Reaching out, he tugged on a long strand of her hair. “Your leaving is going to suck and hurt no matter when it happens,” he said in a gruff voice. “Wouldn’t you rather savor the time we do have?”

Sad eyes met his. “Yes,” she said on a whisper.

“Me, too. But as for the rest of it, it’s your life and you need to feel in control in any way you can. So if you’re feeling like I’m taking over, let me know.”

Her lips twitched, then she spoke. “So you can do what you want anyway?”

Deciding they’d had enough serious talk for the day, he tackled her and came down on top of her sweet body. And conversation was over for a good, long while.

***

After a lazy day by the pool, Sasha and Xander packed up, readied Bella, and drove to the city, Jared right behind them. Xander parked in the garage beside his apartment. Only visitors with a phone app could get into the building from the parking structure entrance, which seemed to satisfy both men.

They stopped by the concierge to explain the situation with Sasha staying over and her need for security, both at the front desk and a bodyguard in the hall outside his apartment. Everyone, including his family, needed to be approved with a video call to Xander or Sasha before they would be allowed past the desk.

That settled, they headed up to his apartment and Jared took his position in the hall. Tate would be over at midnight to switch places as they’d done throughout the weekend. Before unlocking his door, Xander had gone as far as asking Jared if they needed to place another man outside the front entrance, but Sasha had balked. She was covered as well as she could be. She didn’t want more manpower and resources spent unnecessarily.

Sasha was exhausted and sick of looking over her shoulder. And her ordeal had just started. While in the Hamptons, she’d been able to put the stalker situation out of her mind because she’d felt safe. Xander’s house was so far from the city there was no way this crazy human who was obsessed with her could find her. Not to mention, Xander’s house was alarmed and her bodyguard patrolled out front. She’d spent the weekend first with Xander’s family and later in his bed, her mind on nothing but pure enjoyment.

Apart from the discussion about where she would stay in the city, that is. She’d been trying to protect her heart by pushing for an earlier separation from Xander, but he was right. Was it really going to hurt any less now versus a week or two from now? She was already attached.