She dials, phone by her eyes. As it rings, her eyes dart to me, wary.
“Em? Yeah, it’s me.” Her voice softens. “Listen, something’s come up. I landed a gig out of town.”
She’s good. Voice steady, no hint of bullshit. But I see the tension in her jaw, the way her free hand clenches.
“I know, I know. It’s short notice, but the money’s too good to pass up.” She bites her lip, worrying it between her teeth. “You can handle things, right? There’s cash in the cookie jar for emergencies.”
My eyes lock on that lip, red and swollen now. Blood rushes south.Fuck.
“Love you too, Em. I’ll call when I can.” She hangs up, letting out a shaky breath.
Suka, where did that come from? “Love you”?
For a second there, she sounded… human. Vulnerable. Not the spitfire I’ve been dealing with. It throws me off balance, seeing this new side of her. Makes me want things I shouldn’t.
“Satisfied?” she snaps, tossing the phone back.
I catch it, our fingers brushing. A jolt goes through me. “Very.”
Her eyes narrow, searching my face. “Now what?”
“Now…” I fight the urge to say something stupid. Like sorry. Or that I’ll keep her safe. Soft shit I don’t do.
But what I’m really fighting is the urge to grab a fistful of that thick, dark hair, yank her close, and devour that smart mouth of hers. To taste her, claim her right here in this fucking garage. My dick’s fully on board with that plan.
I clench my jaw, forcing the words out. “Now you get some fucking sleep. Been a long day.”
24
Wren
Dwrenches open the car door, cool air hitting me like a slap. "Move your ass,krasotka.Unless you want to spend the night here."
I glare at him, eyes raking from his slick, dark hair down to his rugged face. Fuck, even pissed off, he looks good enough to eat. My gaze keeps dropping, takin gin the expensive Armani suit.
But who am I kidding? I'm not looking at the threads. My eyes zero in on the bulge in his pants like a heat-seeking missile. God damn. Is he always packing that much, or is he just happy to see me?
I shouldn't be gawking at his junk like some horny teenager, but fuck if I can help it. He's too close, and suddenly, I'm back to last Friday. His hands all over me, grip tight enough to bruise. The way he tasted like expensive whiskey and danger. How he made me come so hard I saw stars…
"You look like you're up to no good. I like that." He cocks his head to the side, his eyes turning dark as they linger on me.
Our eyes lock once more, and holy shit, the look he's giving me could melt steel. Part of me wants to climb him like a tree right here in this garage. The other part wants to punch that smug grin off his face.
Behave, Wren!
I force a smirk, trying to play it cool. "Just admiring the view. Didn't realize hired muscle come so…well-dressed."
He leans in closer, his breath hot on my ear. "There's a lot you don't know about me,kotyonok."
A shiver runs down my spin, and it's not from the cool air. I need to change the subject before I do something stupid, like grab him by that thick neck of his and…
Jesus Christ. My fucking G-string is officially ruined.
"Nice setup you've got here," I say, finally tearing my eyes away from the promise in his pants. "Very…you."
The garage is huge, spotless, and screams money. There's D's SUV, but also an Aston Martin that looks like sex on wheels and motorcycle that's probably worth more than my fuckinglife.Everything's got it's place— tolls all lined up nice and neat. There's even a gun safe, because of-fucking-course there is.
"Impressed?" D sounds way too pleased with himself.
