Maybe even right now, staring up at me.
A cold chill ran through me as I took two shaky steps back. I wanted to flee and hide. To climb behind one of the heavy curtains, or crawl back into my bed.
But I had to know.
Very slowly, I worked up just enough courage to look again. I expected to see the person standing out there, all silent and sinister. Or even worse, find out that he or she had moved significantly closer, while my back was turned.
But when I looked, the figure was gone.
Was it ever really there?
I didn’t know. I was tired, exhausted, bleary-eyed. And now I was spooking myself over nothing.
Maybe.
Either way, I added another comforter before jumping back into bed. It might make the night hotter and a little more restless, but I felt safer that way.
Three
MADISON
It took nearly an hour just to work up the nerve to face him. When I finally did, I approached him rapidly, nervously. Stomping over a little too hastily, to keep myself from chickening out and doing an about-face.
“Julian…”
I caught the big stonemason in the middle carrying two huge blocks. His arms and chest were flexed deliciously tight. The veins in his neck were standing out, just beneath his rugged, stubbled jaw.
“I uh… oh. Sorry.”
He continued past me on his two giant legs, to his current work area. Bending at the knees, he set the tremendous blocks of limestone on the ground and turned to face me.
“Yes?”
He was covered in dust. And dirt. And sweat. Especially sweat. It glistened off every square inch of his magnificent body, accenting every cut, every ridge and ripple of his smooth, sun-bronzed skin.
“Did you want something?”
I was still enthralled. Still caught in a trance, staring at his incredible physique. His tattoos were visually stunning — all roses and birds and scrollwork. But they were the most masculine, gorgeous black-and-grey roses and birds I’d ever seen inked on skin.
“I… ummm…”
God, this was so hard!
“I’m afraid I have to let you go.”
Julian’s face was absolutely expressionless. He reached up to rub at the back of his neck, his massive bicep flexing into a beautiful, skin-covered boulder.
“You’re firing me?”
“No,” I said quickly. “I mean… yes. I mean—”
“I’ve never been fired. Not ever.”
His expression chan
ged, and I felt a sharp pain in my heart. Damn, why was I so bad at this?
“You’re not being fired then,” I said awkwardly. “More like… laid off.”