But Sam’s hand descended onto my arm, grabbing me and pulling me toward her.
I turned my body back to her, my arm dipping around her waist. Her eyes were connected with mine, sparkling with their brooding stare. I glanced at her lips. Her pillowy lips that had been against mine only a half an hour ago.
I allowed my face to drop to hers before she put her finger against my lips.
“Do you hear that?” she asked.
I paused, but all I could hear was the sound of the wind caressing the trees on my property.
Just like her lips had caressed mine.
“Don’t leave,” she said. “Stay right here.”
“Anything for you,” I said. “After all, you did save my life.”
“Then hold onto that thought, because I’m about to do it again.”
Chapter 6
Sam
SOMEONE WAS IN THE house. I could hear them creeping around. I slipped my hand up my dress and grabbed my gun, arming myself as I released Derek’s arm.
“There’s something sexy about an elegant woman with a gun,” Derek said.
“You’re drunk. Stay here,” I said.
It didn’t matter what he thought. It didn’t matter how good he looked close up or how his body had felt against mine. It didn’t matter that his kiss had sent shivers down my spine for the first time in almost a decade. All that mattered was making sure this man was safe and the threat was neutralized.
I grabbed Derek’s arm, but he didn’t budge. I tugged on him, but he stood his ground. Groaning, I rolled my eyes as I walked back to the car. Griggs rolled down the window, and I flashed him a few signs, signaling to him that we needed a perimeter check.
And that I was taking Derek with me.
I knew he wasn’t happy, but I had no choice. The alcohol was settling into Derek’s system and that meant a man like him was going to get stubborn. The more commotion we caused, the greater the chance we scared off the intruder. Griggs rolled back down the driveway as we stood on the porch, and I hovered over the keypad as I tried to discern Derek’s combination.
Five numbers were worn down more than most. There were five slots where the numbers could appear, which meant it was most likely a five-digit combination to get inside. One hundred and twenty possible combinations. And even though Derek was a businessman, everything about his home was personal. The customized security, the revamped foundation on the house, the customized landscaping he obviously had tailored to his liking.
A five-number personal identification number.
I typed in the numbers and the keypad lit up green. I heard Derek turn around before he came up to me, his hand reaching over my shoulder.
“Wait a second. How did yo—?”
“Shut. The fuck. Up,” I said.
I turned the key to his house, quietly pushing in as I guided him behind me.
Derek was following closely as I trained my gun in front of me. We slowly stepped into the darkened home, my ears trained on any sounds coming from the house. I knew someone was in here. I had heard them talking the moment we got up onto the porch.
We had surprised someone, and I wasn’t ready to give up that advantage.
“When you speak, whisper,” I said quietly. “Do you have any staff employed during the night?”
“No,” Derek said.
“No one? The waitstaff? An on-call chef or doctor? No one’s on the premise at night?”
“No,” he said in a whisper. “No one.”
Fuck. This house was huge. It was going to take me forever to clear it. Did he really need all this fucking space? What the hell did he fill these rooms with? More shit? It wasn’t like this man had a family. Or kids. Or a harem of women that took up the space.
I kept walking through the foyer with Derek hot on my tail as I walked down the hallway.
We cleared the kitchen and the expansive living space before I turned and walked back down the hallway. We made our way up the stairs, clearing each and every room we came to. I knew whoever was in this house wasn’t going to be found. There was too much fucking space and not enough time to discern where that fucker had been in the house.
Derek was a rich little fuck with an ego the size of his fucking mansion.
Every single room was empty. There wasn’t a sign of anyone being in the house. I was irritated, pissed to my core as we came to his room. I reached for the door and tossed it open, ready to second-guess my own damn motives for the sounds I’d heard coming from his home.