urged her forward again and laughed. “I am as single as single can be.” Arm tight around her, he whispered, “Are you applying?”
Astra bit her tongue, waiting until they stood in the lobby to respond. “You don’t want to date me. I mean, come on…a stripper girlfriend? That’s out of some sappy romance novel or something.” She turned away from Slade to hide her emotions. Okay, so she had a soft spot for romance novels and happy endings. “Walk me to my door?”
“I am what I am.” He shrugged and followed her up the steps. “I’m in two-twelve if you get lonely, by the way.”
“Then we’re just about neighbours. I’m in two-twenty-six.” She came to a stop in front of her door. As much as she wanted to stretch out in bed, the enticing idea of stretching out next to him in bed sounded so much more fun…more sinful. She shook the thought from her head. He hadn’t asked her over for sex, just issued a simple invitation for whenever she was bored.
“I guess this is goodnight.” Slade smoothed a lock of hair off her cheek. Something akin to a dreamy look filled his eyes for a moment. He inched closer to her. Flecks of gold and green shimmered in his irises.
Was he going to kiss her? Her body screamed hello, yes! But her heart remained guarded. Too much faith in the wrong person could be deadly. Still, she wanted that kiss…his kiss. The heat in the hallway kicked up to somewhere in the oh baby range and sent prickles along her skin. Yes, she needed his kiss.
Slade smiled then strolled down the hallway, leaving her alone with her thoughts. Damn. She had thought for sure he was going to kiss her. Astra fitted her key into her lock and nudged the door open.
A rush of cold air swirled around her. Odd. The apartment shouldn’t be cold. It should be hotter than the hallway. Astra rubbed her arms. Snow lay glistening on the windowsills and window seat. She tipped her head. Who had opened the window? She shivered and glanced at her things. The couch remained in its place, but the cushions were askew, some on the floor. Her plants—a collection of spider plants and ferns—weren’t in their pots. Dirt splattered around where they had once sat.
Occasionally sloppy, she never left the apartment a total shambles. Who else had a key? Her stomach clenched and she couldn’t breathe. Tiny.
She needed to get out. Needed to run. She turned on her heel and ran smack into a wall of solid flesh. The person grabbed her by the arms—a man based on his size and the tangy scent of his thick cologne and body odour. She couldn’t see his face because of the stocking cap over his eyes.
“Remember the rules,” the man growled. “Quiet girls are safe girls.”
She nodded, afraid to do anything else. The man raised a gun and aimed the weapon at her. The blood drained from her face and pounded through her veins. Now she needed to run and hide, but hell…her feet wouldn’t move. A strangled cry ripped from her throat and the thunder of gunfire ricocheted through the apartment.
Astra dropped to her knees.
“Don’t fuck with Tiny or I’ll do more than destroy your shit.” The man slapped the butt of the gun against her cheek.
She closed her eyes as the room faded to black.
All I wanted to do was be home…
Chapter Two
Slade had just turned the key to unlock his apartment door when the shots rang out. He glanced down the hallway, not seeing anyone. Where the fuck had the gunfire come from? His heart hammered…Astra? Oh fuck.
He broke into a sprint, scared for what he might find. Her door, now partially open, swung on its hinges. Slade palmed the gun in his coat pocket and cocked the hammer, ready to fire.
“Astra? Hon?” Slade inched inside. He took in every detail of the apartment. No other doors stood ajar, but that didn’t mean she was alone. He hadn’t noticed anyone leave.
“Astra?” His foot caught on something and he looked down. Astra lay crumpled in a heap on the floor. His cop training
Astra bit her tongue, waiting until they stood in the lobby to respond. “You don’t want to date me. I mean, come on…a stripper girlfriend? That’s out of some sappy romance novel or something.” She turned away from Slade to hide her emotions. Okay, so she had a soft spot for romance novels and happy endings. “Walk me to my door?”
“I am what I am.” He shrugged and followed her up the steps. “I’m in two-twelve if you get lonely, by the way.”
“Then we’re just about neighbours. I’m in two-twenty-six.” She came to a stop in front of her door. As much as she wanted to stretch out in bed, the enticing idea of stretching out next to him in bed sounded so much more fun…more sinful. She shook the thought from her head. He hadn’t asked her over for sex, just issued a simple invitation for whenever she was bored.
“I guess this is goodnight.” Slade smoothed a lock of hair off her cheek. Something akin to a dreamy look filled his eyes for a moment. He inched closer to her. Flecks of gold and green shimmered in his irises.
Was he going to kiss her? Her body screamed hello, yes! But her heart remained guarded. Too much faith in the wrong person could be deadly. Still, she wanted that kiss…his kiss. The heat in the hallway kicked up to somewhere in the oh baby range and sent prickles along her skin. Yes, she needed his kiss.
Slade smiled then strolled down the hallway, leaving her alone with her thoughts. Damn. She had thought for sure he was going to kiss her. Astra fitted her key into her lock and nudged the door open.
A rush of cold air swirled around her. Odd. The apartment shouldn’t be cold. It should be hotter than the hallway. Astra rubbed her arms. Snow lay glistening on the windowsills and window seat. She tipped her head. Who had opened the window? She shivered and glanced at her things. The couch remained in its place, but the cushions were askew, some on the floor. Her plants—a collection of spider plants and ferns—weren’t in their pots. Dirt splattered around where they had once sat.
Occasionally sloppy, she never left the apartment a total shambles. Who else had a key? Her stomach clenched and she couldn’t breathe. Tiny.
She needed to get out. Needed to run. She turned on her heel and ran smack into a wall of solid flesh. The person grabbed her by the arms—a man based on his size and the tangy scent of his thick cologne and body odour. She couldn’t see his face because of the stocking cap over his eyes.
“Remember the rules,” the man growled. “Quiet girls are safe girls.”
She nodded, afraid to do anything else. The man raised a gun and aimed the weapon at her. The blood drained from her face and pounded through her veins. Now she needed to run and hide, but hell…her feet wouldn’t move. A strangled cry ripped from her throat and the thunder of gunfire ricocheted through the apartment.
Astra dropped to her knees.
“Don’t fuck with Tiny or I’ll do more than destroy your shit.” The man slapped the butt of the gun against her cheek.
She closed her eyes as the room faded to black.
All I wanted to do was be home…
Chapter Two
Slade had just turned the key to unlock his apartment door when the shots rang out. He glanced down the hallway, not seeing anyone. Where the fuck had the gunfire come from? His heart hammered…Astra? Oh fuck.
He broke into a sprint, scared for what he might find. Her door, now partially open, swung on its hinges. Slade palmed the gun in his coat pocket and cocked the hammer, ready to fire.
“Astra? Hon?” Slade inched inside. He took in every detail of the apartment. No other doors stood ajar, but that didn’t mean she was alone. He hadn’t noticed anyone leave.
“Astra?” His foot caught on something and he looked down. Astra lay crumpled in a heap on the floor. His cop training
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