trembled.
“I like those panties you’re wearing. They’re sexy. But you should have ditched the shirt.”
Before she’d climbed into bed, she’d pulled on a pair of bright red panties and an old college t-shirt.
He saw me.
It was suddenly hard to breathe.
Sink under the covers…
She was inching even deeper beneath those covers. Dear God…was he watching her right then? Was he in her apartment? “Leave me alone,” she told him.
“Never,” he promised.
The line went dead.
The silence was suddenly too thick. Too terribly thick and consuming. Every muscle in her body was tight because she was afraid that she wasn’t alone.
She’d woken once before and found a man in her bedroom. Ethan had reached out to her and she’d screamed.
Was he back? Had he come for her again?
Maybe her father had been right. Dammit, she hated it when he was right and—
Something scratched against her window. With a sharp cry, Gwen leapt from the bed and raced out of her bedroom.
Chapter Three
Chance’s phone rang. He frowned down at the screen, but he answered quickly. “Valentine—”
“He’s watching me.”
Chance would have recognized Gwen’s voice anywhere. Anytime. But he sure didn’t like the fear that trembled in her words.
“I-I searched my apartment, twice, but the things he said when he called me…he has to be here. He has to be close. He’s watching me.”
“Gwen, baby, slow down.” But he was already reaching for his car door. He motioned to Lex, covered the phone and said… “
Keep an eye out.”
Then he was leaping out of the car. The snow was falling even harder. “Tell me what’s happening.”
“He called again.” She wasn’t slowing down. Her words were shooting out in rapid-fire succession. “What he said…he had to see me. He knew how I smelled.”
Chance was in her apartment building and running for the stairs.
“He knew what I was wearing. My…my panties. The t-shirt.”
Chance was on the second level of stairs.
“He could see me,” she said, her words rough. “But I can’t find him. I can’t!”
Chance was on her floor. “Baby, open your door. I’m here.”
He could hear the quick thud of her footsteps. Then the door flew open and Gwen was there. She saw him and she threw herself against him. His arms closed around her¸ the movement as natural as breathing. She trembled against him.
Gwen still had her phone gripped tightly in her hand as she eased back to stare up at him. “He was watching, but he isn’t here. He isn’t.”
He could hear her fear and he hated that she was so terrified.
No one should do this to her.
Without her heels, Gwen stood at only five foot four in front of him. She seemed far too delicate standing there. Too breakable.
“He said I wasn’t going to escape from him.” She glanced back over her shoulder and into her apartment. Chance realized that she’d turned on every light in the place. “He said I’d never get away.”
The SOB was dead wrong.
***
An hour later, Chance had Gwen safely installed at his place. He’d sent Lex to thoroughly search her apartment
and
to go ahead and change her locks. Chance had done a sweep before they’d left the place, and he knew that the guy harassing Gwen hadn’t actually been
inside
her home. At least, not when the jerkoff had called her.
But he was watching her.
Which meant the guy had probably wired the place. Chance didn’t think the incident from earlier had been a mugging gone wrong. Hell, no. He thought that bastard had just planted cameras or bugs at Gwen’s place. Only she’d arrived home before the guy could make his getaway. And with Gwen so close, the guy hadn’t been able to resist grabbing her.
You are going to pay, asshole.
“I could have stayed in a hotel. Or even gone to my father’s place.” Gwen’s arms were wrapped around her stomach. “You didn’t have to bring me here.”
“Yes, I did.” Because he wanted her in his house. He wanted her close.
Gwen
“I like those panties you’re wearing. They’re sexy. But you should have ditched the shirt.”
Before she’d climbed into bed, she’d pulled on a pair of bright red panties and an old college t-shirt.
He saw me.
It was suddenly hard to breathe.
Sink under the covers…
She was inching even deeper beneath those covers. Dear God…was he watching her right then? Was he in her apartment? “Leave me alone,” she told him.
“Never,” he promised.
The line went dead.
The silence was suddenly too thick. Too terribly thick and consuming. Every muscle in her body was tight because she was afraid that she wasn’t alone.
She’d woken once before and found a man in her bedroom. Ethan had reached out to her and she’d screamed.
Was he back? Had he come for her again?
Maybe her father had been right. Dammit, she hated it when he was right and—
Something scratched against her window. With a sharp cry, Gwen leapt from the bed and raced out of her bedroom.
Chapter Three
Chance’s phone rang. He frowned down at the screen, but he answered quickly. “Valentine—”
“He’s watching me.”
Chance would have recognized Gwen’s voice anywhere. Anytime. But he sure didn’t like the fear that trembled in her words.
“I-I searched my apartment, twice, but the things he said when he called me…he has to be here. He has to be close. He’s watching me.”
“Gwen, baby, slow down.” But he was already reaching for his car door. He motioned to Lex, covered the phone and said… “
Keep an eye out.”
Then he was leaping out of the car. The snow was falling even harder. “Tell me what’s happening.”
“He called again.” She wasn’t slowing down. Her words were shooting out in rapid-fire succession. “What he said…he had to see me. He knew how I smelled.”
Chance was in her apartment building and running for the stairs.
“He knew what I was wearing. My…my panties. The t-shirt.”
Chance was on the second level of stairs.
“He could see me,” she said, her words rough. “But I can’t find him. I can’t!”
Chance was on her floor. “Baby, open your door. I’m here.”
He could hear the quick thud of her footsteps. Then the door flew open and Gwen was there. She saw him and she threw herself against him. His arms closed around her¸ the movement as natural as breathing. She trembled against him.
Gwen still had her phone gripped tightly in her hand as she eased back to stare up at him. “He was watching, but he isn’t here. He isn’t.”
He could hear her fear and he hated that she was so terrified.
No one should do this to her.
Without her heels, Gwen stood at only five foot four in front of him. She seemed far too delicate standing there. Too breakable.
“He said I wasn’t going to escape from him.” She glanced back over her shoulder and into her apartment. Chance realized that she’d turned on every light in the place. “He said I’d never get away.”
The SOB was dead wrong.
***
An hour later, Chance had Gwen safely installed at his place. He’d sent Lex to thoroughly search her apartment
and
to go ahead and change her locks. Chance had done a sweep before they’d left the place, and he knew that the guy harassing Gwen hadn’t actually been
inside
her home. At least, not when the jerkoff had called her.
But he was watching her.
Which meant the guy had probably wired the place. Chance didn’t think the incident from earlier had been a mugging gone wrong. Hell, no. He thought that bastard had just planted cameras or bugs at Gwen’s place. Only she’d arrived home before the guy could make his getaway. And with Gwen so close, the guy hadn’t been able to resist grabbing her.
You are going to pay, asshole.
“I could have stayed in a hotel. Or even gone to my father’s place.” Gwen’s arms were wrapped around her stomach. “You didn’t have to bring me here.”
“Yes, I did.” Because he wanted her in his house. He wanted her close.
Gwen