“I’d like to come with you.”
She squeezed her eyes shut. “This isn’t happening.”
“Just until Harrison ends my contract. I have a reputation to uphold, you see. I don’t disappoint clients.”
You just disappoint the women who fall in love with you? Nope. She was not going to say that. “If I leave, you’re just going to follow me, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“You’ll be a hulking shadow?”
“I don’t think I’m particularly hulking. I like to think that I blend well.”
Her eyes opened. Her gaze went to the top of his head then slowly trailed down his body. She stopped at his white tennis shoes. “You don’t blend.” Evie turned away from him.
“Is that a compliment?”
She headed into her place. Grabbed her purse. Slid the long strap diagonally across her body before she turned to face him. “Take it however you want.” Evie exhaled. “I can’t stop you from following me.”
He started to smile—
“I could,” Evie corrected quickly. “But it would involve calling the police and making a big scene, and I’m not one for scenes. I like things to stay quiet. Ordered.”
“I remember that about you.”
“Well, give yourself a cookie.”
He blinked.
Shit. She thrust her shoulders back. “Try to do your blending bit. Stay out of my way, and after I take care of this one thing, I’ll convince Harrison to cut you loose.”
“I’ll try to stay out of your way. Unless you need me. Then I’ll step up and get in the way of the bad guys.”
“Wonderful.” A quick check in her bag confirmed that her keys were inside. Keys. Wallet. Mace. Good to go.
“I like your home.”
Her head whipped up.
“The colors are great.” He pointed to the wall. Stared at the series of lighthouse paintings that she’d carefully arranged. “You, um, do those paintings?”
“No.” She cleared her throat. “My ex did them.”
He’d been pointing, but now his fingers balled, and his hand became a fist. “You must have really cared about the guy if you keep his paintings on the wall.”
“I like art.” She didn’t have to explain herself to him. “Doesn’t matter about that guy.”
“I see.”
She didn’t think he did. “Which brings me to my next point.” She marched toward him.
He didn’t back up. Typical Cole.
“This thing I have to do right now.” Her gaze cut away from him. “It’s a date.”
A growl slipped from him.
The growl had her stare flying right back to him. “Is there a problem here?” She could actually think of at least a dozen problems but—
“He keeps his hands off you.”
“What? What in the heck are you talking about?”
“I’m here to guard your body. If this date of yours touches your body, I’ll see it as a threat.” His expression had gone all cold and lethal. “So he keeps his hands off you.”
“That makes zero sense!”
“Take it up with management.”
Of all the— “You are management, aren’t you?”
No reply.
“Then let’s be clear.” She stared hard into his eyes. She didn’t even like blue. Especially not bright blue. Not like it was her favorite color or anything. “My body. I decide who touches it and who doesn’t. Got it?”
A muscle flexed in his jaw, but he nodded.
“Excellent. Let’s go.” The sooner she put some distance between them, the better. She exited her place, locked the door, and headed for the elevator. She did not look back at Cole, but she could feel him shadowing her. She reached the elevator. Pressed the button to bring it up to her floor. The doors slid open a moment later and—
Oh, no. The last time that she’d been in an elevator with Cole…
I want to hit that emergency stop button. Press you up against the glass. And fuck you.
He started to walk past her and get in the elevator. She threw up her arm to block him. “Stairs! I’m taking the stairs because I need more cardio in my life.”
He frowned at her. She ignored him and hurried for the stairwell. She yanked the door open.
“Your building needs to be far more secure. Anyone could get in here,” Cole complained as he followed her down the stairs.
“Anyone did get in,” she replied pointedly as she flew down those steps. He kept perfect pace with her. Probably because he worked out every available minute to keep that body of his in its rock-hard condition.
“Who’s the lucky guy?”
There had been a definite edge in his voice as he asked the question.
“Who are you dating?” Cole pressed when she remained silent and worked on her cardio. “No boyfriend was mentioned in your file.”
She jumped off the last step. Whirled to face him. “I don’t like that you have a file on me.”
His brows climbed. “You should take that up with—”
“Do not say management to me right now.”
His lips pressed together.
“I don’t like that someone thinks that my life can be crammed into a few nicely typed pages. I have secrets.” Some. A few. Maybe one or two. Dammit. She needed to be more mysterious.
Cole nodded. “Duly noted.” A pause. “Who’s the guy?”
She spun away. Hauled open the stairwell door and rushed into the lobby. Evie tossed a quick wave to her neighbor who had just entered the building, then she made a beeline for the front door. Night had fallen outside, and soft streetlights fought the darkness. Cars rushed by on the street, and the warm air brushed against her skin as her stride quickened even more outside.
“You didn’t tell me his name.”
She stopped at the edge of the sidewalk as she waited for the light to change. “You don’t get to act all jealous,” she fumed. “Not like you and I are any sort of couple or anything.”
“I didn’t say I was jealous. I just asked for his name. Security protocol.”
Security protocol, her ass. “Leopold Shepard.”
“What in the hell kind of name is Leopold?”
She slanted a hard glance at him. “I don’t know, Cole. A fun one?” It certainly belonged to an amazingly fun guy. Her friend Leopold could make her laugh even when she was at her worst.
And, okay, fine, she’d lied. She hadn’t been able to look Cole in the eye when she’d bragged about having a date. It wasn’t a date, exactly. At least, not a romantic one. It could count as a business date. Maybe. But, when your ex suddenly popped up out of the blue—the ex who’d shattered your heart and never looked back—a woman just might want to show him that she’d moved on. That she hadn’t spent the last two years thinking about him.
Leopold would go along with her ruse. He’d probably find it freaking hilarious. Leopold—okay, Leo—loved to laugh. He was always telling her that if you didn’t laugh, then you’d spend your days crying.
She didn’t want to spend her days crying. She’d cried her last tears for Cole long ago.