Page 27 of How to Flirt with a Hellhound
“I want you to call for me if you needanything, ok, Toby? Even if you’re just scared and want company. Understand?” he asked.
“I don’t have your number,” I muttered.
He smiled, taking my phone off the counter where I’d left it and typing into it. “There. Now you do. But if you’re in a bind and can’t get to your phone, yell for me. Our houses aren’t that far apart, and I’ll hear you.”
I kind of doubted it, but I nodded anyway. I followed him out to the front porch. It was warm, but I still put my arms around myself when we got outside. I just felt… unsafe.
He seemed to know it, because he looked around, seemed to sniff the air, which I knew was weird, but I swear it looked like that.
“You’re safe here. No one is around our houses or has been here. Town is safe, too, at least today, but I don’t want you leaving town unless you talk to me,” he demanded.
“Ok,” I said, not even questioning how he knew that. Did he have surveillance or something? Probably, since he was a badass military dude. Or serial killer. Or whatever.
And yeah, I was giving off total damsel in distress vibes, and I should probably put my foot down about autonomy and all that shit, but I didn’t care. It felt good to have someone care.
“Maybe I’ll run into town to get some groceries. Do you think that would be ok?” I asked. And to check my PO box again, because I wouldn’t be able to help it. Maybe to make an appearance in the police station too, because it never hurt to let them know I was an actual person and not just a name on a case.
“Yes, that’s good. Do you want me to come with you?” Dex asked.
So fucking sweet. I contemplated it for a minute, but I would rather him do whatever mojo he was gonna do with the emails and stuff. “I’ll be ok, and I know most people in town. I’ll be careful,” I promised.
He walked over, gently held my face in his hands, and kissed me. It was soft and romantic and so fucking sweet I almost cried.
He pulled away, smiled, and vaulted off the porch, looking totally hot and badass while he did it.
“Let me know when you’re back,” he insisted again.
I nodded and gave a stupid little wave before turning to go back into my house. Ok, so I had a stalker. That sucked. But I also had Sexy Neighbor looking out for me and kissing me. So that was a plus.
I grabbed my wallet and keys off the side table by my front door. If I didn’t go out now, I’d just get lost in either panic or in writing a great sex scene based on my kiss with Dex. Toss up as to which one would win (my brain was a weird place). But I really did need to pick up some groceries, and it would be nice to get out for a bit.
As I left, I noticed my door jam was cracked a bit, and I thought maybe that was due to Dex charging in to check on me (which I wasn’t complaining about—I found it sweet that he was worried). I guess my lock wasn’t very sturdy, but luckily my deadbolt still worked and it seemed mostly secure. Still, I made a mental note to fix the door (or maybe hire someone to fix it) and get better security as I got into my car.
Paradise Falls had a cute little downtown, and I generally loved living there. I wasn’t gonna let some asshole stalker ruin my vibe, either. I decided to stop in the coffee shop first beforehitting the little market. There was a bigger superstore market in the next town over, but I didn’t need much, and I wasn’t leaving town. I’d promised Dex. My neighbor who’d kissed me. Twice.
At what point did we go from flirting and kissing to more? Should I invite him over for dinner or something? That was probably the next step. Like, a date or whatever.
My thoughts were interrupted by the cute guy behind the counter. He was totally unfamiliar to me, and he also looked like he was going to glare any customers into submission. Despite his frown, he was still cute. Not nearly as hot as Dex, of course, but still cute. Cassius came bustling out of the kitchen at that moment, and he smiled and waved when he saw me.
“Toby! Haven’t seen you in ages! Lost in your books?” he asked, already starting to get my favorite coffee.
The surly guy stepped back, but he kept glaring. I gave an awkward little wave. Did he know me or something? Was he not a fan?
“Don’t mind Q,” Cassius said, giving the man a light shove on the arm. “He’s still acclimating to… everything.”
The guy—Q? I swore that’s what Cassius said—stopped glaring quite so much. He looked almost like he tried to smile, but I wasn’t sure it was gonna work. He looked pissed off at the world. He probably had some tragic backstory. Maybe he had escaped from a religious cult that kicked out men once they reached maturity. Or maybe he was secretly on the run from evil vampires who were obsessed with the taste of his blood.
Ohhh, or maybe he was The Chosen One, and he was pissed off that he got stuck with the job, and his harem of sexy men hadn’t shown up yet to help him overcome the tragic history he surely had. (Bullying, abuse, or maybe everyone he ever loved died? Something like that, I was sure.)
“He’s new in town and doesn’t know anyone yet,” Cassius went on. He turned to the guy then. “Toby here is our resident gay author. He’s good people.”
The guy seemed to loosen up slightly when Cassius mentioned I was gay. Huh. Maybe he’d been raised in an overly religious household that had sent him to some horrible conversion camp and he was afraid of homophobic people.
Cassius cleared his throat. “Toby, he is not one of your characters.”
I blushed, and the guy looked over at Cassius, eyebrow raising. “What does he write?” Q asked.
“Dark fantasy and paranormal romance,” Cassius stated, putting my cup on the counter.
