The knocking came again and he stirred. I jumped out of bed and ran for the door before the noise could fully wake him, stopping to check the identity of my visitor in the peephole like a sensible person before turning off the alarm.

“Leonard.” I smiled.

“Morning, Miss Cooper. Got a delivery for you. It’s heavy.” He paused so I could extract the card then wandered inside carrying the mountain-sized flower arrangement. Roses, orchids, and lilies among a wealth of other flowers were spilling out all over the place in a riot of colors. “Kitchen counter okay?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“It came from a local florist and the sender is a known acquaintance of yours. Hope you don’t mind, but I felt it best to check it wasn’t the crackpot who sent you that nonsense the other day.”

“Oh, good. That’s a relief.”

“Also, most of the photographers from downstairs are gone.”

My shoulders sagged. I hadn’t even registered how tightly strung my muscles were until they relaxed. “I’m very happy to hear that.”

“Have a nice day, ma’am.”

“You too.”

Leonard headed back out, and I shut things up behind him before turning to the flowers.

“Impressive,” said Ziggy, standing in the hallway with his suitcoat back on. “You checked your peephole, ascertained the delivery’s status, and then relocked the door and reset the alarm system. That’s the security conscious mentality we’re aiming for.”

I swallowed a bit uncomfortably. Not that I didn’t like the praise, but this was weird, waking up to him being in my home. Not bad weird. Just ever so slightly awkward. Intimate in a strange way might be the best explanation. Also, I probably looked a mess.

“Good morning.” I braved a smile. “I didn’t expect you to stay all night.”

“If you haven’t seen me leave, then I’ll be here. Always. Security breaches happen when the client thinks they have protection but don’t.” A shrug. “Besides, I didn’t want you to wake up alone if you had nightmares or something.”

More of the mushy sensation invaded my heart. “Thank you. I appreciate that. Can I get you some coffee?”

“Please.”

I turned on the machine, which was all set to go from yesterday. No way would I ever attempt facing the A.M. without serious caffeine running through my veins. Then I opened the card and any and all good feelings faded in an instant. “Ugh. You have to be kidding me. They’re from my ex. He’s worried about me and misses me, apparently. Should have thought of that before he stuck his dick in places it didn’t belong. Wants me to call him. As if. Not today, Satan. Not tomorrow either.”

A grunt from Ziggy standing sentry at the end of the counter.