by Katie Reus
That protectiveness made her like him even more. She took a deep breath. “Listen, Ivan. Would you mind if we went someplace else tonight?” Her stomach was too in knots to think about eating at her brothers’ restaurant, no matter how much she’d tried to mentally convince herself that it would be fine.
The change in subject seemed to take him off guard. “Meeting your family doesn’t bother me.”
“It’s not that. I just… Look, this thing between us is clearly intense, physically, but I know… I know that this is just casual for you. It’s not fair for my whole family to meet you when this isn’t going to last. I don’t want them to think there’s more to this than there really is.” She bit her bottom lip, feeling strange just putting the words out there, but she needed to be honest. She knew she was making an assumption, but he also wasn’t correcting her.
Which was telling all by itself. He stared at her for a long moment and she thought she saw the briefest hint of hurt in his icy eyes, but it was gone so fast she must have imagined it. His jaw tightened and he nodded once before palming his keys. “We can go somewhere else.”
She started to respond when her phone buzzed in her purse. Normally she wouldn’t answer her phone while on a date—though she wasn’t even sure this was a date anymore—but with everything going on and the fact that she owned her own shop, she was basically on call during working hours.
It wasn’t the store number though, it was her security company.
A heavy ball of dread settled in her stomach. They only called for one reason. Since she used the same company for her store and home, she knew something bad had happened.
Chapter 10
Ivan stood next to Julieta at her kitchen table with his hand on her back as she spoke to Detective Duarte. He could feel the tension humming through her even though it was clear she was trying to remain strong.
“Like I said, I don’t see much missing except…undergarments.” Her voice cracked on the last word, but she continued. “I’ll need to check through everything again, but wouldn’t my alarm have scared the intruder off before he could have taken much?”
The detective nodded, his expression grim as he flicked a glance at Ivan. “Yeah. It’s odd that he came into your house at all once your alarm went off. Ninety-nine percent of the time, alarms scare intruders away. They want easy targets. Are you sure you locked all your doors?”
Julieta jerked at that. “My mother is crazy vigilant about that stuff and raised all of us to check doors and windows every night. And I’m a single woman living in Miami. No matter how good of a neighborhood this is, I didn’t leave my freaking sliding glass door wide open or my kitchen door unlocked.” Her voice vibrated with rage, a tremble snaking through her body that Ivan felt under his fingertips.
He just wanted to pull her into his arms and comfort her, even if she seemed to think whatever was happening between them was casual. He nearly snorted at the thought. At first he’d been hurt by what she’d said outside the restaurant. It wasn’t until they’d left to meet the police at her house that her actual words had registered. I know that this is just casual for you. For you. Meaning she assumed he just wanted something short-term. He was going to clear that up with her soon, but he wasn’t stupid enough to think simple words would change her mind. She’d no doubt formed an opinion of him, probably after talking to Mina, and she wouldn’t be wrong. He’d only ever done casual.
Until now. Casual with Julieta wasn’t an option. He shoved those thoughts aside and focused on the detective. He had to restrain himself from snapping at the man who he knew was just doing his job.
“I know that ma’am, I just have to cover everything. I’m going to be honest with you, this doesn’t feel random. Not with what’s been going on with you. After the newest text you just showed me and combined with the fact that your alarm didn’t immediately scare off the intruder…that’s not good. His texts have escalated into dangerous territory quickly.”
Julieta just nodded, another tremble racking through her. Ivan wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her tight to him. He was thankful when she leaned into him. “What do you suggest right now, Detective?” Ivan asked. He would be watching out for her and he and Lizzy were working to figure out who was behind everything, but that wasn’t a long-term option.
“Get a gun and a dog. A big one,” Carlito said to her.
Julieta blinked in surprise. “Excuse me?”
The man nodded. “You’ve already got an alarm system, which is good. But with the right tools, they can be disabled. Most people won’t know how to, but we know little about this guy right now. All we know is that he’s clearly dangerous and willing to take risks. It was stupid of him to take your undergarments, but he risked getting caught for it. That behavior makes him a real threat.”
Yeah, no kidding. The fact that the guy took her panties signified his sexual fixation, making him very dangerous.
“I have a gun,” she murmured. “And I know how to use it. I go to the range with my oldest brother once every two weeks. It’s in my safe though.”
“Take it out at night. Getting a dog won’t hurt either. They’re the best alarm system you can ask for.”
“She’ll be staying with me for a while, but thanks for the advice,” Ivan said. Getting a dog was a good suggestion, but they needed to eliminate the problem of her stalker, period. And he needed her safe immediately. Her house was clearly compromised.
Julieta swiveled to look at him, her dark eyes wide. “Ivan, we can’t… You can’t…” She trailed off, looking back at the detective.
The man cleared his throat and stepped back, clearly giving them privacy. “I’m heading upstairs if you need me. We should be out of here soon.”
As soon as the detective had cleared the kitchen, Julieta was already shaking her head. “Listen, Ivan, I appreciate—”
“Don’t even bother. You’re staying with me.” He knew he sounded high-handed. He didn’t care.
She gritted her teeth and slid off the seat to glare at him. All earlier tension seemed to have fled her tight body. “Damn it, Ivan—”
“Keep saying my name like that,” he murmured. “Do you know how many nights I’ve fantasized about you saying it under very different circumstances?” He leaned closer as he asked the question so that there were only a few inches between them. He wanted her to understand that he wanted more than a one-night thing with her.
Julieta pulled in a sharp breath. “Don’t try to distract me.”
He leaned back only because he was distracting himself being so damn close to her. That subtle floral and vanilla scent teased him. “I’m not. I’m just being honest. There’s no point in arguing when coming with me is the best option. Your family will be the first place anyone with half a brain will look. It will also put your family members in danger. Even if your stalker has my license plate number, the vehicle I’ve been driving is registered to Red Stone. I’ve only been home once since I got involved in this situation and I know I wasn’t followed. Not to mention the security at my condo is a hell of a lot better than here. Not that yours is bad, but it’ll be much harder for anyone to infiltrate my place. On the off-chance someone tries, they’d then have to go through me.” His voice was a deadly blade, sharp and biting.
“You…are annoying when you’re right,” she muttered. “I don’t know. It seems like a big imposition. Are you sure?”
“Positive.” He’d never been surer of anything in his life.
* * *
“I can’t believe I never knew you lived in the same building as Mina.” Julieta took a sip of the wine Ivan had just poured for her as she looked around his place.
He sat on the same couch as her, but there was enough distance between them that they weren’t touching. Something she hoped to change soon. “It’s not as big as hers, but I like it. And Miami. Never thought I’d move to the East Coast, but I find I prefer it.”
His place was still spacious, with lots of big windows overlooking the bright and colorful M
iami nightlife. The living room had minimal decorations and not many personal touches, but what was there, said a lot about him. Above the fireplace were a couple pictures of Ivan with other men in uniform. All Rangers, she guessed. His furniture was sleek and dark leather with a large, square coffee table that looked like solid wood all the way through. There were intricate carvings all around the sides. She doubted it was something she could pick up from Pottery Barn. Everything else, down to the indigo leaf-shaped lamp on the table next to the couch was unique. Like Ivan.
“You’re from California right?”
He nodded. “Northern. I was born right outside of Eureka, but we moved around so much I don’t really call any place home. I just always assumed I’d settle in California, but…” Half-smiling, he shrugged and took a sip of his beer.
“Your dad was in the Army too?”
He nodded again.
“And? Come on, give me more. You’ve met one of my brothers and a cousin and I don’t know anything about you.” The man was a closed book. Despite knowing their relationship would likely be brief, she wanted to know everything about him.
His blue eyes turned speculative, almost calculating. He straightened against the couch, the movement slight, but she was under the impression that she’d just been caught in a hunter’s snare. “Okay,” he finally said. “For every piece of information I give you, you have to tell me something in return. Something personal.”
“Deal.” That was easy enough. “Now you tell me something personal about you.”
“Okay. The first time I had sex I was seventeen. We were about to move again and I was pissed at my dad so I went out for a weekend of partying with my friends. It wasn’t hard to get fake IDs back then. My friends bet me I couldn’t pick up a college chick and I just had to prove them wrong.” He looked smug as he said it. “Of course the next morning when she found out I was seventeen she freaked out.”
Julieta had no problem imagining him as a cocky teenager sure of himself in the world. “That’s a good one and I guess it’s my turn. So…my favorite color is purple.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “I just told you about my first time and you tell me your favorite color?”
“Hey, it’s a personal fact. You didn’t specify just how personal in the rules. And I’m pretty sure the only reason you told me that story is because you want to know about my first time.” She grinned behind her wine glass before taking another sip.
“I want to know everything about you, even your favorite color,” he murmured, his blue eyes no longer icy, but molten hot as he watched her from across the couch. “From that pathetic admission I’m guessing you bend the rules when playing games so now I know two things about you.”
“I like to play dirty.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth she realized how it sounded. “I mean…” She trailed off, sure anything she said now would sound just as suggestive.
His answering grin was wicked. “I know exactly what you meant. And it’s my turn again.” He leaned forward slightly, his beer still held loosely in his hand. “I’ve been fantasizing about you for the past two months. A lot.”
Heat infused her cheeks, but she didn’t look away. “That’s what’s you’re going with for your fact?”
He nodded.
His words sent another rush of heat between her legs. She shifted against the couch casually, trying to ease the building ache. It didn’t help. “My first time I was eighteen, in college and it was with my first boyfriend—and it was terrible. Thankfully it got better. Personal enough?”
Ivan’s gaze dipped to her mouth for a moment. “Better. How did you end up starting your own business selling lingerie and sexy toys?”
“Uh uh, look who’s trying to play dirty now. I get a personal fact first. Then I’ll tell you.” Heat built inside her as she simply watched Ivan. Being with him like this, relaxed and flirting, almost made her forget that she had a stalker lurking out there somewhere.
He was silent a long moment as he watched her, which didn’t help with the heat factor. All he had to do was turn those baby blues on her and she wanted to melt into a puddle at his feet. “The first time I got shot I was twenty-two.” His long fingers lifted up the side of his shirt, revealing the left side of his abs and ribs. There was a faint white spider web-looking scar.
She’d noticed it and others that morning when he’d been shirtless in her kitchen but she’d never imagined he’d actually been shot. Which she probably should have considering he’d been in the Army and was now in personal security. “Ivan, I’m—”
“Don’t say you’re sorry, but you can say my name again.” His voice dropped an octave as he said the last part.
Fighting a smile, she refused to say his name again. “Fine, but I am sorry you got shot. That’s awful. And you said the first time so that indicates that it’s happened more than once.” For that alone she wanted to give him a big hug. She was a big baby when it came to pain. Stubbing her toe was cause to call an ambulance. Getting shot? Oh yeah, he deserved a hug and more.
“That would be another personal fact. First you tell me how you got into your business of choice.”
“Hmm, fine, but we will go back to that. I majored in business in college, and my senior year for one of my classes we had to break into groups and come up with real life scenarios of different businesses along with projected expenses. Stuff like that. One of the suggestions was a lingerie shop but our group ended up not using it. Still, the idea stuck with me. In Miami there are a lot of high end, specifically couture, shops but not everyone can afford that. So I did a lot of research my final year, and something I kept hearing from my friends and the women I polled was that in addition to higher end stuff, I should include sex toys and costume lingerie.
“Not the Halloween kind, but bedroom only. I liked the idea of staying diversified and keeping a small, discreet section of toys, especially since I’ve been in the shops that sell only sex toys and games. The majority of them are gross. With my shop women can come in under the guise of buying lingerie or whatever, and pick up some toys too. Because the truth is, some women still feel uncomfortable buying toys for themselves.”
“They could just use the Internet,” he said.
“That’s true, which is why the majority of what I sell in the store I also sell online. Like I said, I’m all about being diversified. And the location I found certainly helped. It’s in an established area so I’m not just grabbing tourists or the type of people who shop in Bayside. I get a lot of repeat customers but I also get a lot of tourists who want to feel like they’re shopping somewhere in ‘real’ Miami.”
He watched her intently, as if he cared about what she was saying. It was a little unnerving. “How’d your family feel about it?”
She shrugged. “This is another personal fact but I’m giving you a freebie. My parents were annoyed with me, not because of what I’m selling, but because they wanted me to work for them. They just assumed I was getting a business degree and would eventually move into the family business. But my brother Leo was already starting to take over more and more at their place and I knew my other two brothers were planning to open their own restaurant and honestly, I wanted something that was just mine.”
“That’s pretty brave.”
She snorted and shook her head. “Not really. My parents gave me the startup capital.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “And I bet you paid them back.”
“With interest.” Because she’d needed to know she could do it all on her own.
He started to respond when a soft chime sounded. “It’s the doorbell,” he said, his voice tight as he set his beer down and stood.
Julieta immediately tensed, but then realized her stalker wouldn’t ring the doorbell. Still… “I thought you said the security downstairs had to buzz anyone up.”
“They do. Stay here.” He was moving before she could respond.
Seconds later she heard a familiar female voice and smiled. She’d texted Mina and Lizzy e
arlier, letting them know she’d be staying with Ivan temporarily. It was a little late, but Mina must have decided to come see her. Julieta was glad her friend cared enough, but as she set her wine glass down she fought the disappointment threading through her that she and Ivan had been interrupted.
Because she was pretty sure that they were headed to something physical tonight. Something fun and relaxing that would completely take her mind off the craziness surrounding her life right now. And not just with anyone, but with sexy, adorable Ivan who made her let her guard down even if she knew it likely was stupid.
Chapter 11
Ivan stared out one of the big glass windows of his living room at the city below but he wasn’t seeing much. Everything blurred together in a kaleidoscope of colors. It was after midnight and he knew he should just go to sleep.
Mina and Blue had stopped by unexpectedly to check on Julieta, interrupting the flirtatious conversation he’d been enjoying with her. After they’d left Julieta had looked exhausted so she’d left to take a shower in the guest bathroom and now he was certain she was in bed.
Alone, unfortunately.
He scrubbed a hand over his face but froze when he saw her reflection in the glass. He immediately turned.
Wearing a short-sleeved blue and purple polka dot pajama set and her damp hair falling loose around her shoulders, she looked…terrified.
Shit. “What is it?” he demanded, crossing the distance from the windows to where she stood by the hallway.
Wordlessly she held out her phone, her fingers trembling. When he looked at the screen he expected another vile text. Instead there was a picture of a skimpy, black thong covered in what he was certain was semen. The message attached to it said, There’s nowhere you can hide from me.
He let out a savage curse and started to squeeze the phone in his hand. He was tempted to smash it to pieces so she’d never have to see that picture again, but that would accomplish nothing. When he opened his arms, she immediately fell into them, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face against his chest. She wasn’t crying, but her body trembled.
