“Please …” She grasped for some excuse. “My head is pounding like an eighties heavy metal band. I need to sleep. Sorry I woke you.”
He simply nodded and stood. He moved with fluid strength and she had to look away to stop that rush of warm feelings from returning. How fickle was she?
Her gaze caught on the open bedroom door. She distinctly remembered locking it.
“How did you get in here?” she asked.
“Picked the lock,” he said matter-of-factly, like everybody picked locks. “You were screaming,” he added, as if that justified him picking her lock and entering her bedroom.
He hadn’t stopped there, now had he? Greer had come into her room and then he’d given her a hug for the record books. He’d held her protectively, warmly, beautifully. His arms around her had briefly fulfilled every dream she’d ever had of being safe and wanted by an incredible man, of having a place in life, a home and a family.
She shook her head to stop her thoughts. She wasn’t safe here—far from it. Her brother’s murderer could come into her bedroom anytime he wanted. Shuddering, she looked away from his searching gaze.
“Screaming is actually good practice for my vocal cords,” she said. “So next time you hear a cacophony of desperate screams, could you please put some earbuds in, turn that sad country music song up loud enough to damage your cochlea, and just let me have a cathartic scream and cry session?”
He let out a surprised laugh, and she couldn’t stop herself from staring at him. She liked making him laugh. Then their gazes met and got all tangled up.
His mirth died, and his blue eyes focused so completely on her she felt like she might be Greer Delta’s heart’s desire. The depth of that gaze had her panting for air. Whatever Greer thought or knew about her as Emery or Taylor, he was definitely attracted to and interested in her and he liked that she made him laugh. The connection she felt to him made her tremble. She clutched her hands together and gave him a pointed and saucy look. She didn’t want him to leave, but she sure needed him to or she’d never get her head on straight.
Holding up his hands as if in surrender, he backed toward the door. She was glad he was going. Kind of. She was glad he wouldn’t come if she had another nightmare and screamed herself hoarse. But that was an outright lie. She hated the nightmare and would love to have those strong arms around her again, feel that sense of safety and home and warmth.
At that moment, he did something that was almost as disarming and incredible as his touch earlier had been and his gaze now was.
He smiled.
It was a beautiful, full smile that took his face from perfectly handsome to sculpted by angels.
She smiled back. She couldn’t stop herself.
For several beautiful seconds, they simply smiled at each other. Then he nodded to her and murmured, “Night.”
“Goodnight,” she returned. She wanted to thank him for waking her up, for holding her, for showing her that an embrace could be the safety, warmth, and home she’d always longed for.
Instead, she watched him go. Then she sank into the pillow and didn’t move. The living room light shut off, and she heard his bedroom door shut. She didn’t bother shutting hers. What was the point? He’d pick the lock anyway.
A delicious shiver went through her. Greer Delta was incredible, and she was staying in his house.
The shiver turned icy cold. Could he possibly be a murderer and a fraud? What if he was lulling her into thinking he was a great guy? He might be trying to get the information out of her about why she was here. As soon as he had that information, he’d shoot her in the head like he had her brother.
What kind of person could shoot someone in the head? It was vicious and final and terrifying. No coming back from that one. Travis wasn’t coming back. Emery was alone. And sleeping in the house of her mortal enemy.
Emery stared at the open doorway. Her stomach twisted and her eyes burned as she tried to see through the darkness. Was Greer’s heart dark and twisted? Did he think he was fighting for the good guys like the Voice had said? Was it possible he didn’t realize he’d killed an innocent man on a secret ops mission for the U.S. Navy? What if the Voice was lying and either Greer hadn’t been the one who’d killed her brother or Travis was the one who’d been deluded and on a mission for the bad guys?
She couldn’t reason it out tonight. It was impossible to make any of it fit perfectly in her head. She liked to solve puzzles and make things fit, and she had no idea how to do that tonight.
And she didn’t dare close her eyes.