Page 22 of Possess

She didn’t argue with him because she was pretty sure he wouldn’t leave until he was satisfied. A tiny giggle escaped her lips before she could stop it. Zeke was forceful; dare she think…dominant?

Her nerves tingled. She stopped in front of her apartment. Another reason she liked this apartment building, single level. “This is me.”

“I’d normally not ask, but will you allow me to open the door and make sure everything is okay?” He held his hand out for her keys.

Allyson tilted her head. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

“Please.”

He was being very protective. This man would never let his woman be afraid or fear she could be attacked. Allyson shook her head. Where had that thought come from?

“Okay.” She dropped her keys into his palm with the knowledge she was allowing him to do things she’d never let another man do for her. “Third key for the dead bolt, the second key for the door itself.”

“Thank you.” Some of the visible tension left his body.

Allyson’s tummy did a funny summersault as he opened the door. She’d never had a man in her apartment before. “Light switch on the right.” The lights flared.

“Stay here, please.” There was thatpleaseagain. Her insides melted. Zeke slipped inside and, within a few moments, was back. That didn’t surprise her. Her apartment wasn’t that big. “All clear.” He held her keys out to her.

“Thank you.” She was still a little perplexed why he felt the need to check out her apartment, but her nerves were doing a little dance at his attention.

Zeke grasped her by the shoulders and turned her so her back was to her apartment. “I had a wonderful time tonight.”

“I did too.” Hadn’t they said this earlier? Her heart was doing a strange tattoo in her chest.

“I’m going to kiss you, Allyson. If you don’t want me to, tell me.”

She swallowed. Words dried up in her throat, and she went up on her toes.

Warm lips closed over hers. The kiss was soft, not tentative but not aggressive either. It was over before she could analyze more.

“Good night. Go inside and lock the door.”

“Bossy.” Her voice was soft and breathless. He did that to her with a kiss. Wow.

“Always around your safety.”

Allyson didn’t argue and slipped inside her apartment, shut and locked the door. She kept her hand against the wooden door for longer than was necessary, as if she could still feel Zeke’s presence.

What was wrong with her? Zeke was a good guy, but she didn’t want or need a man like him in her life. She should have objected to the kiss, but she hadn’t. She turned and caught the scent of the flowers she’d brought home from work.

She forgot to ask him about that. The flowers were beautiful. Well, the next time she saw him outside of work, she’d thank him for them. Wait…what was she thinking? She wasn’t going to see him outside of work again.Coward, a voice inside her muttered.

“Self-preservation,” she said out loud. No one she loved stay around her for long. They all left. Well, except for Dani. She came back. But Zeke wouldn’t hang around. Men didn’t. And there was no sense in starting something that would end with someone being hurt. That someone being her.

* * * *

Zeke grinned the entire drive home. Allyson didn’t get upset with his need to make sure she was safe. She was so independent he wasn’t sure how she’d handle it, but she did great. Dinner was a success, except for the part where she kept insisting they were just friends.

He wanted to smash in the face of whomever hurt her and made her think she couldn’t have a relationship. His fingers tightened around the steering wheel. He’d get to the bottom of that and why she didn’t want to talk about her childhood.

Tonight was the first step in his campaign. He was going to win Allyson over to his side. Zeke paused in his thinking. He didn’t know enough about her yet to be thinking long-term relationship. A step at a time. He understood her worry about them working together, and he’d show her he could separate work and pleasure.

His smile grew wider. Wait until she saw Wicked Sanctuary. That would be a good way to judge how she felt about a kinky lifestyle. Not that it was that big a deal for him. He was comfortable keeping their kink to the bedroom. And he was getting ahead of himself again.

First, get her to agree to a relationship and then on to kink.

Chapter 5

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