Carmen heard the knock on her door and frowned. She was currently on the phone with Adrianna and wasn't expecting anyone. The doorman should have called her to let her know that someone had arrived to see her.

"I know Adrianna, it's nothing really, but I had to come back because of work." She looked through the peephole in the door and bit back a muffled curse. How had Will gotten past the doorman? She was going to have to have a serious talk with the owners of the building.

She opened the door and shot him her best 'go away, you're not wanted' look but he only grinned and leaned against the doorjamb as casual and handsome as he pleased

"I really think that you should call and setup a meeting with the man I told you about. This man that you're using now obviously hasn't been doing you much good." Carmen felt her stomach clench at her mother's words, she had never mentioned anything about what had happened in Texas to her mother, there was no way she could know Carmen was having doubts about Josh unless she knew what had happened. 

"If your stalker was able to track you down and leave you flowers in Texas. I think you need to try someone else." Her mother knew more than she should. Feeling sick, she turned away from Will and missed his frown of concern. It allowed him to enter her apartment, and he did so closing the door behind him.

Carmen wasn't stupid, she had been played by her mother more than once in her lifetime, and she hated to think it, but she was always trying to find her mother's motivation for doing anything that resembled thoughtfulness because she rarely did anything unless she profited from it in some way.

"I'll think about it Adrianna, I have to go now, I have a visitor."

"Who?"

Carmen held the phone away from her taking in a deep breath so that her next words would come out even. She had heard the note of panic in her mother's voice. It reminded her too much of the past. Adrianna was definitely up to something.

"Just a friend, I'll talk to you later," she said, hanging up as quickly as she could and just before Will's strong arms wrapped around her from behind. When she wiggled to be free, his arms became steel bands and she held still, sensing something was wrong.

He rested her chin on her shoulder and put his lips right up to her ear. "The cameras are back. Close your eyes don't look." He knew that her eyes had immediately darted to the left then right.

Carmen allowed herself to lean into him. Keeping her eyes closed as she took another shaky breath, but she wasn't sure if it was because of her fear or because Will's arms were holding her so tightly.

"It didn't take you long to get here." They had taken different taxis at the airport and Carmen thought that he would be finished with her once they had arrived.

"I don't even know why you tried to escape me." He pushed her hair off of one of her shoulders and placed a kiss on it. This time she knew exactly why she shivered. "I've made us dinner, why don't you pack a bag and stay with me tonight."

When his arms tightened around her waist she got that it wasn't a choice, that it was what she needed to do to stay safe. "Alright, give me a minute and let me change."

"No, I like this dress." His voice was sexy and low and the meaning behind his words left little to the imagination. But Carmen was smart enough to understand that he didn't want her to change in her apartment. Part of her wished his words had meant something different though.

"Can I at least pack a bag?"

"Sure, as long as it doesn't take long."

Carmen nodded as she headed down the hallway to her bedroom while Will followed her. When they entered the room; Will threw himself down on the bed watching her every move as she threw a bag together.

"Don't forget to pack something to wear for the Landau kickoff party tomorrow night. I don't plan to let you out of my sight until then."

She got the hint and did as he asked.

A few minutes later she was ready to go and he picked up her bag as he followed her back to her front door. When they had exited he grinned. "Don't worry we don't have very far to go." Then he stepped forward and opened the door across the hall, and she couldn't contain a little yelp at the suddenness of the action, as he pulled her through the door and into the apartment.

After the door had closed behind her she rubbed her arm where he had grabbed it. "What in the world-"

"It is pretty unbelievable, Josh got lucky and was able to sublet this apartment. He wanted something close but thought it would have to be within a block radius not in the same building."

Will threw her bag down on a chair absentmindedly as he moved to the kitchen. "I hope you're hungry."

"That explains how you got by the doorman." Carmen rubbed her forehead, she suddenly had a blistering headache. "Do I really need to stay here, I thought Josh had removed all of the cameras at my place."

"He did but he placed a few of his own, and it only took two days for the stalker to replace his. Thankfully Josh is better at disguising his set-up than the bad guy. If we take them out again he'll only put them back. It's probably better if you move in here for a while, Josh has this place setup like Fort Knox."

"So, the idea is to let the stalker think that you and I are moving in together?" Carmen started pacing as she tried to come up with a way to get out of it. Living with Will would be next to impossible, unless she gave into his charm. She had a feeling if she did that it would be all too easy to stay with him and hurt way too much when he left. She hadn't realized that he had become such a large presence in her life in such a short time.

It had only been a week but it felt like she had known him forever.

He sat two plates of pasta on the breakfast bar and motioned for her to have a seat.

"I can't eat that, there are way too many carbs."

"You'll live." He handed her a fork.

"Did you really cook this?" She looked at the food suspiciously.

"Slaved all day." He said around a bite full.

"You've only been here half an hour." Carmen rolled her eyes as she took a bite not really tasting it. Her mind was way ahead of their current conversation. They ate in silence as she tried to piece together what was happening. "How would they be able to place more cameras? How did they get into the apartment in the first place?"

"They were helped."

"Helped?" Carmen frowned and she suddenly knew, without a doubt, that it was her mother that had done the helping. "It was Adrianna, wasn't it?"

"Yes, the only thing that Josh and I can't figure out is why, what does she have to gain by helping someone stalk you?"

"Money, drugs, a man, take your pick. They are all likely reasons." Carmen pushed her plate of food away from her and squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to fight back the tears. Adrianna hadn't tried anything like it in a long time and Carmen had thought they were past the old days.

"You don't seem surprised." Will set his fork down gently before pushing his own plate of food away from him, crossing his arms before leaning on the bar while watching her.

"I'm not, trust me when I say it's nowhere near the worst thing she has ever done to me, in fact it's pretty mild by comparison."

"We need to figure out why though." He reached over and took her hand with his, resting their linked hands on the bar between them. "You changed on the phone, I watched something click in your head, you had an idea about something that she said, you guessed that it was her, didn't you?"

Carmen gave a weak smile. "You got all that from a phone call?"

"Yes, you're easy to read."

She gave a self-deprecating laugh. "Then I must be getting soft, people have always commented on how hard I am to read."

"No, you still have the ability, just not with me." Suddenly it felt as if all the air had been sucked from the room and she couldn't breath.

Carmen's eyes jumped up to meet his and she couldn't look away. It felt as if something big had just happened. Something had changed with his simple comment and they wouldn't be able to go back.

"Do you realize this is the first serious conversation we've ever had where you haven't spit out one-liners every other sentence?"

"I do and it's proving hard not to do, especially with you in that dress."

Carmen gave a gentle huff, glad that he had thrown one out, it lightened the mood.

"Your mother?" he reminded her.

"She mentioned Josh not doing his job. There is this guy she knows that she wants me to meet, he owns a security firm. She's convinced Josh isn't able to cope."

"You told her what happened with the flowers?"

"That's just it. I didn't tell her but she knew."

"Now it all makes sense." Will reached for his phone. "Go change and get comfortable, I'll fill you in once I talk to Josh."

"No, now please." She yanked her hand away from his and stood up crossing her arms. It was crazy but she wanted his hand back as soon as it was gone.

Will stood and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Please trust me Carmen, I want to talk to Josh so we can fill in the blanks for each other, it will give me the complete story and as soon as I know it I will tell you everything. I promise."

"You already lied to me once!"

"Not because I wanted to." At her continued silence he closed his eyes. "Please Carmen, trust me."

She could hear how important it was to him by the pleading tone in his voice, and she didn't think he begged all that often. Spinning on her heel she stomped away, picking up her bag on the way to the bedroom. "You're sleeping on the couch, by the way."

"And I'll be dreaming of you the entire time," he said to a slamming door.