Page 30 of Javier

Wrong direction, Goofman.

“With Sister Elsa demanding I clean my vocabulary and you being with the order all this time, I’m trying to watch my language…” I watched her shift on her seat. “Wait.” It was my turn to narrow my eyes on her. “You told me you weren’t a novice. Right?”

“I’ve thought about it.” She lifted her delicate shoulders then let them fall. “Some days I feel like I could be a good one. The sisters seem to think so. Other days…”

“Other days?” I rolled a hand in the air, urging her to finish, not knowing why her answer mattered so much to me.

“I don’t know,” she finally said.

“Let’s clarify.” Her reply was completely unsatisfactory. “You embedded with the nuns to hide from your father.”

“Embedded?” A titter escaped her usually guarded expression, flowing over me like a fresh breeze. “What a concept. I suppose it fits. I came to the order, told them my story, and they agreed to hide me. They also gave me a chance to see if I had a vocation. I’m not sure I’m built to be a nun, though.”

My brain immediately translated her admission into an overtly sexual message that reached every fiber in my body. Roman candles went off in my head. The celebration was something akin tookay, she’s fair game. It felt as though my brain had been ruminating on this. It was official. I was dumber than my brain. She wasnotfair game.

I stopped breathing when I noticed the way she eyed me beneath her lashes. Was there a little smoldering going on in her eyes? Why did the air feel charged around us, as if lighting was about to strike?

Goof, are you trying to kid yourself?

The stupid part of me was in play and in violent conflictwith the slightly less stupid part of me.My gut yanked in alarm. A single drop of sweat slid down between my shoulder blades.

Nope. Not gonna happen. I’mnotattracted to her. No chemistry. Absolutely none.

Liar, liar, pants on fire.

I wasnotinterested in Missy Astor. I couldn’t do that to myself. Or to her. She was out of my league. She was an Astor, for fuck’s sake. Then there was the rest. Thena and Dagger would have my nuts on a platter if I allowed anything to happen. Missy was young, good, and wholesome. I was old, bad, and jaded.

Yeah, she was untouchable to me, even though, right now, she was studying me with glossy eyes, contemplating me as if I were a cookie and she wanted to eat me. Her taut nipples continued to spear through her T-shirt. It was as if they were calling for my mouth to lick them.

She’s just curious, nothing else. I clenched my jaw and fought the wood hardening again.Down, boy. Bad, bad boy. She’s not your type anyway.

My dick sorely disagreed.

You know better, dumbass. Don’t mix the job with the dick. Plus, she’s way above your paygrade. As in way, way.

What are you afraid of, Goofman?

I’m not afraid of shit.

Youareafraid.

Maybe it was true. I was afraid that I would hurt her. That’s what happened to people who got close to me. Mom? Gone. Nix? Dead. I didn’t want to miss my chance to pay my debt. For an instant, our eyes met before we both looked away. My chest tightened along with that other part of me that refused to let me think straight.

Since stroking my dick was out of the question, I popped my neck one way then the other. Okay, fine. Let’s be real. She tempted me. After all, she was beautiful, and I was human. Herorgasm tonight would be my wet dream for life. Then there was the other problem. It was unsolvable. Once she found out that her brother had died because of my incompetence, she’d loathe me forever.

Good. Let her loathe me. Nothing like hatred to keep one’s dick in one’s pants.

“Javi?” Her voice startled me and so did the intensity of her chocolate eyes. “What’s going on in your mind?”

Fat chance I was gonna answer her truthfully.

I shrugged and scratched my beard. “A shot of whiskey might be nice.”

What I really wanted to do was ask her my own questions.Were you eyeing me as if you wanted a piece of me just a moment ago? Are you interested or what? Can I kiss you?

Had she been any other woman, flirting with me at a bar somewhere, I wouldn’t have had any problem asking.But asking her?

Nope.

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