Page 17 of The Silencer

TATUM

“Iheard you were being a shit out in the gardens today,” Anthony says, his voice low and dark. His presence is so unexpected that I startle, jolting upright and grunting at the pain that spears through me. I’m currently sitting downstairs on the porch, tucked underneath a fuzzy blanket and watching the ripple of water on the small pond in his back yard. I wonder if there are fish in there.

I bet there are expensive fish. Koi or sharks.

Bet he has a man on call to feed them and everything.

“Geez, Anthony,” I wheeze. “Give a guy a warning.”

He doesn’t respond, just continues to stand there, towering over me. He’s wearing his usual suit and tie, his jacket missing, and his sleeves rolled up his muscular forearms. I can see the tattoos and veins there.

Oh, good Lord.

Send help. He gets more attractive every hour.

His eyes swivel down to meet mine. “Well, I must admit you look very sexy this evening,” I say with a grin.

My smile widens and I try to hide the wince when my eye starts to throb.

“If you say so,” he replies.

Anthony’s gaze settles on me for just a moment before he turns it out to the landscape in front of us.

“You should be in bed.”

“I feel better when I’m not lying down. So I thought I’d sit for a while. You can join me, if you want.”

Anthony eyes me and then runs a hand across his jaw. The stubble abrades his palm and the sound of it scratching is the sound I want it to make when it rubs against my skin. Between my legs and ass cheeks.

“Actually, Agatha gave me some ointment that you should put on your bruises.”

I reach my hand out, palm up, and wait for him to place it in my grasp, but he doesn’t. He just shoves his hands in his pockets.

“I’ll put it on. I’ve seen the state of your back. You won’t be able to reach most of the bruises.”

“You really don’t need to do that. I can have Angel do it.”

The muscle in his jaw jumps.

“I’ll do it. Angel doesn’t know how to apply it.”

I eye him and then sigh, knowing I’m not winning this one. Problem is, if he’s gonna be rubbing that all over me, I’m going to get hard.

And if I get hard, I’m going to want to jack off.

God, it’s been a hot minute since I’ve come.

If I spurt all over Anthony, it will be his fault. I will blame him entirely.

“Fine. But I’m not ready to get up yet. I want to watch the sun set.”

Anthony doesn’t move from his spot hovering over me, and I make no move to get up. But I also hate the stilted silence between us. I want to make conversation, to fill this weird silence settling between us.

“Anthony, today Casey called another bodyguard to come help him…”

“Because you were being a little shit,” he says, and I grin up at him.

“I was just walking around and Casey got anxious. I behaved.”

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