The jumble of covers still hadn’t moved.
“Then where is—”
Kay squeaked in surprise when Eli walked past, a white towel wrapped around his waist. His skin was still damp, as
“But you don’t think it is,” Kay commented.
“No. I don’t think it is.” In typical Elliott fashion, he didn’t offer any additional thoughts on the matter.
Kay got up and brought back a comforter and several pillows. “I appreciate you staying here with me. I don’t think I could have stayed here alone knowing this guy has been in here.”
Eli accepted the pillows with a nod. “You’ll never be alone, Kay. Remember that.”
His words warmed her as surely as a touch. Kay had figured any chance they’d had was gone when he disappeared after Christmas, but maybe he’d had a legitimate reason to leave town. Maybe his leaving hadn’t had anything to do with her or their kiss.
“My mom considers you one of hers now. She’d kill me if I didn’t take proper care of you.”
Kay’s heart sank. His mother. Of course.
She was just an obligation. She wasn’t sure if it was better or worse than when he’d only been helping her because Jackson had hired him to.
“Of course. Good night, Eli.” Kay didn’t wait for him to acknowledge it, just walked down the hall to her room and closed the door.
KAY WOKE EARLIER than usual the next morning. The knowledge that Eli was in her living room had contributed to a long night of tossing and turning. At first, she’d just been on alert in case he needed anything. She’d heard him moving around, drawers and cabinets opening and closing and the hum of the pipes as he’d used the small bathroom off the hall.
Luckily, her room had its own connected bathroom so she didn’t have to worry about any awkwardness there. She’d taken her shower before bed and changed into her favorite tank-and-shorts pajama set. It wasn’t sexy by any means, but then she wasn’t trying to seduce him. He’d shown less than zero interest when he’d been in her room and hadn’t lingered when examining the “scene of the crime” as she liked to think of her collection of figurines now. He’d looked at the blank space in the collection and nowhere else. Not at the lingerie she’d been mortified to discover was hanging over the chair or at the romance books on her nightstand.
He’d just done his usual tough, gruff routine. It was too bad she found his deep, gravelly voice so sexy. It would be so much easier if she hated him. If she hadn’t spent half the night wondering about what he was doing on her sofa. Whether he’d stripped off all his clothes to sleep or just gone down to his underwear.
Coffee. If she could just get some caffeine in her system, then maybe she could think practically. About anything other than what Eli wore when he was sleeping.
Kay spared a cursory glance at the clock, then decided it was early enough to chance making a run for it. Eli was probably dead to the world, so it didn’t matter if she looked like hell. Turning on the coffeepot should take two minutes, max. She pulled on a short, silky robe and knotted it in the front. Even if he rolled over and caught a glimpse of her, he wouldn’t see much other than a bunch of pink silk.
In the kitchen, she made quick work of measuring out the coffee. The huge jumble of blankets on the couch didn’t move, so she had to assume that Eli was a pretty sound sleeper. After adding water to the machine, she set the coffeepot to brew. She turned at the sound of a door opening. Startled, she glanced over at the couch. The jumble of covers still hadn’t moved.
“Then where is—”
Kay squeaked in surprise when Eli walked past, a white towel wrapped around his waist. His skin was still damp, as
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