Chapter 3

From then on, Hayden started following me everywhere.

When I left for work, he walked me to the door and asked what time I'd be home. If I went out to the balcony to hang laundry, he'd linger in the doorway and watch. Even when I was preparing meals, he'd drag a little stool into the kitchen and sit there with the mug I'd given him, watching me cut ingredients.

"Do you seriously have nothing better to do?"

"I'm keeping you company."

"You don't have to."

"I want to."

He said it so matter-of-factly that I couldn't even bring myself to snap at him.

A few days later, Quinn Jordan stopped by the restoration shop to drop off some old paper samples, and I casually mentioned what had been going on. She listened, set down her tea, and stared at me.

"Girl, run. You're in trouble."

"I just gave someone a place to stay."

"You're putting an awful lot of effort into 'just giving someone a place to stay.'" Quinn leaned against the counter. "I've known you forever, and I've never seen you buy a guy new slippers, towels, and pajamas. You even made him oatmeal."

"He was sick."

"And being sick got him straight into your bed? Because trust me, I've already pictured that whole situation."

I coughed awkwardly. "Oh, shut up. Don't start."

She gave me a look. "Please. You've got a crush written all over your face. I've never even seen you get close to a man before."

Then she reached over and touched my cheek.

I swatted her hand away. "Quit it."

With one arched eyebrow, she quipped, "Half a bed for rent, someone to keep you warm on cold nights, plus all the fringe benefits. Sounds like a pretty good deal."

"Will you stop? I don't even like him like that."

By then my ears were burning. I was so embarrassed I refused to give her anything else to work with and ducked behind the old machine that had been broken for the past two days, grateful for something to hide behind.

Quinn only smiled.

"Sure, Maya Whitmore. Keep telling yourself that."

When I got home that night, Hayden already had dinner on the table.

"You're twenty minutes late."

"There was traffic."

"You're lying." He carried another dish over. "You had milk tea."

I glanced at the takeout bag beside him. The name of the milk-tea shop was printed right across it.

I said nothing.

Hayden looked up at me, a trace of smug satisfaction in his eyes.

"I can smell it."

I sat down and started eating, pushing a mug of warm milk toward him. He drank it in small sips and ended up with milk around his mouth. When I offered him a tissue, he ignored it and leaned his face toward me instead.

"You do it."

"Do your hands not work?"

"Babe."

There was no winning with him. I pulled out a tissue and wiped the corner of his mouth.

A thunderstorm rolled in that night.

Hayden appeared in my doorway carrying his pillow, looking pitiful.

"I'm scared of thunder."

I set my phone face down and pretended not to notice the look he was giving me.

"You said last night was a one-time thing."

"Tonight's different."

"How?"

"There's thunder."

Rain hammered against the windows. Hayden stayed where he was, neither pushing nor asking again. He simply waited until I finally gave in.

"Fine. Get in."

For the first five minutes after he slipped under the covers, he behaved.

Then a hand settled against my waist.

My entire body went rigid.

"Hayden."

"My hand's cold."

"Put it on the hot-water bottle."

"It's not as warm as you are."

I turned to look at him. Hayden wrapped his arms around me and pressed a kiss to my shoulder.

"Can I not even do this?"

His voice was so soft that, for a moment, I couldn't think of anything to say.

"Just don't move around."

"Okay."

He sounded perfectly obedient. The next second, he pulled me fully against him and tangled his legs with mine.

I tried to pry his arm loose.

It didn't budge.

For someone so thin, Hayden was ridiculously strong. Once he had me in his arms, his grip was rock solid.

My heart gave a sudden thump.

I stared at him. "How are you this strong?"

He only nestled closer.

"Babe, do you hate me?"

I considered that for all of three seconds.

"No."

His eyes crinkled with a smile, and he tucked his chin against my shoulder.

"Then let me hold you a little longer."