“It’s good that you recognize that now, sweetheart.”

“I don’t know how I feel about you being so bossy.”

“That’s just because you’re still half-asleep.”

“LANDON’S HERE FOR you,” Riley says later that afternoon. “He says he’s taking you home?”

“We rode together this morning,” I reply, and hit send on an e-mail to our payroll lady, then shut down the computer.

“You spent the night with him?” she squeals. “And you wait until right now to say something?”

“No, I didn’t spend the night with him. He came over this morning and made me breakfast, and drove me to work.”

“Huh.”

“What?”

“Nothing.” Riley shakes her head and sits at her desk. “It’s just interesting, that’s all.”

“What’s interesting?”

“The whole situation.” Riley laughs and points at the door. “He’s waiting. Have a good night. Use protection.”

“You’re weird,” I reply with a frown, grab my bag and jacket, and walk out of the office. Landon is waiting by the front door, looking at his phone with a frown on his handsome face. “Something wrong?”

His head whips up and he smiles when he sees me. “Not a thing. Are you ready?”

“Ready.” He opens the passenger door for me and I sink back in the seat of his car and take a deep breath. “I’m so ready to go home.”

“Well, the thing is, we’re not going home.”

“We’re not?” I glance over at him in surprise. “Where are we going?”

“To the movies.”

“It’s not even five in the afternoon.”

“Matinee,” he replies, and takes my hand in his, kisses my knuckles, and drives us into the heart of downtown Portland. He finds parking and escorts me into a mall, then up about five thousand escalators to the top, where the theater is. “Popcorn for dinner?”

“That’s healthy.”

“You had a balanced breakfast. You’re good.”

When we’re seated in the theater, I can’t help but wonder again if this is really happening. I’m at the movies with Landon, who has his arm around me rather than eating any popcorn. I, on the other hand, am inhaling it.

The movie is a chick flick that I mentioned wanting to see last night while we had dinner at his house. He pays attention, I’ll give him that. And the fact that he thought to do this is flattering, not to mention it makes my heart melt more than a little.

I lean my head on his shoulder and sigh when I feel his lips on my temple. The movie is a good one, but a bit sad at the end. When we leave, I yawn, but I’m so damn happy.

“Tired?” Landon asks as he drives us home.

“A bit. Thank you for that.”

“You’re welcome. Are you hungry? I can buy you dinner.”

“I had a whole tub of popcorn myself,” I reply with a laugh. “I have a little work to do tonight from home.”

Landon nods and takes me home, and when he walks me to the door, he kisses me just as passionately as he did last night. His hands are firm and warm on my arms as he pulls me closer, and his mouth devours mine, in the absolute best possible way.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” It’s said with promise in his voice.

When I get inside and shut the door, I can’t help but do a quick, undignified happy dance, startling Scoot. “He’s into me. You don’t kiss a girl like that unless you’re into her. I haven’t dated like this in ten years.”

Scoot’s eyes narrow, and he flicks his tail and turns his back on me.

“Don’t judge me, you little judger.”

SOMETHING CRASHES, WAKING me up out of a dead sleep and scaring the fuck out of me. I sit up, looking around my bedroom, but it’s pitch-black. The power’s out.

Suddenly lightning flashes, brightening up the room, and is followed immediately by the loudest thunder I’ve ever heard. Scoot is crying and pacing the bed.

“It’s okay, baby.” I reach out to pet him, and he hisses, but then runs into my lap and huddles against me. “I’ve got you. It’s just a storm. It’ll go away.”

But more lightning and deafening thunder hit again, making us both jump. Rain is pelting against my window so hard it sounds like it could break the glass.

This is one hell of a storm.

As the rushing in my ears slows, I swear I can hear a scratching noise, which only scares me all over again. I grab my phone and call Riley.

“This better be good,” she mumbles sleepily into the phone.

“I think someone’s trying to break into my house,” I whisper to her. “My power is out and I hear noises.”

“Why are you calling me and not the cops?” Riley asks. “Jesus, it’s two in the morning.”

“I wouldn’t know that. My power’s out. And there’s a murder-death-kill person here.”

She giggles and I scowl at the phone. “This isn’t funny!”

“You’re right. Did you lock your door?”

“Yes.”

“You need to get an alarm.”

“Not the time to berate me,” I say, and take Scoot to the bathroom, locking him in. “I’ll protect you, baby.”

“Who are you talking to?”

“My cat.”

“Jesus, you’re the crazy cat lady.”

“Not helping,” I hiss, and drop to my hands and knees to find the baseball bat under the bed. “Seriously, I heard a noise.”