Page 24 of Her Captivated Hero

“I don’t have an alarm.”

Gray’s expression froze. “Riya, your townhome is the last one on the block and butts up against a small park. Nobody would notice if somebody climbed your back balcony, or jumped up to your bedroom.”

Riya leaned against the doorframe and frowned in confusion. “This is one of the safest neighborhoods in the nation. I’m fine.”

“And everyone in your life lets you get away with that bullshit thinking?”

“What are you talking about? My parents, sisters, and even Anika’s husband didn’t say anything about an alarm system, and he’s kind of controlling. They were just impressed that I could buy my own home at such a young age.” She didn’t mention that Anika’s husband had made disparaging comments about a single woman buying a home.

“I don’t care how safe your neighborhood is, you need an alarm system.”

“Hey, wait a minute. How do you know about the park and where my bedroom is?”

“Because I did a recon before knocking on your door today. I wanted to check out the safety of your place.”

She laughed. She finally got it. “It’s a SEAL thing. You’re trained to think about bad guys.” She stepped back out onto the porch, and wrapped her arms around him. He held her close. “Gray, the world isn’t always a bad place.”

He put his knuckle under her chin so she looked him in the eye. “It isn’t rainbows and unicorns either.”

“I know. It’s someplace in between. I really do know that,” she assured him.

“Good. I’m glad to hear it. So let’s talk about an alarm system.”

“But, Gray, there’s another part of me that believes if you think the worst scenario is going to happen, that you’re just attracting those bad events into your life.”

His eyes turned upwards. She knew he was looking to the heavens for strength and she stifled a giggle. If they really started dating she predicted some conflicts ahead. It sounded like fun.

When he looked down, she was caught in his blue gaze.

“I suppose you like Ralph Waldo Emerson, too?” he asked.

She pushed away from him and clapped her hands in glee. “You know the quote! ‘Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.’ See, if I were to believe in the bogeyman, the universe would send me a bogeyman.”

Gray grabbed her hands and pulled her back to him. “You got it wrong. Never believe in the bogeyman, believe in a hero. Just put systems in place to keep you safe. But always believe in the hero. They’re out there.”

Riya trembled. She was beginning to believe.