Page 12 of Point of Contact

Standing in front of the door to his room, he took a deep breath before passing the key card over the sensor and letting himself in. Courtney was in the center of his bed wearing one of his T-shirts. Her bare legs were stretched out in front of her, crossed at the ankles, as she watched television and popped back an almond from the bag he had stashed in his backpack.

"Do you not understand personal boundaries?" He gritted his teeth as he plugged his cell into the charger on the nightstand.

Courtney's eyes swung his way, dragging up and down his frame before leveling on his. "Listen, grumpy pants, I almost fucking died today. All my clothes, all my jewelry, my fucking car, it's all gone. So you're going to have to deal with me wearing one of your shirts to bed." One of her brows barely angled as the corner of her mouth lifted. "Unless you want me to sleep naked too."

"No thanks. I'm not interested in whatever it is you have going on." He said it hoping to make it true, but tonight his mind was unusually weak. After Courtney planted that fucking vision of being on her knees or across his, there was a little part of him that was curious about what a fully nude Courtney might look like. And the fact that she was making him think inappropriate thoughts only pissed him off more.

"Are you sure?" Courtney seemed unbothered by his feigned disgust. "I've got really nice tits." She pulled her knees up before letting them fall open, the drape of his T-shirt barely covering what he was claiming to have no interest in. "And I just got a Brazilian."

Reed closed his eyes, taking a steeling breath. "Stop or I will leave your ass here."

"Ugh." Courtney rolled her eyes as she popped in another almond. "I almost forgot how unfun you are."

"I'm not here for fun, Princess." The word slipped out before he could catch it, adding yet another layer of irritation to the piles stacking up around him. "I actually came down here to tell you that we were done with you. That you were on your own."

Courtney lifted her brows but looked relatively unbothered. "Oh yeah?" She tipped her head. "How'd that work out for you?"

"Considering you're in my bed, eating my food and wearing my clothes," he shook his head, "not well."

Courtney's eyes narrowed, like he was finally starting to get to her the way she got at him. "You know, there are lots of men who would love to have me in their bed." She tossed his bag of almonds to one side, leaning forward. "Or on my knees."

"Oh yeah? Where are they? I’d be happy to take you to them." One way or another, he needed to get rid of her. Unload this terror of a woman so he could get back to his life. Back to doing what needed to be done.

Courtney's lips pursed, pinching together as her nostrils barely flared. He'd hit a nerve. And he couldn't stop himself from hitting it again.

"What’s the matter, Princess? Were you bluffing?" He moved closer, stalking toward her. "Does that mean there are no men who want you in their bed?" He leaned forward, resting his fists against the mattress as he leveled his eyes on hers. "That's probably because they want to fuck someone who's not a complete pain in their ass."

For a second, he felt like he finally had the upper hand. Like he was finally taking control of the situation and the woman within it.

But then Courtney’s full lips slowly tipped up at the edges. "I didn't see anyone sleeping in your bed tonight." She held his gaze, completely undaunted as she fired back. "I bet you haven't had a girlfriend in years." Her eyes moved down his body. "That's probably why you're so grumpy." She tipped her head pushing her lower lip out in a pout. "Poor Reed hasn't been laid in so long he probably forgot how to do it."

Her assessment hit a little closer to home than he’d ever admit. “Careful, Princess. I’d love to leave you here to clean up whatever mess you made all by yourself.”

Courtney, like usual, was unaffected by his threat. “But you can’t. Because Pierce won’t let you.”

Once again, her assessment was more accurate than he’d like. That was one of the problems they’d faced in their dealings with this woman. She was much smarter than she let on.

“That’s what I thought.” She dropped back against the headboard, eyes going back to whatever bullshit television show she was watching. “When are we leaving?”

He didn’t want to admit she was, in fact, leaving, but he was tired of sparring with her. “The plane will be here sometime after noon.”

Courtney’s spine went stiff, her skin paling the tiniest bit. “Why not first thing in the morning?”

“Because, contrary to what you think, we aren’t at your fucking beck and call.” Reed moved to the small pullout sofa lined against the wall. “You should be glad we’re getting you out of here at all.”

“I’m sorry.” She turned his direction, the snideness in her voice making it clear this was not going to be an apology. “I was under the impression that was what Alaskan Security did. They protect people for money.”

“Not everyone deserves to be protected, Princess.” He regretted the words the second they were out of his mouth.

Mostly.

Courtney had wasted countless man hours during her last temper tantrum. She’d also occupied one of their off-grid cabins, taking up space someone else could have used.

Someone who sat on a more comfortable side of the law.

Courtney’s head bobbed back like he’d slapped her, mouth gaping as she stared at him. After a few seconds, her lips clamped shut, jaw clenching as she swung her legs over the side of the mattress. “Whatever.”

She stood up and strode toward the bathroom. But she didn’t stop there. Courtney kept walking, flinging open the door to the room and walking right out into the hallway in nothing but one of his T-shirts.

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