Damien
Two weeks later, Raven shook her head, trying to convince me it was time for her to go back to her apartment. “Damien, Andy’s stopped. You yourself said so.”
“I just meant I was cautiously optimistic. Not that I was convinced.”
Frustrated, she ticked each item off on her hand. “Not one sighting. Not a single hidden message, hang up, even a hoodie-wearing glimpse while we’re outside with the kids. The bugs you examined were no longer activated. Face it. Andy’s given up and moved on. Your men have better things to do.”
I shifted, lifting the mug of coffee she’d handed me after dinner and taking a long sip. Raven was right on all accounts. It was as if Andy had vanished. I had spoken to Jeff from The Real Connection, who praised the tight security he had allowed us to install on his system and informed me all breaches had been stopped dead with our software. He also told me he’d done a thorough search in his system and tightened more protocols.
“I found no trace of any outsiders anywhere. I also spoke to other site managers, and they have locked themselves down tighter. As a personal favor, they searched their systems and found no trace of his presence either.”
“We can’t find him,” I admitted.
“Perhaps he has moved on. I am sorry your friend experienced what she did, but I think this Andy, whoever he is, got the message loud and clear.”
“I had wanted to stop him from doing it to someone else.”
“If I hear anything, I will be in touch.”
“Thank you.”
Unfortunately, he hadn’t returned to the off-site building, or if he had, he hadn’t accessed the computer there. And even if Andy had given up, moved on, or whatever you wanted to call it, I still wanted to know who he was. Make sure he stayed away. Ensure he didn’t do this to another woman. I had to keep overturning rocks until he crawled out from the one he was hiding under.
“I could ease up a bit on the men,” I agreed. I’d cut it down to one man watching her, but I wasn’t ready for her to be off the radar yet.
“And I’m sure you want your space back. I must be cramping your style. Sharing your bathroom vanity, taking over your kitchen, and all,” she said lightly, looking over my shoulder, her gaze focused elsewhere.
I leaned forward, taking her chin in my hand, forcing her to meet my gaze. “No,” I said shortly. “You’re not.”
She blinked, and I saw the worry in her eyes. I held her firmly. “I don’t want you to go back to your apartment, Raven.”
“You don’t?”
“No. I want you to stay here with me.” I drew in a deep breath. “Permanently.”
Her breath caught.
“I realize the normal thing would be that you go back to your place. That we date. Text. Call. I pick you up. Take you home after the date. Or bring you here. Stay over on the weekend. But that’s not what I want.”
“No?” she whispered.
I brushed my fingers over her jaw as I shook my head. “No.”
Silence hung between us. She stared at me, uncertain but hopeful.
“Ask me what I want, Raven.”
“What do you want, Damien?”
“I want you beside me at night. I want to wake up with you wrapped around me like a little kitten, happy and content. I want to push aside your lotion bottles on the vanity so I can find the toothpaste, listen to you humming as you cook in the kitchen. I want to go grocery shopping with you, argue over who ate the last of the popcorn and what movie we’re going to watch.”
Her eyes glistened.
“I want to make love to you every day. Listen to you laugh. Watch over you and know you’re safe.” I ran my thumbs under her eyes, catching the tears that were spilling over. “I want to live my life with you now, Raven. That’s how we’re going to end up, so why not begin right away? Why wait for our happiness?”
“I make you happy?”
With a groan, I pulled her into my lap. “Yes, you do. Very much so. Don’t go back to your place, Raven. Stay with me. Let me love you. Love me back. Please.”