Page 68 of Unhinged

“Fine, I suppose.” Hannah had told Andrew about the break-in a couple of days ago, and he had been calling or stopping by her office each day. “I’ve had new locks installed on all of the doors and made a few enhancements to my security system.”

In all honesty, even though the new mattress had been delivered just yesterday, she wasn’t looking forward to sleeping in her own bed again. She had spent the past three nights at Luke’s house, unable to fathom the idea of going home, knowing that the killer had been in there.

She’d have to go back to her place soon. Just… not yet. Luke hadn’t pushed her, either. He had taken the necessary precautions to ensure her safety, telling her he’d be right beside her when she did decide to go home.

Hannah had kind of lied to Luke about never having a man over, though it was more a lie of omission. Although she had never had a boyfriend, Andrew had stopped by frequently before Luke and she had started dating.

Thank God he hadn’t shown up unexpectedly like he used to. It was bad enough that she had to worry about Luke seeing Andrew show up here. She knew Luke was jealous of Andrew, even though he had no reason to be. Although she had to admit, she’d feel the exact same way if Luke had female friends.

Licking her lips, she took a deep breath and decided to come clean. “I’ve decided to take your advice. About dating,” she clarified.

An expression of pure elation passed over his face before he could school his features, and guilt slammed into her. He really was such a nice guy, and she hated to have to hurt him. He spoke up before she had the chance to elaborate. “Is that so?”

“Yes.” She nodded slowly. “In fact, I’ve been talking with someone. Even been out on a couple dates.”

His face fell. “Well, that’s wonderful. How did you meet him?”

Hannah fought the urge to fidget. “He actually works here, in the health center.”

“Another doctor, Hannah, really?” His face screwed up. “You know how badly those relationships turn out. Do you really want to date someone in the same profession?”

Ironic, coming from him.

“No, it’s not…” She took a deep breath. “After that poor woman was murdered a few weeks ago, you suggested we try to get some extra security around here. Remember?”

“Of course.” Disbelief colored his features as realization dawned. “You’re dating that… that cop downstairs?”

“Not a cop,” she corrected. “Personal security agent.”

A muscle in his jaw ticked. “Isn’t that a bit of a conflict of interest?”

“Mr. Stone was brought in as a precaution for the entire health center—not for me specifically. Luke has been wonderful enough to help me after hours.”

“I’m sure he has,” Andrew muttered under his breath, and she shot him a glare.

“My house was broken into,” she snapped. “It’s nice to have someone there who actually cares about me and is willing to go out of his way to keep me safe.”

It was a cheap dig, and she almost—almost—felt guilty when Andrew’s lips turned down in a frown.

“You seem to rely quite heavily on Mr. Stone.”

She stiffened. “Isn’t that the point of a relationship? To give and take, to be able to trust your partner and accept their help?”

“Of course,” he soothed. “I just meant that you’ve only known him for a very short time. I would hate to see you get hurt.”

“I really like him.” She hadn’t admitted it aloud before, and she dropped her gaze to her lap.

Andrew was quiet for a moment. “Are you happy?”

She nodded. “Yeah. He’s a good guy. He makes me feel safe.”

“After everything you’ve been through, you deserve to feel safe and cared for. Does he love you?”

“We’ve only known each other for a couple weeks. Who can tell?”

He lifted a shoulder. “Some people know right away.”

Hannah shifted under the scrutiny. Was that true? All of her training told her no, it wasn’t possible. It took time to develop those kinds of feelings. “I don’t know. We’ll date for a while and see what happens.”