Just to be a smart-ass, I reached for the back door handle. Wyatt growled and pulled me forward as he opened the front passenger door. "You're a pain, you know that?"
"In what way?" I seated myself and buckled the seat belt.
"You don't know when to stop pushing." He closed the door with a solid thunk, and went around to the driver's side. He got in and started the car, then turned in the seat to face me and draped one arm along the back of the seat. "We aren't in an elevator now with a camera watching every move, so tell me again how my chance with you is over and you don't want me."
He was challenging me, actually egging me on so I'd say something rash and give him a reason to do something just as rash, such as kiss me. The parking lot lights were bright enough for me to see the glint in his eyes as he waited for my response. I wanted to fire a verbal blast back at him, but that would have been playing his game and I was so tired I knew I wasn't at the top of my form. So I yawned in his face and mumbled, "Can't this wait? I'm so tired I can't see straight."
He chuckled as he turned around and buckled his own seat belt. "Coward."
Okay, so he didn't buy it. What mattered was that he'd decided not to push the issue.
Well, I showed him. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes, and despite the amount of caffeine I'd had that night, I was asleep before we were out of the parking lot. That was a gift I had; my dad called it Lights Out Blair. I've never been one to toss and turn at night, but with all the stress and coffee I thought this would be one night when sleep wouldn't come. Not to worry; the lights went out as usual.
I woke when he opened the car door and leaned in to unbuckle my seat belt. I blinked sleepily at him, trying to bring him into focus. "Are we there yet?"
"We're there. Come on, Sleeping Beauty." He picked up my bag from the floorboard, then tugged me out of the car.
I live in the Beacon Hills area-the condos are called Beacon Hills, which is so original-meaning all the streets march up and down hills. Beacon Hills Condominiums comprises eleven separate buildings, each containing four three-story units. I live in the third building, first unit, which means I have windows opening to the outside on three sides, not just two. The end units cost more than the middle units, but to me the windows were worth it. Another big plus was the side portico under which I could park my car. Middle dwellers had to park at the curb. Yes, the side portico also upped the price of the end units. So what? I didn't have to park my Mercedes in the weather, so the portico was worth the cost. Having been there before, Wyatt had parked under the portico.
There was a front entrance, of course, but there was a door connecting the portico and a small entrance nook that also contained my washer and dryer and then led into the kitchen. I almost never used the front entrance unless a date was bringing me home, and the lights beside the side door were on a timer. They came on at nine P.M., so I never had to fumble my way inside in the dark.
I took my bag from him and dug out my keys. "Thank you for bringing me home," I said politely. I didn't even point out that I would have preferred taking a taxi.
He loomed over me, standing too close, and I automatically tightened my grip on my keys in case he tried to take them from me. "I want to check the locks on your doors and windows."
"Dad can do it tomorrow. I'll be fine tonight, because no one will know I witnessed anything until the papers come out."
"Is your dad knowledgeable about security?"
No more than I was, but, hey, I had an alarm system, and I could check my own doors and windows. "Lieutenant Bloodsworth," I said as firmly as I could around another yawn. "Go home. Leave me alone." As I spoke I unlocked the door and moved so I was blocking him.
He leaned a shoulder against the doorjamb and smiled down at me. "I wasn't intending to force my way in, you know."
"That's good. Why don't we pretend you're a vampire and can't ever come in unless I invite you?"
"You already have invited me, remember?"
Oh. Well, there was that. "I've redecorated since then. That starts everything over. Go home."
"I am. I'm pretty beat, myself. You redecorated, huh? What was wrong with the way things looked before?"
I rolled my eyes. "I'm sure you're so interested in interior decorating. Go home. Leave. But make sure you have someone bring my car to me first thing in the morning, okay? I can't be stuck here without it."
"I'll take care of it." He reached out and cupped my face, his thumb lightly tracing my lips. I drew back, glaring at him, and he laughed. "I wasn't going to kiss you. Not yet, anyway. There might not be anyone around to see at this time of night-or morning, rather-but since your clothes tend to come off when I kiss you, we'd better wait until we're more private and have both had some sleep."
He made it sound as if I started stripping whenever he touched me. I gave him a poisonously sweet smile. "I have a better idea. Why don't you cram-"
"Uh-uh," he cautioned, putting a finger over my lips. "You don't want to let that sassy mouth get you in trouble. Just go inside, lock the door behind you, and go to bed. I'll see you later."
Never let it be said that I don't recognize good advice when I hear it. I always recognize it; actually following it is a different category. In this instance, however, I did the wise thing and slipped inside, and locked the door just as he'd directed. Yeah, he might think I was actually following his orders, but it just so happened his orders coincided with my survival instinct.
I turned on my kitchen light and stood at the door waiting until his car pulled away before I turned off the outside lights. Then I stood in the middle of my familiar, cozy kitchen and let everything that had happened that night crash in on me.