“Why is your skin blue?” I ask, ignoring her question. I’m obviously not fucking Neo. I still have my briefs on, for a start. Even if I were, Candace and I aren’t actually a couple.
I reminded her of such when I deposited her in a guest room for the night. Tempted as I was to send her home, I couldn’t stand the idea of another argument.
Looking at her now…that may have been the wrong decision.
“She’s a Smurf,” Cade says unhelpfully.
“I always hated those fuckers. Gonna kill ’em.” Samson adds, a wicked gleam in his eyes.
It’s a good thing Candace signed several ironclad NDAs. She doesn’t know we’re The Firm, but with all the murder threats being tossed her way, she could put two and two together. I highly doubt she will though.
Neo would.
I sigh and pinch the bridge of my nose. My glasses nudge up as I do so. “Do not kill anyone.”
As I say that, Candace lunges forward, trying to reach Neo, but I stop her with a snap of my arm. Careful not to hurt her, I restrain her kicking and screaming body against mine.
“I’m going to fucking kill him!” she screams. “He’s ruined my life!”
Red flickers in the corner of my vision. “You won’t touch him. You don’t even know itwashim who did this.”
Her eyes flare. “I do. He left a note with his name signed at the bottom.”
I glance over at Neo, who doesn’t look sorry in the least. “Really?”
His head bobs. “Of course. Didn’t want anyone else taking the credit. I didn’t expect her to be so blue, but I must say I’m proud of it. I outdid myself.”
She screams again, completely unhinged. I mean, I don’t blameher. She’s the face of her family; she can’t just show up completely blue.
“It doesn’t come off! I look like a monster.” She’s sobbing now, and I should feel bad, but I don’t. Not really. She’s simply awful, and I need to end this facade sooner rather than later.
But perhaps now is not the right time. The amount of work that’s going to go into fixing this mess…
“She does look like a monster,” Samson says. “A Smurf monster.”
I glower at him, but he’s merely eyeing Candace like he wants to take her head off.
Cade, however, steps forward and peels Candace away from me, her sobbing body slumping against him as he drags her toward the door.
“We’ll get her sorted and on the way back home. I won’t even let Samson murder her,” Cade says, and before the door closes, he adds, “Blue does look good with your hair.”
She sobs even louder as the door clicks shut behind them, and I let out a slow breath. And then I turn slowly, trying to keep myself calm, but Neo is still in my bed, his shirt falling over his shoulder, his hair a mess.
His blue hair.
The color doesn’t look ridiculous on him.
It looks…tempting.
As does the fact that his legs are spread.
“You seem mad, but not as mad as I thought you’d be,” he says thoughtfully.
His lips lift, and my fingers curl into fists as I try to keep myself under control. Keep the monster quiet.
It’s not working.
Take. Take.
