Page 13 of The Burdens We Share
Dallas places the electric drill at his feet and stands up to his full height once more, tapping the screen of the white box hedrilled into my wall. I take a step closer to him to get a better look, but make sure there’s still about five feet of distance between us. He responds as he taps, “This is an entirely new system. My company manufactures the system and the software, so I know it’s the best.”
I know nothing about security or software, but knowing that Dallas has full faith in the device is comforting in a strange way. I don’t entirely trusthim, but I do trust his company. “Thank you,” my voice is low. I don’t particularly enjoy saying things like “thank you,” or “please,” or “I’m sorry,” especially that one, but Dallas doesn’t have to be dedicating his time to protecting me. He also didn’t have to install all of this.
He gives me a strange look and his jaw looks a little tight before he dips his chin, “You’re welcome.” He takes a step back from the screen and gestures towards it with his head, “Do you want me to show you how it works?”
I nod and feel my breath catch as I take a step closer to him. So much for keeping distance between us. I keep my arms wrapped around myself as I walk and I stop about a foot away from him. I don’t think I’ve ever been this close to him. Now that I am, I can smell his expensive cologne and I take a long inhale. He smells fucking amazing. Whatever he’s wearing, it has a bergamot and amberwood note to it. Maybe even a little pepper.
“Can you see the screen from there?” He asks, a raised brow.
I take another baby step towards him because I can’t really see the screen, but also because I want to breathe in more of that cologne. I avoid his eyes and focus on the screen and he provides me with a quick tutorial on how the system works. He shows me how to arm and disarm it and he also teaches me how to use the panic button. “But what if I’m not in the system and I need to hit the panic button?” I hoped that would never happen, but if it did, I wanted to be ready.
Dallas is standing so close to me that I can feel his breath on the top of my head. I never realized how much shorter I am than him. Sure, I knew he was huge. There’s no denying that. He has to be around six-foot-four and easily over two-hundred pounds of solid muscle. I didn’t even doubt the possibility that he was working with a lot of muscle under that dress shirt. Maybe even hiding a six-pack under there. “Ivory,” his voice seemed amused and I jolted upright, my eyes widening.
Fuck! I was caught ogling him again. “Yes?”
He tilts his head at me again, “Are you paying attention?”
I nod, “Yes, of course I am.”
“Then what did I say?” Bastard. He knows he’s caught me.
My cheeks turn pink and I frown. He smirks at me and extends his hand, “Can I have your phone?”
I reach into my pocket and withdraw the pink cherry phone case, “For what?”
He gives my phone a questioning look and brings his eyes back up to mine, “Really? Even a pink case?”
I hand it to him and try to avoid grazing his fingers before I let my hands fall to my sides. “It’s my favorite color,” I defend.
He starts typing away at my phone and asks, “Even a blind person could see that.” I almost laugh, but I stifle it with a cough. From the twitch of his lips, I can tell he knows I almost laughed. “I need to download the app on your phone and set it up so that you can access the entire system from anywhere in the house or outside of the house.”
“Does it work off Wi-Fi?” What if I lost service and needed to press the panic button? Aria once made me watch this horror movie where the killer cut the phone line and all the service. What if that happened to me and I was attacked or killed?
“Ivory? Breathe,” Dallas commands in his dark voice, his eyes fully focused on my face. I suck in a small breath and realize my panic caused me to stop breathing. “Where did you just go?” Heasks.
I feel cold all of a sudden and I clutch my arms around myself. “I just…” How can I explain this without sounding paranoid? “I just know sometimes things can happen and service can be messed with. I’m just a little worried that maybe something will happen and I won’t be able to use the panic button if I need to.”
His jaw clenches and he looks suddenly impossibly angry, but not at me. “You will never have to use the panic button. But even if you did, it will work with or without service.”
I let out a relieved breath, “Never say never,” I mutter under my breath.
Dallas’ gaze is suddenly more intense than ever, “I will not let anyone close enough to you that you need to use that button.”
He seems so convinced of his own words. He actually believes what he’s saying and that makes me relax a bit. Dallas doesn’t strike me as the kind of man who breaks promises. Especially not when his hazel eyes are as intense as they are right now. I nod, “Okay.”
He continues his tutorial and shows me how to use the app. I pay very close attention the entire time, and when he’s finished, he hands me back my phone. “I also installed a panel in your bedroom.” He was in my room? I blush at the thought of him in my bedroom. Why am I acting like a little schoolgirl who just discovered boys for the first time?
“Thanks,” I take a step back and catch sight of a large object in my peripheral vision. I turn to get a better look and find three large suitcases lined up in my hallway. I point to them, “Is that all yours? When did you bring all that here?” Dallas never left my house. That would have required him to leave me alone and he wouldn’t be doing that any time soon considering his new role. Did he have someone pack and bring his things here in such a short amount of time? How could someone have gathered every single item that he needed like that unless theyknew him well?
He answers, his eyes on me rather than his luggage, “Someone on my staff delivered all of it an hour ago.”
But who packed it? Who could’ve known what he’d need for an extended period of time? “Your staff must know you well if they packed everything you’d need.” Maybe he had a girlfriend or a wife who packed it for him? I glanced down at his hands but didn’t catch sight of any ring. Not married then. Maybe a girlfriend? I don’t know why, but the thought of Dallas having a girlfriend brought a bitter taste to my tongue.
He smirks knowingly and explains, “I packed it myself.”
“How? You never left here.”
He gives me a devilish look, “I packed it before I came here with Selene.”
