Frustrated, I closed up my work for the night. I glanced at the clock on the wall and saw that it was past midnight. I frowned. I glanced at the red throw on the sofa. No Sir. He hadn’t snuck in while I was working. I’d left the door open but he hadn’t appeared. Now I was worried. It was the first time in over a week that he hadn’t shown up.

I stepped out onto my patio and searched the area for him. I took in the chilly air and pulled my sweater more tightly about me. I could hear the faint sounds of the crickets, but that was it. There was a stillness to the night, as if everyone was tucked into bed. It was so strange to find such a pocket of silence in the heart of the city. I glanced at the big house. Did Nick know how lucky he was to live here like this? Then I thought of his wheelchair, and I doubted he’d view himself as lucky at all.

I turned to go inside and get some food as incentive to lure Sir in when I heard a sound from the other side of the citrus trees. What if it was the intruder Nick had warned me about? I almost ran inside and slammed the door shut. We were in a major metropolitan area, after all, but something made me pause.

And then out of the citrus trees, he appeared, in his wheelchair. My eyes went wide as Nick propelled himself down the walkway to my house. He was wearing jeans and a hooded sweatshirt, zipped up, and I could see the muscles in his arms and chest bunch and ripple as he rolled toward me. When I glanced at his handsome face, all I could think about was the feel of him lying on top of me. Oh my.

“Hi, Annabelle,” he said.

“Hi.” I stood perfectly still as if he were a wild creature and I might scare him away with any sudden movements.

It didn’t take a rocket scientist to realize he hadn’t wanted me to see him in his wheelchair the morning he’d called me up to the house. In fact, having me walk in on him, during his workout, was likely his way of disguising any weakness. The fact that he was here now in his chair was definitely him owning his bullshit by putting it out there. I could respect that.

“I found something that I believe belongs to you,” he said as he came to a stop in front of me.

“What’s that, Mr. Daire?”

He tipped his head to the side. “I’m Mr. Daire again?”