Page 26 of Untouchable

You’re learning, Little Reaper. Sleep tight.

Katarina

Sleep tight, Ace.

CHAPTER 15

Katarina

“WAKE UP! I’M IN CRISIS.”

Iwatch Ace as he pulls away from the curb of my building, the sound of his bike fading in the distance, before I finally move away from the window. I pull my camera out of its bag, clicking it on and scrolling through the photos, wondering if he really did go through the camera or not. I meant what I said, I’ll figure him out one day. I stop on the photos I was able to sneak at his garage the other day, smiling to myself like an idiot as I take in every rugged, handsome feature. Ace always comes across as rough around the edges, short-tempered, and very…monotonous. But I think there’s a lot more to him than that, he just chooses not to see it. His eyes are hypnotizing, his long, black hair has always been one of my favorite things about him, and the way his tattoos cover every inch of visible skin—aside from his face—makes me want to study him like an art book. I click over once more and my heart falls directly through my ass and hits the floor beneath me. I hadn’t wanted him to go through the photos and see the ones I took of him at the garage, because I was afraid he would delete them, but I had completely forgotten about the photos I took of myself in my hotel room during my last out-of-town job. I’d had one too many drinks from my mini fridge andwas feeling myself just enough to photograph the moment. I will say this, even drunk I’m a damn good photographer.

I wonder what he would have thought if he had seen these? Would he have wanted to see more? I mean, if so, all he’d have to do is ask. Who am I kidding? It’s Ace. He doesn’t ask, he demands, and I’d willingly do whatever he told me to do.

“Oh my god,” I whisper to myself, dropping my camera in my bag as I try to grasp even a little bit of the sanity I’m sure I once had. I stand up and head to Tabitha’s room, cursing to myself the entire way. I flick on her light, and she groans.

“Wake up! I’m in crisis.”

She buries her face in her pillow. “You sound way too calm to be in crisis.”

“Okay, well then wake up, because I think I’m a whore.” She pushes herself up, a groggy glare aimed right at me.

“Coffee.” I grab her wrist and drag her out of bed, allowing her to nest on the couch while I brew us some coffee. “Kitten, you’re the least whore-ish person I know. Why on earth do you suddenly think you’re one?” The bun of brown hair on top of her head is a mess, and her pajamas are twisted as she yawns so big she looks like a baby bird.

I pour us each a cup of coffee, bringing our creamer and a spoon to the coffee table with me before plopping down next to her. “Okay, so you know how I had to drop my car off at Ace’s to get the brakes worked on?”

“Mmhm.” She perks up at the very mention of Ace’s name.

“Well, I left my camera bag in there, thinking I’d have it back within a day, but he hasn’t gotten around to it yet. So he texted me and offered to bring it to me tonight.”

She straightens in her seat, tucking her feet into the couch. “He texted you out of the blue and offered to come here?”

“Yes. But the other day I had gotten the bag out of my trunk, snapped some photos of the sunset before he gave me a ride home, and Imay havesnuck a couple of him, too.”

Her eyes widen, as does her smile. “Show me, right now!”

I grab my camera as I continue. “Anyways, I was worried he might have gone through the camera roll and found the ones I took of him, mostly worried that he would delete them because that feels on brand for him. But I don’t think he looked through it and now I’m kind of bummed and that’s why I’m a whore.” Her expression twists, and she sets her coffee mug down.

“Okay, you lost me. Why don’t you think he went through the pictures and why does it make you a whore to have photos of Ace? Unless you’re doing dirty things with them,whichI wouldn’t judge you for, by the way.”

“I don’t think he went through them because they’re still here…” I hand her the camera, and her face softens.

“Oh my god. He’s a beautiful man, no doubt, but Kat, these are amazing,” she praises, as she hands the camera back to me.

“Thanks, but the reason I’m a whore…”

She looks up at the sky dramatically. “Thank god, here comes the clarity.”

“Is because I forgot I’d taken these the last time I was out of town, and now I kind of wish hehadseen them.” I hand the camera to her, chewing on my bottom lip nervously.

“Gah, you’re so hot.” I roll my eyes, waiting for her to say something else. “But that doesn’t make you a whore. Hate to break it to you.” She gives me a playfully sympathetic look as she hands my camera back to me. “It just means you want the guy you like to think you’re hot. What girl in the worlddoesn’twant that?”

“I don’t like Ace,” I mumble under my breath.

“Shh.” She holds her hand up to her ear. “Do you hear that? It’s every lie detector in the world going off right now.”

“How am I supposed to even know if I like him when all he does is boss me around like a damn prospect?”

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