Page 24 of Reclaimed

“I bake them all cookies.”

“Shut up, Isla.” He scrubs his palms over his face.

“Excuse me? I just saved your ass from Julie. You can go back outside if you’re going to talk to me like that. She should spank the rudeness out of you with her wooden spoon.”

“I said…” He steps into me, his chest nearly bumping mine, and gazes down into my startled eyes. Goodness, from this close, his eyes aresoblue. Like glacial blue. They’re distracting. “Shut. Up.”

“Why?” I whisper, my voice swallowed by his nearness.

“Because for this to work, I’m not supposed to actually want you, and you’re making that damn hard.”

I swallow against a lump in my throat. “For what to work?”

“Dating you.”

My shoulders tense. “I already said—”

The mere act of his gaze dropping to my lips has me shutting up. So much for not having any pregnancy symptoms. I feel my hormones kick into overdrive and suddenly, I’m clenching my thighs.

Kiss me. Kiss me. NO. Don’t kiss me.

He cups my chin and his thumb touches the center of my lips. I still.

“Just listen.”

I nod once, the only part of me not frozen.

“This serial killer is targeting dancers who are single and live alone. So you lie low and for a while we pretend like we’re together to keep you off of his radar. It’s that simple.”

“What if I don’t want to spend that much time with you?”

“I can’t speak for you, but I’m thirty-two and single. Not a lot going on these days that’d make this a much of a hassle.”

“Seems almost too easy.”

Aiden shrugs and the corner of his mouth quirks. “There’s nothing else connecting these women together. I already spend a lot of time at the club. So we pretend like we’re a couple. I drive you to work and bring you home. For anyone watching, it’ll seem like you’re off the market.”

“Then what’s with the bags?” I flick out my wrist at the black bags.

“I need to move in.”

“What?”

“it’s temporary.”

“No.”

“Isla, stop and think for a minute. If someone does decide to set their sights on you, don’t you think they might try to find out where you live? To really sell the idea of us being together, I need to stay here for a while.”

As much as I don’t want to admit it, he does have a point.

And wouldn’t I feel that much safer having him sleep in the house with me?

A tingle races down my spine at the thought.

No. Nope. No way. He doesn’t even know I’m pregnant. I open my mouth to tell him when the bag at his feet moves.On its own.Rather than spilling my secret, I let out a shriek.

“What is that?”

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