Page 78 of Unbound

“I suppose it wouldn’t hurt for me to take a little vacation.” My mother is starting to sound more like her normal self. “I’ll put some things together and let you know when I’m on my way.”

“Perfect.” Walker’s finger hovers over the screen. “This is my number, but you can reach Sybil on it anytime. She accidentally dropped her phone in the toilet and we haven’t had a chance to replace it yet.”

“Oh, Sybil. Again?” My mother makes a tsk-ing sound. “I keep telling you to stop taking that thing into the bathroom.”

Walker smirks. “We’ll talk to you soon.”

As soon as my mother says her goodbyes and hangs up, I turn to him. “Really? You had to tell her I dropped it in the toilet?”

“I figured it had to be something believable.” His smirk morphs into a shit-eating grin. “Obviously it was very believable.”

“Listen…” I jab a finger at the middle of his chest when he laughs. “I have a lot going on.”

Walker grabs my poking hand, wrapping it in his warm grip. “So do I, but you don’t see me dropping my phone when I take a shit.” He lifts my hand to his mouth and brings the tip of one finger to his lips.

A simple kiss would have been surprising enough, but what Walker does involves teeth and tongue and has me forgetting about almost everything except how I feel when he touches me like this. I don’t know another man in this world who could go from discussing his shitting technique to having me ready to spontaneously combust in a matter of seconds.

Only Walker McKinley.

And I don’t think that’s just because I think he’s hot—which he is. I think in addition to fully believing Walker is the most attractive man I’ve ever laid eyes on, I also genuinely like who he is as a human. He’s insightful and careful and smart and hard-working. I love how steady and stable everything about him is. I always feel a little out of control—probably because I am—but life’s not as overwhelming when he’s around. Because I know he’ll help me find my equilibrium. Even without meaning to.

“I really like you.” The confession slides right out. I’ve never possessed a strong or reliable filter between my brain and my mouth, but whatever he just did to the tip of my finger eliminated it completely. “As a person. Not just because you have a nice ass.”

Walker releases my hand, his touch dropping to my hip. “That’s good to hear, because it’s starting to sound like you’re going to be stuck with me for a while.” His fingers sink into my flesh, gripping tightly as he takes a deep breath. “You didn’t hire a house sitter, did you?”

I shake my head. “No.”

Two weeks ago I would have been devastated to discover a strange—and probably scary—man had broken into my house and done God knows what inside. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not happy about it. At all. But there’s not really anything in there I genuinely care about.

After receiving that threatening phone call from an unnamed man a few months ago, I wasn’t sure what would happen. So I packed up anything that mattered and put it in a storage unit I rented in Lindsey’s name. Even if they have managed to figure out my alias and locate the unit, I rented in one of the most secure facilities around.

Could they still probably find a way in? I’m starting to think it’s possible. If they do, what they’ll find will likely confuse the hell out of them—I don’t think a box full of decades-old stuffed animals and an enviable collection of Disney DVDs will offer them what they’re searching for.

Walker nods solemnly. “Didn’t think so.” He scoots me closer, holding me tighter. “I think we should send someone there to check it out. See if we can find any clues to who was there.”

I don’t think I like the path his thoughts are taking.

Reaching up, I grab his shirt, holding tight like I can exert any sort of physical control over a man of his size. “You are not going there.”

Walker’s eyes drop to where I have his faded cotton T-shirt in a chokehold, then lift to mine. “Are you worried about me, Snoopy?”

“Yes, I’m worried about you.” I yank him closer, bringing us nose to nose. “What part of I really like you made you think I’d let you go investigate my townhouse when we don’t know who in the hell broke in and whether or not they’re still there?” I swallow hard just thinking about it. “I don’t want anything to happen to you. If you got hurt⁠—”

My voice cracks. I’ve only known Walker in the flesh for two weeks, but he’s already become one of the most important people to me. I know that would probably sound impossible to most people, but my brain has always worked really fast. I can think through scenarios quickly. Multitask like crazy. Look at a problem from different angles at the same time while I decide which solution might be the best. It only makes sense that I might be able to develop a bond with someone at an equally epic rate.

Especially when that someone is as amazing as the man holding onto me like he also feels the connection building between us.

Walker’s blue eyes move over my face. “I’m not going to get hurt. I promise.”

I want to believe him. But technically, he’s already gotten hurt recently. I know he was injured in the car accident he and Toby were in. I know that doesn’t have anything to do with what’s happening now, but…

Could it have something to do with what’s happening now?

The burning need for information sparks inside me. The desire to know everything and track down answers is my primary driving force in life. Once I latch on to something it’s almost impossible for me to let it go until I know what I want to know.

Usually. But I guess that’s because I don’t normally have Walker McKinley distracting me. Because all thoughts of connections I’ve never considered evaporate when he leans in to drag his lips up the side of my neck.

“You should probably know I’ve only got one furnished guest room, Sybil.” Walker slides the hand at my hip up my side, curving it along my rib cage. “So I’m either sleeping on the couch, or you’re sleeping with me and letting your mom believe we’re together.”