Page 25 of Captivated

“Why do you need money so badly?”

“That’s none of your business.”

“It is,” he insists.

“How?” I challenge, and his jaw ticks.

“My club, my business.”

I clench my jaw, keeping my mouth shut before I lose my shit. I take a deep breath in through my nose.

“Does it have anything to do with you no longer having a car?”

“Jesus fucking Christ!” I exclaim. “What is with you and my car? I sold my car last week, okay? Are you happy now that you know?”

“Yes, very,” he says smugly. “Why did you sell it? Does it have to do with your brother and the fact that he’s back in town and got the shit beaten out of him?”

“I don’t owe you an–” I cut myself off. “Wait.” I push on his chest to get him away from me, but he doesn’t budge. “How do you know about my brother? Did you look into my life? My background? My family?”

“I drove you home and a half-beaten man answered the door. Yes, I looked into your life. I knew you weren’t going to tell me.”

“Nico, that’s completely inappropriate. You can’t do that,” I tell him, nervous he might have found out too much.

“I can and I did. And I’ll go deeper unless you tell me what’s going on.”

“My brother’s in trouble and I’m helping him. That’s all you need to know.”

Nico’s eyes search mine. “I can help.”

“I don’t want your help. I can figure things out on my own.”

“Doesn’t mean you have to. You don’t have to do everything yourself.”

“You don’t know me like you think you do. I’ve been doing things on my own for a while now. Why stop now?”

“Since your aunt died last year, or before that?”

My heart sinks as the anger is wiped from me. “Are you kidding me?”

“I’m sorry. I’m sure she meant a lot to you. She took care of you when your dad died, right? What happened to your mother?”

“Why don’t you tell me? You seem to know everything.”

“Hardly. I want you to tell me.”

“Yeah, well, I’d like to not be fired, have my car back, get my brother out of trouble, and not have come here today to only have to explain any of this to you. I just wanted to forget for a few hours, but you’ve ruined that.” I push against him again, and he lets me move him away this time.

Finally, some air that’s not filled with the faint remnants of his cologne or the close proximity of his naked body that’s making me dizzy with need and filling my head with visions of everything we can do together.

“Put some damn clothes on,” I tell him.

“You’re wearing my shirt. How about you give it back?” He smirks, thinking he’s clever.

I grab my clothes off the floor and close and lock myself in the bathroom. I quickly redress, and when I emerge again, he’s still there, naked, and leaning against the wall beside the door with that dumb and sexy smirk still in place.

“Here.” I press his balled-up shirt against his chest and his hand covers mine – caging me in his warm embrace.

“Don’t go.”

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