Page 68 of Brutal Obsession

“I’m calling my sister.”

Shit. “You can’t.” I clear my throat. “Don’t, I mean.”

Harper ignores me, grabbing the motel phone out of the cradle. I snatch the phone from her hand, praying I don’t come off as desperate as I feel.

As her blue eyes search my face, my mouth dries out even more.

If she calls Riley, Finn and everyone else will know I’ve found her. They’ll expect an ETA on our arrival. And they’ll get that soon enough, so why rush?

I don’t want to share Harper just yet, and reality can wait. Anything that requires us to separate sooner can cool its heels.

I want her right here, in my space. Close enough to kiss.

And I almost do kiss her, but my nerve fails in the face of Harper’s suspicion.

She still doesn’t trust me worth a damn.

Not that I blame her.

“Come on.” I force my voice to sound normal.

“Where?”

I wrap my fingers around her upper arm. “Shower.”

“What?”

Steering us both into the cobalt-tiled bathroom with turtle wallpaper, I give her a little sniff. “You could use one.”

Outrage suffuses her beautiful features. “Fuck you.”

For some reason, I love it when she says that. I almost laugh. “Are you going to wash yourself, or do you want me to do that part?”

“Get out.”

“So you can sneak off?” I nod at the casement window set high into the blue shower wall. “I don’t think so. Now get in before I change my mind and give you a sponge bath.”

It’s just business. So why does the thought of supervising Harper while she showers make my chest all fizzy?

What’s the word?Intimate.

Which is so fucking sappy and unlike the shit I’m used to doing with women I spend the night with that I almost disgust myself.

But this bizarre moment might be the only salve for the hurt that appeared when Harper tried to ditch me by the side of the road without a second thought.

I spent the past thirty minutes avoiding the truth.

Harper will abandon me the first chance she gets.

I also push away the disturbing certainty that if anything happens to her, it could wreck me for good.

Chapter 18

Harper

I’m so exhausted and shaken from the day—the morning, the gunmen, Cian’s information—to really ponder the absurdity of me showering while he sits on the closed toilet a few inches away and babysits. I consider myself thankful for the opaque shower curtain.

What I really need right now is a moment to think. I probably would have gone for a shower even if Cian hadn’t insisted. Didn’t need a reminder of how gross I already am after today, thank you very much.

---