Page 13 of Hawk

“Okay, but…” I gestured vaguely around us. “Don’t you think this is a little over the top?”

“Not even close.”

His voice held no hesitation. No room for argument. He wasn’t doing this halfway.

My pulse fluttered in my throat as I realized this might not just be a job for him.

He didn’t have to be this thorough. He didn’t have to walk through my house like he was cataloging every weakness, everyvulnerability. He didn’t have to install sensors himself or rig panic buttons.

But he was doing it anyway. For me.

No.I mentally shook my head, scattering that train of thought.For Lainie.

But even though that was the most likely reason,I couldn’t help but hope he felt the pull between us as strongly as I did.

“Need to check out the studio and that breaker box.”

I hadn’t realized how tightly wound I was until we left the house. We stepped out into the sunlight, and I immediately felt like I could breathe again. The air was cool and crisp, and the narrow path between the house and garage gave me something to focus on besides the towering man walking beside me.

My heart was still racing from the panic button comment. From his eyes. And from the way he hadn’t even blinked when I’d asked if this was too much.

“I converted the garage as soon as I moved in,” I said, just to fill the silence. “It was kind of a mess when I bought the place, but I knew right away that I could turn it into a real studio.”

Callum nodded once but didn’t say anything. Still, I couldn’t seem to stop.

“I got into photography after my parents died.” The words came out softly. “I needed something to help me make sense of everything. That let me escape for a while.”

His gaze flicked toward me at that, his expression sharp and unreadable.

“I started with nature stuff. Landscapes, plants, things that didn’t move too much. Then I did a headshot for a friend, and I realized I was kind of good at it. People opened up for me. They trusted me. And that mattered more than I expected.”

The gravel crunched under our feet as we reached the studio door. I paused before unlocking it, fingers hovering over the key.

“I think that’s why I started doing boudoir. Women would come in nervous and unsure, and they’d leave with their heads held high like they remembered something about themselves that they’d forgotten. Most of the time, it isn’t about being sexy for someone else. It’s about claiming that power for themselves.”

I glanced over, bracing for the awkward expression I usually got whenever I tried to explain my motivation behind boudoir photography. Most people assumed these types of photos were all about sex, but that was very rarely the true purpose. However, the only reaction I got from Callum was a softening of his dark eyes.

“I bet you’re even better than you think at that,” he said finally, his voice low. “Helping people feel seen.”

His approval meant more than I expected, surprising me as I pushed open the studio door and stepped inside.

Soft natural light filtered through sheer curtains I’d pinned just right to catch the glow, and the familiar hush settled around me.

This space was somehow even more mine than the house because it was where my creativity blossomed.

No one had been in here since I discovered the breach. Not even me. I hadn’t let myself come back until today. But with Callum behind me, I didn’t feel afraid.

He didn’t say anything as he entered, but his gaze moved slowly over everything. The backdrops, chaise, and table where I kept props and fabrics folded neatly in labeled bins. I wondered what he’d think when he spotted the ornate bed with the iron posts on the wall across the room. But his attention didn’t feel judgmental. Just focused.

And the silence didn’t bother me anymore because I realized that Callum was a quiet man.

But every time his eyes came back to me, my breath caught.

The way he watched me reminded me of how I studied a client before I began taking photos. It was as though he was memorizing every detail. Every line of my body, even fully clothed. Every move I made.

I turned away before I climbed him like a tree. “I’ll make sure the studio’s clear tomorrow when you start installing the security stuff.”

He didn’t respond right away, and I wasn’t sure he’d even heard me until he said, “Lock up tight tonight. I’ll be here at eight.”

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