I was relieved to see the sun when I woke up. It appeared I was back on my regular sleep schedule. Of course, I was viewing the sunrise from Vincent's spare room window, which meant I was still in weirdville. After a quick trip to the bathroom, I walked into the living room to find it empty. Vincent's bedroom door stood open, and I heard no noise coming from his side of the apartment. Even the dogs were absent, and I wandered into the kitchen where a note rested on the counter. 

Walking the dogs. Don't eat breakfast.

I hadn't pegged Vincent as a note person, or even a breakfast person. Was he planning to make me breakfast? Did he know how to cook? I desperately needed to change my clothes, so I returned to my room. As I rifled through my duffel on the bed, I couldn't help feeling like I was on the strangest vacation ever. I stripped down to my panties, and that's when I heard the front door open. A second later, both dogs rushed into my room.

"Good morning, you two," I said as I greeted them with back scratches. "Did you have a nice walk?"

"They helped me pick out breakfast." Vincent took up residence inside the doorframe as he held up a white paper bag, and I heard his breath catch when he took in my state of undress. He made no effort to look away as he finished his comment. "I hope Bonnie knew what she was doing when she chose the bear claw."

Being a person who was comfortable with her body, I carried on the conversation while giving him an eyeful. "Clearly, Bonnie knows what a woman likes." As the words left my lips, I second guessed them, and I glanced at Vincent in time to see a worried expression mar his features. Did he think I was taking a jab at him? Surely, Bonnie hadn't been the one to choose the bear claw. I hated that I couldn't read him.

"You have a gorgeous body." His voice slipped into a lower register as he left his position at the door to walk toward me. "Full in all the right places."

"Thanks. I don't have a gym membership, but I do what I can. Bear claws are not on my list of approved food stuffs, but I'll make an exception, since Bonnie went out of her way to choose it for me." I smiled as I stepped away from the bed, stopping him in his tracks. I waited for his reaction, which could take any form.

His hand came up to touch my face, and he trailed his fingers across my cheeks and down my neck to my shoulders, leaving chills in their wake. It was the reaction I was hoping for. Just a little lower, please.

"Your eyes do me in, Reese. They tell me everything about you. Some of it I wish I could change. The trauma and the pain."

Damn you, Vincent Valentino. Touch me, already.

"The majority of my life was trauma-free thanks to my parents, and the early stuff I don't remember. Can we not talk about this, right now?"

Vincent stepped back as I yanked a shirt out of my duffel and slipped it on, followed by a pair of jeans. I sidestepped him and walked into the kitchen, taking a glass from the cabinet and pulling out a bottle of orange juice from the fridge. Vincent followed me out, setting the white bag on the counter.

"I didn't mean to upset you," he said.

"I'm good. I just need a minute to clear the cobwebs out of my head before I tackle reality again. Every time I wake up here I think I'm returning to some strange, recurring dream."

Vincent's eyebrows lowered as he watched me gulp down my juice. "Are you sure you meant to say dream, or did you mean nightmare?"

I shrugged because there was no hiding the truth. "Some parts definitely seem like a nightmare, but there are parts I enjoy. And, yes, the parts I enjoy include you."

I left him with a reassuring smile and carried my juice to the sliding glass door, stepping outside and letting the cold morning air ambush me. I guessed the time to be seven thirty-five, but I was cheating, using the position of the sun as it cast a partial shadow over the gargoyles on the balcony. We were up pretty high, but not enough to block out the sounds of Monday morning traffic, which filled my head like the buzz of alcohol.

The gargoyles outside Vincent's apartment were identical to the ones Griffin introduced me to on her balcony, although I doubted Vincent had named his gargoyles. I stepped between Sam and Aslan to take in the view, peering over the stone wall long enough to confirm I wasn't interested in seeing how high up we really were. Vincent remained in the living room, watching my anxious migration from one side of the balcony to the other. The fact that he'd learned to read my moods well enough to give me space was another sign of progress.

Bonnie slipped through the gap in the door and sat at my feet, looking up as if to say 'You haven't eaten your bear claw yet'.

"I used to have a dog," I said to Bonnie as I crouched down to stroke her sleek fur. "She was a cocker spaniel. Her name was Lady. My mom named her after the dog in the movie Lady and the Tramp. My parents bought her for me when I was five to encourage me to talk. The trick worked. I started talking to Lady when I thought no one else was around."

Clyde joined us on the balcony, and I offered him similar treatment, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. It wasn't until I uncrouched that I noticed Vincent standing at the doorway.

"They really like you," he said. "They both gave me a hard time about leaving you alone to take their walk, which never happens."

"I like them, too. My dog passed away about ten years ago, and my parents didn't get another one because we traveled so much. So, I just enjoy other people's dogs."

"Well, now you have two new dogs you can tell your secrets to."

I wasn't surprised Vincent had overheard me. I wasn't even bothered that he assumed I would end up moving in with him and his family permanently. The way I saw it, once the situation with Heath was taken care of and those horny assholes stopped stalking me, I would return to my apartment and get my life back, but I wasn't going to tell Vincent that. No need to poke a sleeping bear.

"I have an impromptu meeting at the Crossfire building this morning," Vincent said. "I'll be back before lunch. I believe Griffin has offered to serve us today. She'll probably try to talk you into group meditation this afternoon."

"That sounds fine with me. Have you never joined the others during group meditation?"

"Once." He offered his abrupt answer and turned to walk back inside. I followed him.

"And? How did it go?"

"I find it difficult to relax around others."

You don't say?

I covered my mouth and nose to keep from snorting as Vincent continued his trek to the kitchen, completely unaware of my stifled amusement. He opened the white bag and pulled out two bear claws. He set each on their own plate and slid one across the counter to me.

"What's on your agenda today?" he asked as he ate his breakfast. His question may have sounded innocuous, but his tight posture told me he had an agenda of his own.

I bit into my Danish, savoring the calorie-ridden treat without remorse. Since sex had been taken off the table, there was no sense denying myself every guilty pleasure. "I need to check my work email. I'm sure I've got a ton of people to respond to."

Vincent nodded. "And then...?"

I gazed across the counter at him. "I feel like I'm supposed to say I'll finish reading about fantastic beasts and where to find them."

He pursed his lips as he rubbed his hand across them to remove a crumb. I couldn't tell whether he was annoyed by my comment or confused by it. He didn't strike me as someone who spent much time curled up with a good book, but what did I know.

"I just want you safe, Reese. The more you understand, the better prepared you'll be. This is your life now, whether you want it to be or not."

"That's pretty high-handed of you, especially since we haven't even had our second date."

"You're right." He polished off the rest of his breakfast in one bite and crossed his arms over his chest as he held my attention with those intoxicating eyes. "Would you count an intimate dinner on the balcony a date?"

"Um, sure. The intimate part sounds intriguing. What about the dinner part?"

"It will be a surprise. Just let me take care of it." He seemed pleased with himself as he cleared the breakfast dishes from the counter, and I watched him move around the apartment, scooping up his keys and retrieving a sport coat from the hall closet. He nearly walked past me as he headed for the door, but he stopped mid-stride and back peddled to me, slipping his arm around my waist and dragging my body against his.

It only took a moment for the energy between us to ramp up as he held me, and when he brought his mouth down to kiss me, I melted into his embrace, drawn in by his delicious scent and soft lips. I was starting to think this was my most favorite thing, and I played with the image of him sweeping me off my feet and carting me to the bedroom to pound me until I came. He'd made the threat before, and the interesting thing about the image was, I envisioned him in his gollum form; huge and winged and dangerous. Yikes. What was happening to me? Vincent pulled away and a gasp rushed out of my mouth as I clung to the dream.

"Reese." He breathed my name as he adjusted his groin. Then he strode toward the foyer, offered Bonnie and Clyde a quick goodbye, and vanished through the door.

I was starting to think being left alone by Vincent was my least favorite thing, and I shuffled across the room to my laptop, slowing my heart rate with a few cleansing breaths. I opened my emails and was hit with an avalanche of new messages. One was from Shane, who had extended an invite to a party he was throwing at his restaurant to celebrate the upcoming article. Another message came from a local charity wanting photos of a fundraising event a week before Thanksgiving. Finally, I came across a response from the Governor's mansion. Debra confirmed my request to have Sylvie accompany me to the Halloween party, as well as a complimentary stay at a nearby hotel. Score.

When I checked the date on my calendar, I realized Halloween was only two days away. I quickly responded to the email then placed a call to Sylvie, who answered on the first ring.

"Reese. Is everything alright?"

"I'm fine, Sylvie. Geez. Are you going to expect trouble every time I call you now?"

"Not every time. Are you still staying at Mr. Wonderful's penthouse?"

"Yes, I'm still here, but I didn't call to talk about Vincent. I called because I realized Halloween is two days away and we need to make plans for our trip to Albany."

"Right. Well, I managed to get Halloween and the following day off, but Mr. Bossman is forcing me to work the following weekend to make up for it. The prick. I can drive up to you and we'll leave from there. What time do you need to be at the mansion?"

"Around six p.m. The party starts at seven. And we've been comped into a Hilton."

"Nice. Looks like we'll be making amends for our fucked-up weekend. I can't get rid of the image of that crazy bastard jumping through the window and snatching you. It was like something out of a sci-fi movie."

I closed my eyes, suppressing the memory of my violent abduction. "I'd rather forget it ever happened. I'll probably be sleeping with the lights on for the rest of my life."

"I hear you. Should I worry about a costume?"

"I plan on wearing one. Nothing too over the-top, though. We're supposed to blend in so we can get candid shots."

"I'll see what I can come up with. I'll call before I leave for New York. Love you, Reese."

"Right back at cha, babe."

When I hung up the phone, a grim realization hit me. I didn't have a costume, and I couldn't show up at the Governor's mansion wearing something thrown together. With Halloween just around the corner, the pickings were going to be slim. I typed out a search for nearby costume shops and located one a short walk from the Valentino compound, but I knew damn well Vincent wouldn't want me leaving the premises without a bodyguard. Griffin was the first candidate to pop into my head. She would make the perfect assistant. There was the little issue of Amelia being out of town, and I definitely didn't want to get Griffin into trouble, so I decided to enlist Rizzo's help as well.

"Bonjour, Reese. Is everything alright?" The concern in Rizzo's voice came across loud and clear. Geez.

"Of course. I'm sitting in Vincent's apartment."

"Oh. What can I do for you?"

I heard a loudspeaker in the background, chirping out instructions.

"Did I interrupt something?" I asked.

"Only the French National Anthem. I am sure the subway passengers will get over it."

I giggled as I imagined him in his military jacket and combat boots. "You're a trip, Rizzo. I was hoping you could accompany me and Griffin to a costume shop up the street. I need to buy something for a Halloween party."

"Does Vincent know you are leaving the apartment?"

"No. He has a meeting this morning and I don't want to bother him. That's why I called you."

There was a moment of silence before he replied. "Okay. I will be home in about half an hour."

"We can meet you there if it's easier."

"No. Do not leave until I get there." His tone sounded desperate, like he thought I would get hit by an errant cab the minute I stepped onto the sidewalk.

"Fine, we'll wait, oh paranoid one."

"I am not paranoid. It is my job to protect you, Reese. The Valentinos look out for each other."

A smile overtook my mouth. Rizzo was quickly becoming a favorite of mine. "Thanks, Rizzo. It's nice to know I have two families looking out for me." I hung up and ruffled the stubble on Clyde's head where he laid on my lap. "What kind of crazy shit have I gotten myself into, Clyde?"

Although I hadn't expected an answer, Clyde looked up with those striking blue eyes as if to say, 'Welcome to my world'.