of his eye. Billy didn’t move. He seemed to be studying the designs of the wallpaper on the elevator walls. Somehow, she suspected he knew that Alex was watching him. She couldn’t have said why she thought so, but there was something about Billy’s nonchalant stance that told her it was anything but. It was as if there was something coiled up inside of him just waiting for the chance to strike.
Thea shivered at the thought. Immediately, Billy reacted to her movement by putting his hand on her shoulder. “Are you cold?” The sheriff definitely saw and observed everything around him.
“I’ll be fine,” she said. Thea felt as if she was saying the same three words over and over again. As the elevator doors opened, she moved into the foyer and threw her purse onto the side table. Alex was already moving around her and into the kitchen, no doubt intent on an evening snack. The kid was going to eat them out of house and home.
Thea turned and realized that Billy hadn’t moved from the elevator. She turned to see what he was staring at. It was the view of the city lit up at night, a sight that she had come to take for granted.
“Best view in the city,” she said softly.
“I guess,” Billy said with a low whistle. He finally stepped off the elevator and into the foyer. “I keep forgetting that people live like this.”
“Robert did very well for himself,” she said. “Eric did even better.” She left it at that. Thea didn’t like the fact that her every whim was paid for by someone else. The sooner she got the experience she needed by working for Eric, the sooner she could start making a name for herself in her own right.
“Clearly being a small-town sheriff doesn’t come with the same perks,” Billy said. He moved further into the room. It took Thea a moment to realize what he was doing.
“Are you…sniffing?” It was an idea that seemed utterly foreign to her.
“I can smell better in my other form, but I can make do. The only thing I can smell is Alex and you.” He smiled at her with a slightly amused expression. “You smell like coconut and daffodils.”
Thea let out a laugh. “Glad I’m getting what I paid for then. That lotion costs more than some people’s mortgage.” The smile disappeared from his face so quickly that she thought she might have imagined it. Then she pulled on the bridge of her nose. “God, that was a horribly pretentious thing to say, wasn’t it? I’m sorry. I’m just…”
He was beside her a moment later, and he tugged at her elbow to pull her further into the room. He settled her on the couch. Looking out at the skyline usually calmed Thea, but tonight she felt anxious for some reason. It had something to do with the man hovering over her, but it was more a result of the evening’s events finally coming to settle like a black spot on her mind.
“You don’t have to apologize for your family’s success,” Billy said. “Sit here, and let me get you some tea.”
“I don’t even know if we have any left.”
“If not, I’ll find something,” he said. “Just sit back and relax.”
She caught his hand as it brushed the surface of the leather armrest next to her. She wasn’t even sure why she had done that; it had been automatic. She stared up at him mutely, a wave of emotions rolling through her body. He leaned over and touched her hair softly. “You don’t have anything to worry about. You’re safe.”
It was as if he could read her mind. Thea felt as if he had wanted to say something else, but then he moved away from her. She immediately missed him. How could it be that she had just met the man, but she felt as if they were intertwined in some crazy way that she didn’t fully comprehend or understand?
Thea found that she couldn’t sit still. If she sat for too long, she heard the voices of Kurt and Ollie in her head. She didn’t want that. She wasn’t ready to deal with that yet. Thea heard the voices in the kitchen and despite Billy’s
Thea shivered at the thought. Immediately, Billy reacted to her movement by putting his hand on her shoulder. “Are you cold?” The sheriff definitely saw and observed everything around him.
“I’ll be fine,” she said. Thea felt as if she was saying the same three words over and over again. As the elevator doors opened, she moved into the foyer and threw her purse onto the side table. Alex was already moving around her and into the kitchen, no doubt intent on an evening snack. The kid was going to eat them out of house and home.
Thea turned and realized that Billy hadn’t moved from the elevator. She turned to see what he was staring at. It was the view of the city lit up at night, a sight that she had come to take for granted.
“Best view in the city,” she said softly.
“I guess,” Billy said with a low whistle. He finally stepped off the elevator and into the foyer. “I keep forgetting that people live like this.”
“Robert did very well for himself,” she said. “Eric did even better.” She left it at that. Thea didn’t like the fact that her every whim was paid for by someone else. The sooner she got the experience she needed by working for Eric, the sooner she could start making a name for herself in her own right.
“Clearly being a small-town sheriff doesn’t come with the same perks,” Billy said. He moved further into the room. It took Thea a moment to realize what he was doing.
“Are you…sniffing?” It was an idea that seemed utterly foreign to her.
“I can smell better in my other form, but I can make do. The only thing I can smell is Alex and you.” He smiled at her with a slightly amused expression. “You smell like coconut and daffodils.”
Thea let out a laugh. “Glad I’m getting what I paid for then. That lotion costs more than some people’s mortgage.” The smile disappeared from his face so quickly that she thought she might have imagined it. Then she pulled on the bridge of her nose. “God, that was a horribly pretentious thing to say, wasn’t it? I’m sorry. I’m just…”
He was beside her a moment later, and he tugged at her elbow to pull her further into the room. He settled her on the couch. Looking out at the skyline usually calmed Thea, but tonight she felt anxious for some reason. It had something to do with the man hovering over her, but it was more a result of the evening’s events finally coming to settle like a black spot on her mind.
“You don’t have to apologize for your family’s success,” Billy said. “Sit here, and let me get you some tea.”
“I don’t even know if we have any left.”
“If not, I’ll find something,” he said. “Just sit back and relax.”
She caught his hand as it brushed the surface of the leather armrest next to her. She wasn’t even sure why she had done that; it had been automatic. She stared up at him mutely, a wave of emotions rolling through her body. He leaned over and touched her hair softly. “You don’t have anything to worry about. You’re safe.”
It was as if he could read her mind. Thea felt as if he had wanted to say something else, but then he moved away from her. She immediately missed him. How could it be that she had just met the man, but she felt as if they were intertwined in some crazy way that she didn’t fully comprehend or understand?
Thea found that she couldn’t sit still. If she sat for too long, she heard the voices of Kurt and Ollie in her head. She didn’t want that. She wasn’t ready to deal with that yet. Thea heard the voices in the kitchen and despite Billy’s
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