Page 38 of The Reluctant Hero

“Could it be because Iquit?” I sweetly remind them with both brows high on my face.

“I didn’t accept it,” Mr. Matthias tells me calmly as if that should mean something to me.

“That’s not how life works, pookie. This is what’s calledreality. You should try and get to know it.” I widen my eyes as I speak in the most condescending tone I can.

“Pookie?’ His lip curls with disdain.

The bodyguard coughs into his fist, but I catch his wide grin before he covers it. He’s struggling to maintain his scowlnow. It’s nice that my snark is being appreciated, but this guy has pissed me off too.

“You don’t get to laugh until you fix that damn door,” I point at him with a scowl. I take in the scruffy guy’s amused expression next. “And you. Pick up that blanket. This isn’t your house.”

The scruffy guy raises an eyebrow and leans forward with an angry smile. “You didn’t do a damn thin’ I told you to, did you?”

It reminds me of him handing me the money and telling me to have a spa day. He told me to relax and spoil myself. Instead, I hid it to tide me over until I found another job. I haven’t put it in the bank yet because I’ve been moping.

If he’s going to throw a fit about it, I’ll return it. I’ll be fine. I hope he enjoys having it shoved down his throat.

I huff in frustration and stomp to my phone, pulling off the case to reveal the stash. My mouth runs the entire time. “Just a heads up, molesting a woman’s feet in public and handing her money for it is shady as fuck.”

He grabs my wrist when I move to toss the money in his face and yanks me into his chest. The relaxed speed of the move startles me into submission. I don’t think about fighting it as my sock-clad feet slide closer to him.

As soon as his arms wrap around my waist, his smile becomes more relaxed and playful. He has me fully pressed against him, chest to chest. He’s muscular everywhere. Every hard part of him meets up with my softness until we’re practically glued together.

My body starts reminding me how long it’s been since I was physically intimate, and I struggle with wanting to melt and feeling guilty.

Guilty? I have no reason to feel guilty. I have a drawer full of proof of that. I’m starting to tense up when he breaks into my thoughts.

“I meant relaxin’. Do you know what that word is?” He asks in a gentle tease.

My cheeks blush as I gape at him. When Mr. Matthias moves in my peripherals, my snark comes back to save the day.

“That’s when the people who broke inleave, taking their octopus arms and their money with them,” I grit out, and his smile gets wider. I try to brace an arm between our bodies, but he doesn’t budge in his hold.

“What are you savin’ for?”

“None of your business,” I stuff the money into the collar of his shirt with a sneer. His skin is hot and distracting. Shit, I need to get away from him before I succumb to temptation. He’s got his money and no reason to linger. “Now get out of here!”

“I didn’t call you to my office to fire you,” Mr. Matthias coldly interrupts my building tirade as I struggle to get away. Even putting a foot on the guy’s thigh to gain some leverage doesn’t work. It just makes his smile bigger.

“Yeah, you just wanted someone to torture for a few hours. Sorry I clocked out early on that.” I work an elbow up to try and force more space between me and scruffy.

“No. I wanted to find out why you highlighted some of the files.”

My struggle stops in an awkward position as I wince. “I lost control of the mystery-solving urge because I was stressed, ok? I used lighter colors. If you make a copy, it won’t show up, and everything will be fine. I was going to do that before I filed them, but I got distracted.”

“Why those names?” Mr. Matthias’ voice becomes intense, and he rocks on his heels.

I frown at the action. My struggling paused for a moment as I take him in. He came to my apartment to find out about some highlighted names. What the hell is going on? Did I just go into overtime with the mystery I don’t want?

“Why do you care?” I ask him warily.

“You saw a pattern that I overlooked. How? And why bring my attention to it?”

My brow furrows deeper. “Whatpattern? They’re random names. Maybe I was planning on bringing phone books back. Andexcuseme, I didn’t expect any witnesses to my highlighter happy time.”

His eyes narrow on me. He’s studying me as if I’m a windup toy that isn’t doing the tricks that were advertised on TV. Shrewd disappointment and the urge to disassemble.

“You don’t knowanythingabout it?” His mocking tone confuses me more.

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