Wilde at Heart (Wilde Security, #3)(34)

“You and me both, bro,” Reece muttered as Vaughn stalked out. “You and me both.”

Something was different.

Reece paused just inside his front door and scanned the apartment’s open layout. Something was…off, but damn if he could put his finger on what it was. He walked in slowly, his senses humming. After the whipped cream fight last night, he wouldn’t be surprised if Shelby launched some kind of sneak attack with silly string or some shit, but she wasn’t in the living room or kitchen.

He made it halfway across the living room before he spotted the two colorful pillows now decorating his sofa. He picked one up. It looked like it had been sewn together using multiple strips of leftover fabric, a clash of colors and patterns. He frowned over at the other one. It was shaped like a sugar skull.

What the…?

“Shelby!”

No answer, but he heard the first strings of music coming from her bedroom and scooped up both pillows before following the sound.

“Shelby?” He tried knocking on her door, but got no response. The music—Jesus, it was reggae—wasn’t overly loud, but unless he pounded on the door, she wasn’t going to hear him. He sucked in a fortifying breath, because who the hell knew what he’d find on the other side, and tried the knob.

Shelby was standing barefoot on a mat, her back to him, one knee bent, the other straight, and her arms out at her sides. Warrior II pose. She was doing yoga.

Okay, that was not what he expected.

Somehow, every time he thought he had her figured out, she managed to throw a curve ball at him. It was thrilling—kind of like a puzzle that changed the moment he had it put together. She was thrilling and until he saw her standing there, deep in her own thoughts, he hadn’t realized how much he’d been itching all day to get home and see her again.

She turned to repeat the pose on the other side and spotted him there in the doorway. She smiled. “Oh. Hey. I see you found the pillows. I saw them while shopping with Libby today and couldn’t resist.”

He looked down at the pillows still in his hand. He’d completely forgotten about the damn things and couldn’t remember what it was about them that had bothered him. He set them aside on her dresser. “You also picked up some of your things, I see.”

A bright paisley-print bedspread and more colorful pillows now covered the mattress and several boxes lined one wall, spilling clothes onto the floor. Her bird sat inside a bigger cage than the one it had traveled in, its head bopping to the beat of the music. Sam the Cat squatted on the end of her bed, eyeing the bird like he was considering a snack.

“Yes. Just enough to get by for a few months.” She sank deeper into Warrior II and closed her eyes, breathing slow and deep.

“How was your shopping trip?” he asked, unwilling to let the conversational ball drop.

“Successful.” She opened her eyes, and the corners crinkled with a smile. “I have clothes that won’t scare away your friends now. I also dyed my hair. Hope the red’s not too much.”

Hell, he was already so used to all of her bright colors and he’d been so focused on her lithe body, he hadn’t even noticed the change, but he studied her hair now. She wore it pulled back in a sloppy bun. It wasn’t an in-your-face kind of red, but soft and natural. It suited her while still being within an acceptable spectrum for hair color. “I approve.”

“Libby picked it out. She’s great. We had so much fun together. It’s nice having a sister who actually enjoys shopping.” Shelby smoothly shifted positions into the reverse warrior, raising one arm and bending backward, thrusting her breasts toward the ceiling. His mouth went dry at the memory of having her bare breasts under his tongue. He’d love to strip her out of her tight-fitting yoga outfit and drive into her while she held the downward dog pose until he allowed her to move…

And she shifted into downward dog.

Reece turned on his heel. “We need to leave for the party in an hour.”

Shelby straightened and propped her hands on her hips. That man. She’d been about done with her daily yoga routine when he walked in, and she purposely chose poses that highlighted her assets. And still, he walked away. Here she thought last night had changed something between them.

Poe let out an alarmed squawk, and she spun in time to see Sam the Cat lunge for the cage from the bed. He didn’t make it, falling to the carpet with a muffled plop. “No! Bad cat!”

“Bad cat. Bad cat,” Poe echoed and if she wasn’t mistaken there was a note of triumph in his tone. They had been going at each other all day and, for all she knew, Poe had been baiting Sam this whole time.

“Oh, what am I going to do with the two of you? Might as well start calling you Sylvester and Tweety.” She shooed Sam from the room. He sulked out then turned in the hallway and gave her a look of abject feline betrayal. She shook her head. “Sorry, pal. You can’t eat my birdie.”

She shut the door, leaned her back against it, and scanned the room while Poe continued to chatter from his cage. It was all still sterile, even with her belongings scattered throughout, and she suddenly felt like an unwelcome stranger in a bizarre land. She wished she had more time to unpack, get comfortable.

Her gaze landed on the black lace dress she planned to wear tonight, hanging on the back of her bathroom door.

Okay, if Reece wanted to play it like nothing happened between them, she could do that. Just like she could go to this stuffy dinner party, learn the things she needed to know about his company, and not completely embarrass him.