“It’s insufficient as a means to keep a determined person out of your house.” Rather than guide her gallantly down the stairs with a hand at her elbow as he had before, his arm slipped easily around her waist, and his hand rested on one hip. “At a minimum, your door should be made out of something stronger and your bolt more difficult to pick or break completely.”

“Well, even changing those two things isn’t foolproof. If someone really wanted in, they could break a window.”

“Which is why I’d ideally like to see a security system installed.” He opened the Audi’s passenger door. “We’ll discuss options later.”

“Options?”

“Indeed.”

“For what?”

“Security.” He dipped his head toward the car’s interior, but otherwise refused further elaboration.

She was missing something. What it was, she couldn’t quite put her finger on, but there was definitely a different air to him tonight. A subtle sub-context or missing plot point that had slipped by her between last Thursday and now. “Is there a reason I should have stronger security?”

His expression shifted. Still as determined and intense as ever, but also somehow vulnerable. “Yes, vozlyublennaya. There is a reason, but not one you should worry about.” He motioned to the seat. “Please, let me take you to dinner.”

Okaaaaay.

She slid onto the soft leather seat.

He shut the door and rounded behind the car.

Not a reason she should worry about? What did that mean? Typically, if a person needed better security there was every reason to worry.

Folding himself into the driver’s seat, he quickly glanced in her direction and ensured her seat belt was in place. He must have noticed the death grip she had on her clutch, because the humor he’d sported at the front door made a comeback on his face. “Relax, Cassie. Everything is fine. I’ll make sure of it.”

“See, but that statement alone makes me think there is something I should be concerned about.”

He fired up the engine and pulled the car away from the curb. “You’re a very beautiful woman. One who spends much of her time in the public eye. Is it so shocking that a man would make your safety his concern?”

Well, put like that, it sounded fine, but she still couldn’t shake the sense that something else was going on. “I can take care of myself.”

“I have no doubt that you can.” He glanced her direction then refocused on the road in front of him. “That doesn’t mean that you will.”

Her brain went completely silent. No counter questions. No clues as to what he was talking about. Just that stunned lack of cooperation that came when a person had been caught completely off guard. She finally opened her mouth to ask him point-blank what was going on.

He cut her off. “How is work?”

The about-face in topic rattled her rationalization skills a little more. “Um...it’s been fine. With the rash of robberies reported in the Seventh Ward this week, I haven’t really had time to work on any feature stories of my own, but the assigned gigs were good.”