He wraps it up a little while later and when he turns the recorder off; I sigh and sit back in my chair, my eyes closed.
Dredging up my past is never fun, especially when I’m thinking about my mother.
She was my favorite person in the world. I still feel guilty that I wasn’t able to protect her like I should have. I was almost a man and I let some drunk, abusive fuckhead kill her because I couldn’t deal with being at home.
I don’t want another kid to go through that.
“You okay?” Hill whispers and I open my eyes to find him on his knees in front of me.
Cupping his cheek, I nod. “I am.”
In a low voice, he asks, “Are you glad you killed him?”
“Of course. I would have done it sooner if my mother didn’t ask me not to.”
Hill tilts his head to the side, a question swimming in his eyes. “You told her…?”
“Yeah, but out of anger. She probably thought I was joking but made me promise I wouldn’t. Guess I fucked that promise up.”
Hill grins, shaking his head. “No, you didn’t. He killed himself. The police reports say it and everything.”
I bark a laugh and bend down to kiss him. “Where have you been all my life?
Smiling against my lips, he says, “Waiting for you to come along.”
After I have my fill of his mouth, Hill gets to his feet and holds his hand out to me. “Come on. It looks like that interview took it out of you. Let’s lie down and get some rest.”
When I’m on my feet, I wrap my arm around his waist and pull him close enough to feel my growing erection. “Are we only going to rest?”
It’s his turn to waggle his eyebrows. “That depends, Mr.Grant. Do you plan to join the Mile High Club?”
“I think we can make that happen.” Then I bend to kiss the smile off his lips.
Chapter Fourteen
Hill
Australia is fucking beautiful.Rich lands, pretty beaches, beautiful people. If I didn’t think stepping out of my front door would kill me, I’d want to move here.
Just this morning, a big ass snake slithered in front of the door of our villa like it owned the place. I mean, it does, but fuck, warn a guy before almost crawling over my foot.
Other than the anaconda that wanted to eat me alive, it’s an ideal place to live.
The photoshoot for this sunglasses ad—where Menace is shirtless, his gorgeous muscles and tattoos flashing in the sun—is on one of the quieter beaches that was rented out for the day. A few people have stopped by to see what all the fuss is about, but they leave before too long.
I’m careful to stay hidden, though I could always use the excuse that I’m press and I’m covering the photoshoot. But I don’t want gossip and salacious photos to pop up on tabloid sites when we’re just trying to enjoy our time in a new location.
It’s fun watching Menace model. He always seems to be smiling when we’re together, but when the camera is aimed at him, there’s not an ounce of happiness in him. I kinda like thecontrast in his attitude. Makes me feel like he’s saving up all his joy for me, no matter how small the crumb.
He also looks good as fuck half naked with oil all over his skin. I’m not even paying attention to the fucking sunglasses.
The weather is nice and the wind is blowing, so while Menace poses and adjusts his eyewear, I play back the interview so I can compose it into a coherent article that will have donations for Menace’s charity rolling in.
I love how vulnerable he was when he answered my questions. He’d already told me most of what I asked, but hearing the emotion he spoke with when he thought about his mother and how she was murdered, it broke something in me. He might be a hard-ass, a model with a reputation for being tough, and he might be a cold-blooded killer, but he’s still hurting from losing his mother.
I wish I could have met her. If she raised Menace to be the man he is—even with the killing—she must have been an exceptional woman. He’s doing a lot to honor her memory, a far cry from what I’d do for my shitty parents.
I’m finishing up my first draft of the article when the photographer calls to wrap up the shoot and Menace makes his way over to me. He stops just before touching me, though his hands twitch at his sides. I asked him to keep what we have private for now, at least until the article comes out so people will be more interested in what he had to say than our relationship.
