Seth and Zach’s deep chuckles reverberated against the tiled walls. Mal gazed up at the two men who must have seemed like giants to the kitty.
“You’re still in with a chance, mate.” Zach bumped Seth’s shoulder with a fist.
“Where did he come from?” Seth face softened as he watched Milly speaking in soft whispers to the cat.
“I found him Wednesday night drenched and freezing in the back alley. Took him to the vet Thursday morning. He had no microchip. So, he’s now mine.” Her voice softened on the last sentence. Hers. Her first furbaby. “The vet guessed his age at around three months. He’s been wormed and had his first vaccinations.” She smiled as Milly teased Mal with a catnip-filled felted mouse. Her hero kitty extended his paws above him and pounced, landing on top of the child’s hand and his toy. “Abby and I’ve been taking turns with quick visits every hour to check up on him.”
“I see you’ve stocked up on all the essentials.” Seth nodded at the new water and food bowls and the plethora of toys pushed to one side of the circular bed with its cut out opening.
“Of course.” Harper smiled as Seth crouched down beside Milly, placing one hand on her shoulder, and extending a finger toward Mal. The kitty sniffed for a second and then bunted his head back and forth like Seth was his personal scratching post.
“G’day, little fella. Looks like you’re right at home.” Seth gently rubbed under Mal’s chin a few times before he faced Milly. “You think you and your dad can look after Mal while I talk to Harper?”
“Sure.” Milly looked over her shoulder at Harper. “We got heaps of critters at the cabin. I’ll be gentle. Dad showed me.”
That kid was just too damn cute. “Thank you, sweetie.” She eased past Zach and waited at her bedroom doorway for Seth, watching as father and daughter sat together in front of Mal.
Seth took her hand and led her back to the center of the living room. No sooner had they come to a stop than he pulled her into his arms. He took her mouth with a fierceness that surprised her, his tongue sweeping inside, his teeth nipping at her lower lip. By the time he lifted his head, her lips were swollen and her breathing rapid.
“I can’t get enough of you.”
A thrill of satisfaction dashed up her body. She made him feel that way. “Same here.” Wasn’t it fair to let him know the same? Games were for kids, not adults.
His mouth flicked at the edges, before his arms tightened around her. “I’ve got something to tell you and I want you to let me finish before you speak.”
She stiffened but tried to relax on his answering squeeze. “Okay.”
“Heath and Adam have installed cameras in your building’s front and back entry, and the hallways.” Seth tightened his hold when she tried to push back. “You’re a target. Whoever’s behind this knows where you live. I said I’d protect you. That’s what’s happening. Get pissed, yell, whatever you want. But those cameras stay.”
Harper blinked, not sure where to start. “But you told Nitro and Ryan it was unlikely the guy would come back.”
“It is, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen.” He leaned close, his gaze intense. “And I’m not leaving anything to chance.”
Her mind latched onto Seth’s earlier words. “Your brothers broke into my building?” She twisted in his arms, but no way could she break his iron-strong hold. Fine. She’d make do with panting and snarling. “I guess asking me was too much trouble?”
“The fact Adam gained access in less than a few seconds is proof your entry door is shit security.” Seth shrugged, not in the least shamed. “The fact you haven’t noticed the cameras shows his skill.”
A glance around the room provided a wealth of places to hide any extra recording devices. “What about—”
Seth pressed his thumb over her mouth and cutting her off. “There’s none in your apartment. I promise. The live feed streams to Adam and Heath’s laptops and phones. An alarm sounds when any door is opened to let them know people have entered the spaces.” He lifted his thumb away.
“So Adam could have been watching us when we came up here earlier?” An unsettling feeling slid in her belly.
“Count on it.”
What was worse? A stranger watching her or the big, dangerous commando? “I don’t... that makes me feel…weird.”
“Understandable, but the surveillance isn’t overt. I’m betting you forget there are cameras in a day or two. And I need to update you on two latest attacks on my brothers.” He gave her a quick rundown, assuring her that Heath was still employed as a cop, albeit on desk duties while the incident was under investigation, which Harper was sure the detective would just hate.
Seth stroked his thumb over her cheek. She leaned her head into his hand, needing the reassurance of his touch. “Now it sucks I’m telling you this and have to leave, but, sweetness, I’m flying out in a few hours, and Dillon and I still have work to finish.”
She tilted her head to the side. “Why did you tell me? It would have been easier to keep quiet and avoid any grief from me.” Didn’t most guys think like that?
His voice deepened. “I share what I can, Harper. Especially when I need your trust and expect you to confide in return.”
Joy spread over her like the sunrise reaching out over the landscape at the start of a new day.
This is what she’d been looking for. A man who didn’t use false words to hide an alternative agenda. Seth had shown her with his direct way of talking and manner before, but him not taking the easy way out with the cameras…this meant more.