Waving me to his side, Silver led us to the main street. “He knows not to come back unless I call for him. I don't use him very often, he has other clients keeping him busy. I assume there's no issue letting me be your chauffeur?”
“It's not a problem.” A gust of air buffered me. Hugging myself, I tried to bite back a shiver.
Wordlessly, he slid his jacket from his shoulders. His exposed arms flexed, the dark red and rich black ink on his skin drawing my attention. In a second he'd placed the heavy, soft jacket around me. I breathed in to my limit, nuzzling my nose on the edge of the fabric.
Strolling through the night like this, we looked like a normal pair out on a date. I embraced that image, enjoying how our feet clicked in unison along the pavement.
As he'd said, the walk was short. The parking garage we entered was large, eternally quiet. When he slowed in front of a bright silver Mustang, I bit back a squeak.
Luxurious, cool, and silver. It could be his spirit animal.
He reached over, tugging the passenger side open for me. “Thanks,” I said, ducking inside. The seats were warm, like they lived in a different world than the chilly evening.
“Comfortable?” he asked, clicking his seat belt in.
“Very. Your car is really cool.” The second I said it, I started to blush.
Grinning, he let the engine rumble, turning us out of the garage. “I'm glad you like it.”
We rode in silence, my bare knees crossing again and again. I couldn't get comfortable—I didn't know how to act. Only minutes ago, I'd kissed this man. Kissed him, after meeting him in person for the first time.
Watching my toes, I thought about the shoes I had on, how he knew my size. How he knew... far too much about me and my daily life.
And he doesn't want to tell me how.
Unable to hold back, I whispered into the quietness. “Are you a stalker?”
I knew it was a risk to ask him that if I was hoping to not ruin this evening any further. But I wasn't stupid, this man was playing a game with me, and as hot... as incredibly tempting as he was... I could end up hurt.
Stalkers were no joke.
They could be deadly.
He didn't glance at me, but I felt him shift. “What do you think?”
“I don't know what to think. You refuse to tell me anything about who you are, or why you contacted me at all.” Why me? The eternal question.
Guiding his car down my street, he sighed. “You're too curious about things that don't matter.”
“Of course they matter!”
He startled, staring at me and making me cover my mouth. Had I shouted? “All that matters is the end result.”
Stiffening, I asked, “And what's that?”
“You.” The engine died; he parked outside my house, his lights illuminating a raccoon as it fled my trash. “You're the end result. That's all I care about, Pet. The rest is just history.”
The centers of his eyes widened. Before I could move, he clutched the nape of my neck and pulled me close. Our lips met, sealing together so he could race his tongue across mine. The kiss left me hazy, and then it was over.
“I want to see you again,” he said flatly. “Tonight wasn't enough.”
I was breathing heavy, unable to blink. “I—okay.”
He pulled out a smartphone, then held out his palm to me. I knew what he wanted, so I fumbled my phone out and handed it to him. As I watched, he typed his number into mine, then vice versa.
Warily, I took my phone back. It was warm from his touch. “So... then...”
“I'll contact you soon. Get some sleep, okay?”
“Er, right. I—right.” I was saying 'right' a lot. I was also having trouble making sense of this insane night.
Sliding off his jacket, I held it out. He lifted his eyebrows. “Keep it,” he said firmly.
“No. It's fine, my house is right here.” I couldn't take anything else from this man. Before he argued again, I dropped it on the seat and jumped out. When I got to my door, I twisted so I could look back at him.
Silver was watching me through his window, the sharp shadows making his expression impossible to read. But it didn't matter—not now. My insides had decided how to feel already. I was ruled by the memory of his kiss, of my own swollen lips and the slickness of his tongue.
He didn't drive away until I unlocked my door.
I stumbled inside, slamming it behind me. The calmness of my home just heightened the throbbing beat of my heart.
Holy shit.
Everything inside of me was buzzing. I'd fought down the urge to push further and see what Silver would do to me. Now, I was paying for it. Female blue balls are real. I laughed bitterly, running my fingers through my hair.
Kicking off my heels, I winced at the slight pain in my forearm. The attacker in the alley had left a bruise.
It could have been much worse.
Without Silver coming to my rescue, the night could have ended with much less of a fuzzy feeling. But he did save me, I reminded myself. Cradling my wrist, I remembered how intense Silver had looked when he'd stepped in.
Never ever had a man tried to protect me like that.