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“I can tell you with one hundred percent certainty that I willneverlay a finger on you,” he said.

Willow wasn’t sure whether to be offended or relieved by that statement. After some thought, she decided not to believe it.

“You never answered my question about your creepy hiding place where you sneakily watch people.” She gasped. “Have you been in my bedroom?”

“No, I don’t have a hiding place and I don’t watch anyone with unsavory motives—much less your private quarters. Believe me, I just wish I could have some peace and quiet.”

“Then I recommend you go home. Right now. If you leave now, I won’t press charges. And I have security cameras with facial recognition technology, so they’d find out who you really are…Montgomery. If that’s even your real name.”

Willow wasn’t sure if the cameras had facial recognition or not. She just made that up, actually. But in her mind, this intruder didn’t have to know it.

Montgomery crossed his arms over his chest causing the fabric of his linen shirt to stretch over the sculpted girth of his upper arm.

“Like I told you before, that’s not going to happen.”

Willow forced her gaze away from his broad chest and stuck out her chin. “I feel like we’re just going around in circles here.”

A pregnant pause descended upon the room as Montgomery narrowed his eyes, studying Willow with equal parts curiosity and wonder. That look. It almost made her tummy flip. Almost.

At length, he asked, “What makes you so special?”

“Excuuuuse me?”

Suddenly, the temporary insanity of Willow’s fancies evaporated into a puff of righteous indignation, and she gave her male intruder a scowl that could peel paint off the walls.

But that didn’t stop his scrutinizing stare. “Whoareyou?”

“I’m the one who’s gonna whoop your hipster butt, that’s who.”

He pressed his eyes shut, pinching a thumb and forefinger between his brows. “I’m not even going to dignify that with a response.”

“Because you’re afraid of me.”

“I am definitely not afraid of you.”

Willow raised the broom to the level of her face. “You should be.”

“How is it that you seem to be the only living person… who can see me?”

“Okay, I know what this is. You’re a nut job. Or my sisters put you up to this.” She shouted to the heavens as if her sisters could hear her. “Not cool, Ivy and Bliss!”

“You can see me… and you can talk to me. Fascinating.” He took a step toward her. “Can you touch me?”

Willow thrust the broom more pointedly at him. “Stay right there!”

“I need to know,” he said, drawing closer by degrees.

“I swear I will hurt your face,” she cried.

His feet halted, but the expression on his face and the rest of his body language were fully engaged, like he’d pounce any second.

“Do it,” he said, daring her to act.

“What?”

“Do. It. Hit me with your ‘deadly’ weapon. Hit me as hard as you can.”

“I’m not an idiot. Do you think I’m just going to swing because you told me to? That completely eliminates the element of surprise.”