Total pages in book: 215
Estimated words: 217988 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1090(@200wpm)___ 872(@250wpm)___ 727(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 217988 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1090(@200wpm)___ 872(@250wpm)___ 727(@300wpm)
“How can it be a joke? Build-a-Bear is awesome. I’d love to get a gift voucher.”
He gave her a shocked look, then he smiled, relaxing. Had he thought she’d make fun of him? Never.
“Thanks, I like their superhero costumes. I, uh, collect bears wearing them. I don’t play with them, though or anything.”
“Why not?”
“Oh, well, I don’t know. I just put them on a shelf and look at them.”
“That sounds lonely for them.” And now she was starting to sound like a weirdo. “Did you want to ask me something?”
“Um, yeah. Well, I, this is maybe a bit strange . . .”
“Stranger than helping me turn off my water, then getting blasted by my high beams before I told you I’m like a finger in the butt? Because I think we might already have strange covered.”
He let out a burst of laughter before covering his mouth. “Right. Uh, yeah, I think you’re right.”
It was odd, but the more she talked to him, the more comfortable she felt around him.
Don’t be silly, Autumn. You don’t know him, you can’t let down your guard.
“My name is Brody.”
“I know.”
He looked confused.
“It was on your ID.”
“Oh, right. Yeah. I forgot.” He smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand.
“Are you here to sell security systems?” she asked.
“Huh?”
“Wait, you didn’t bring a box with you, did you?” She hadn’t seen one . . . but you could never know when one would appear.
“A box? Why would I have a box?”
“It’s a good question that only you can answer. Do you have a box?” she asked.
“No.”
“Are you here to surprise me?”
“Uh, no.”
“So, I didn’t win anything?” Because she wasn’t sure her heart could take that.
“Not that I know of.”
“Thank goodness for that.” She peered out at the darkening sky. It was about to start raining. Poor guy was shivering in the cold. She bit at her lip. He seemed so sweet and nice, but she couldn’t let him in, could she? “I already have a security system.”
“What?”
“It’s very good. I even have panic buttons.”
“That . . . that’s good.”
“So, if you try anything, I’ll hit a button and the cops will come.”
“Understood.”
“Do you want to come in?” she asked.
“I, yes, thank you.”
He stepped into her house and she shut the door behind him.
There was a strange man in her house.
Do not freak out.
4
Brody stared down at her, hating how scared and pale she looked.
He’d heard her muttering through the door, and he knew she had every right to be fearful. So he hadn’t expected her to ask him if he wanted to come inside. He probably shouldn’t be here. But he’d been unable to get her out of his mind.
The photos he’d found of her really didn’t do her justice at all. In those photos, she looked cute. But she was more than cute. With her wide, hazel-colored eyes and dark auburn hair that lay in wild curls around her face, she was gorgeous.
And it was hard for him to look at her without blushing. He liked cute things.
He was such a dork sometimes.
When she’d rushed out earlier, yelling frantically about turning off the water, he hadn’t taken much notice of what she looked like. It wasn’t until the rush was over and he took in her soaked state. He noticed the way her top clung to her curves, her breasts.
Do not think about her nipples.
You don’t need to be thinking about her nipples.
Crap. Now he couldn’t think of anything but her nipples. The last thing he needed was an erection while talking to her. He didn’t want to scare her.
Months had passed since she’d been kidnapped by Senator Robins, but he could tell she was still jumpy. And he couldn’t blame her for that. He was a strange man, turning up on her doorstep unannounced.
And the thing was, he didn’t know why he was here exactly.
When they’d all learned that Millie had received a check for a large sum of money from a company called For Fox Sake, he’d decided to look into Autumn, thinking she might have received the same. And, sure enough, her bank account had a check deposited from the same company.
But if she’d seen the Fox that night the senator died it surely would have been mentioned in the police reports. There was no reason to believe she knew anything about him. Millie hadn’t.
She’d used the money to buy this house. And she’d given a lot to charities. From what he could tell from his research into her, she barely left her house.
Yes, he sounded like a stalker.
But he was concerned about her. When he’d watched old news clips of her after the kidnapping . . . she’d just looked so sad and alone.
It had eaten away at him until finally, he had come here to see her for himself. To make sure she was doing okay.