Don’t be stupid, Maeve.
Why would someone send you flowers . . . with one thorn on each stem?
Ridiculous.
But that feeling of being watched, of being hunted, just wouldn’t go away, and by the time she reached her building she was a nervous wreck. Her tummy felt ill and she was jittery.
Rushing inside, she headed up the stairs. It didn’t matter that she had her knife on her. She still felt like prey. As though at any moment, someone was going to jump out of the shadows and grab her.
Every noise felt menacing. Like a threat.
She kept her head down as she reached her corridor, searching through her bag for her keys.
She just had to get into her room, into her bed, and under the covers.
Then she’d feel better.
That would keep the monsters away. Everyone knew that as long as you were hidden under your blankets the monsters couldn’t find you.
“Maeve.” A hand reached out and touched her shoulder. She screamed and turned, reaching into her pocket for the knife.
“Maeve! Maeve, it’s me!”
She turned, knife in hand, jabbing it at him. “Touch me and I’ll stab you.”
The man didn’t move.
And that’s when awareness settled in. It wasn’t a stranger trying to attack her.
This was Gray.
She breathed in heavily, letting it out slowly. This was Gray. She was fine. She’d just acted like a lunatic but she was fine.
Was he the one who’d been watching her?
Idiot.
“Girl, give me the knife.”
Huh?
Oh. Crap. She looked down at her hand. Where she had her knife precariously close to his cock.
Whoa. That could have been a disaster.
“Shoot. Sorry. That could have been very bad. I don’t want to cut up my second favorite part of you.”
“Only your second favorite? What’s your favorite?” he asked.
“That tight butt. It’s really your best feature.”
“Good to know.”
“I’m not sure what is the appropriate way to say I’m sorry I nearly stabbed you. I know, waffles!”
“Waffles? Really?”
“Uh, yeah. You don’t like waffles?”