Page 50 of Unlawful Seduction

“Then what was it?”

I closed my eyes, so full of shame I almost laughed at myself, yet nothing was funny. I couldn’t answer him right away.

He shook me gently, now tearing at the shower curtain as if frantic to free me. “Talk to me. What happened?”

I was shaking like a leaf, forced to cinch my eyes shut so I wouldn’t see his expression of admonishment. “Spiders. There were two huge tarantula-like spiders in the shower. Okay? I’m sorry.”

He stiffened and stopped moving altogether. I was certain he would walk out, leaving me to untangle myself and never talk to me again. Seconds later, I heard his deep sigh and he returned to fishing me out of my entrapment.

When I realized I was completely naked, my eyes snapped open. I must have had a look of horror on my face. He already had the towel prepared to wrap around me.

“Relax, Doc. I’m not here to take advantage of you. Now, go sit in the bedroom. Let me see what I can find.”

“Maybe I was crazy.”

“I doubt it. Go on. I’ll be there in a few minutes.” He nodded as if in encouragement and I tugged the towel more tightly around me, unable to look him in the eyes as I walked toward the door.

I was afraid of very little, but spiders completely freaked me out. When I turned slightly, finally finding the courage to look in his direction, I realized he was staring at me.

Not with amusement or anger.

With desire.

I moved into the bedroom, sitting down on the edge of the bed. Jax was right there within seconds, providing needed comfort after jumping on the bed with me. I heard no other sounds at first, then noticed Beckett had passed by the bedroom door, returning with something in his hands.

Maybe two minutes later, he was walking down the stairs. Jax woofed and jumped after his master, his nails tapping on the wooden stairs as he flew down them. The house had decent soundproofing and I heard nothing else until boots stomped up the stairs a little later.

When both Beckett and Jax returned to the room, Beckett tugged off his gloves. Under his arm was a shoebox. He’d captured the spiders and freed them. Who did that?

“They’re wolf spiders. They look terrifying, but they’re insect eaters.”

“In the winter?” I asked.

He grinned. “They were looking for somewhere warm. They found it.” As he spoke, he gave me a onceover again.

I tugged the towel. “They won’t come back?”

“Doubtful, but tell you what. You can use my shower.”

“In your bedroom?”

“What’s wrong, Doc? Afraid I’ll join you?”

I opened my mouth to retort, but stood instead. “You can’t handle me.”

He acted as if he wasn’t going to allow me to pass. When I pressed my hand against his chest, kneading his shirt, his nostrils flared. “Be careful challenging me at this point, Doc. I pride myself on control, but around you, I’m not sure I can promise anything.”

I refused to back down, using a little more pressure as I pushed.

He finally stepped away, allowing me to pass.

His room was at the end of the hall. I took purposeful steps, trying to hold my head high when I felt like such an idiot. Spiders? Really? Once inside his room, I flicked on a light and almost moaned out loud. His bedroom was incredible with a huge king-sized bed meant for a king, all dark wood with tremendous wooden posters ending just past the ornately carved headboard.

The man was full of surprises. There was an acoustic guitar in the corner of the room near a single leather chair. There was also a bookcase behind the guitar and stand, full of books that had obviously been read more than once. They were in a beautiful disarray, some shoved in places maybe to find a little more space.

I felt as if I was in his inner sanctum, the true private side of him. However, he’d offered and I’d accepted. There was no going back now. He would take that as a sign of weakness and if there was one thing I knew not to do around him, it was to show any signs of fear.

Ha. As if that hadn’t occurred like six times already.

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