Ginny’s friendships had been few in Treepoint. She developed a close relationship with Willa after she worked for her. Lucky, as her pastor, had been her school mentor when she was younger. Other than that, there were only casual friendships. Like her brothers, she never dated.
The fact he couldn’t get around was when she worked for The Last Riders, Ginny retained a professional relationship with the members. Reaper found it hard to believe that a young woman her age hadn’t developed a liking to one of the brothers, considering how many hours she spent at the club. If she had been with someone, she was either skilled at hiding or Shade hadn’t included it in the report, which could have been the case.
But Shade’s report was detailed, even going so far as making notations to the side, yet he hadn’t delved deeply into the confidential aspects that only someone close to Ginny would know. Shade probably hadn’t done so because it wouldn’t have a bearing on who was stalking her, and it didn’t, other than the fact Reaper’s curiosity was piqued.
After leaving Treepoint, she had moved to Queen City with Penni, Shade’s sister, going to work for Mouth2Mouth. From there, Shade’s probe into Ginny’s life came from Penni. Other than Penni, she had several friends, none of whom Penni described as close. She had found a roommate once the band quit touring. Gianna had been a friend of a friend who worked for Penni. Again, there was no reference to Ginny’s dating life.
Finishing Shade’s notes, he summarized by saying that, other than working, Ginny had led a reclusive life, only going out occasionally with the casual friendships she made in Queen City, or when she visited with Willa in Treepoint.
Rubbing his eyes, he closed the computer. There had been no interest in men anywhere in the research from her childhood to now, yet she told him she loved him. Why?
He wanted to dodge the question, but if he was going to identify the stalker, Reaper had to look in the unlikely spots to find what Shade and Rider had missed. Her stalker made himself known after Ginny sang for the first time at a nightclub; had the stalker, like him, felt the same connection, except Ginny was unaware of it? Or was she? He was going to have to ask, which was a conversation he didn’t want to have, as it would expose the connection he had felt.
Closing his eyes, he drifted off just as the sun was beginning to shine through the top of curtains, lightening the walls with a pale amber glow.
* * *
Forcing himself go through his emails after making himself breakfast, Reaper didn’t look up from the computer when he heard Ginny come into the room.
“Good morning.”
“Morning.”
Opening an email from Viper, he started reading, tuning her out as she went to the kitchen.
“You’re up early.”
He didn’t respond, continuing to work on the computer.
“I can make us something to eat, if you’re hungry?”
“I ate.”
“Couldn’t have been much. I don’t see any dishes.”
“I did them.”
“You already did them and put them away?”
“Yes.”
“I knew you were the perfect man for me.”
His attention flew from the computer screen to Ginny, whose smile showed she achieved her goal.
“I’m going to make a cup of coffee. Would you like a cup?”
“No, thanks. If I want one, I can get it.”
Her smile disappearing, she turned from the counter to get her coffee.
Staring at the computer screen, he couldn’t remember where he left off and had to start over. When he read the email for the third time, he admitted to himself that he was listening to the small sounds Ginny was making instead of concentrating on working.
Answering Viper’s email became a trial in endurance when she took a seat opposite of him, taking a bite of her toast as she stared a hole through the back of the computer. He ignored it as long as he could before raising glowering eyes.
“What?”
“Are you usually this quiet in the morning, or is it just me?”
“Both.” Becoming exasperated, more at himself for letting her divert his attention, he added, “I’m trying to work.”
As she stared at him thoughtfully, Reaper tried not to squirm uncomfortably. His eyes dropped to her throat when she swallowed a bite of her toast, trying to prepare himself for what would come out of her mouth next.
“Go ahead. I won’t say another word. I promise.”
Well, that wasn’t fucking good.
Taking a sip of her coffee, she took her cell phone out and started doing something on it.
Lowering his gaze back to the email, he tried again to focus, unable to prevent himself from looking at her intermittently through his lashes as she finished her toast and coffee before gathering her cup and plate and going back to the kitchen. When she didn’t come back to the living room, he began to wonder what she was doing. The more he told himself not to look, the more he wanted to. Hearing her opening and closing cabinets, then going to the refrigerator had him thinking she was doing it to irritate him. He was about to give in to his curiosity and ask what she was doing when she breezed out of the kitchen and went into her bedroom.