Page 31 of Elling & Jackie

"Where're my clothes," she said, her voice coming out strained.

The clink of his belt—or what she imagined was his belt—filled the room. "You were wearing a robe."

She flinched. What had she been thinking, coming over here almost naked?

Sliding her feet across the floor, she walked out of the room. The floorplan the same as where she lived, she made it to the door without bumping into the hotel-issued furniture and found her robe.

Elling's boots hitting the tile in the kitchen warned her he was moving toward her. She slipped her hands into the sleeves, hugged the material around her, and escaped the room before he could stop her. If he chose to stop her, which he hadn't.

Hiding in her hotel room, she flipped on every light and paced in front of the couch. She grabbed her phone, wanting to call and tell someone what she'd done.

Her brothers were out of the question. Ew.

Stassi was younger than her, and while she knew her sister had sex before and would be open to talking her off the ledge after walking away in shame, family loyalty ran deep in her blood. Her sister would tell Chief, knowing the risks of her becoming involved with Slag Motorcycle Club.

Her mom...she tossed the phone down.

This was a secret she'd bury deep. No one would ever find out.

Forcing herself to think of tonight as a one-night stand would help her to push the reminder of how Elling's leather felt underneath her hands, and the braids of his beard caressed her skin.

It was a mistake. A life-threatening mistake.

Remembering why she'd gone over there; she sank down on the couch and pulled her feet up on the cushion. She'd never told him about the Federal Agent staying at the hotel.

While she refused to give Slag Motorcycle Club a heads-up, there was something about Elling that had her wanting to warn him. He was only one man. What he would've done with the information about the Feds would be on him.

But she hadn't told him. She probably never would.

They had sex. Now they could both stop the crazy fascination with each other and go their separate ways.

She squeezed her temples with her fingers and moaned at the prospect of never being with him again. God, the sex was good.

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