Page 20 of Curvy Hostage Mate
I nodded, trying to hide my own disappointment. “Did I do something wrong? I didn’t hurt you or anything, did I?”
She gave a loud laugh and shook her head, those enticing curls bouncing and swaying with the motion. “God, no, it was great,” she said, then hesitated. “It was a lot of fun. But with everything going on, I don’t think it should happen again.”
I rose and sat across from her at the table. “Can I ask what’s really going on? Because I have a sneaking suspicion there’s more to this decision than you’re telling me.”
She bit her lip, glancing at me for a brief moment, then away, as if trying to decide how to explain.
“I’ve been used… a lot,” she finally said. “And, honestly, because of all this—” She gave a vague wave that seemed to encapsulate the house, the situation, everything that had happened the last couple of days. “—it’s hard to think of it any other way than another instance of me being used.”
I tried to mask my surprise and hurt. The truth was, I wanted Morgan. I wanted more of her. I wanted to see her make that expression of pure ecstasy she’d worn the day before every day from now on. I wanted to make her scream and cry out with joy. I wanted to worship her body and tell her how incredibly, distractingly attractive she was every second of every day until she believed it. I wanted all of that and more. But if she didn’t want that, if she wasn’t ready, then I wouldn’t push, no matter how badly I wanted to.
Unsure whether I was doing the right thing or not, I reached out and took her hand. “I want you to know that I would never use you,” I said. “Last night was something I had wanted to do for a long time because I like you. I have since I first laid eyes on you.”
Her eyes flickered with disbelief. Not from distrust of me, I realized, but because she didn’t think someone could care about her that way.
“If you don’t want it to happen again, then I’ll respect it,” I continued, leaning forward, taking in her intoxicating scent. “That said, if you ever change your mind, I would be more than happy to have a repeat.”
Morgan blushed, a faint smile playing on her lips, but she didn’t say anything. Before I could press her any further, my phone rang. Not what I used to get in touch with Trent and Nolan, but my real one. I glanced down at the name and felt a prickle of apprehension crawl up my spine.
“I’ve got to take this,” I told her, worried I already knew what this conversation was about. “Hey, Declan,” I said into the phone. “I’m—”
“Don’t tell me where you are,” Declan hissed, interrupting me before I could say anything. My mouth slammed shut asintuition screamed at me that something was wrong. Morgan must have seen the expression on my face because she paled, her beautiful features stricken. I gave a small smile that I hoped was reassuring, and Morgan’s expression softened a little.
“Give me a sec,” I told Declan. Holding up a finger to Morgan, keeping that same smile plastered across my face, I slipped out of the safehouse and outside to where Morgan couldn’t hear. I went several yards away from the house, looking over my shoulder to make sure I didn’t see Morgan peering out a window or lurking in the door. When I was positive she wasn’t about to come near, I said, “All right. What’s up?”
“I need you to come back to town,” Declan said. “Don’t bring anything. Just you.”
A deaf man wouldn’t have been able to miss the rage in his voice, or the second meaning behind thejust you. Because I knew he wasn’t talking about not bringing personal belongings.
“Declan, I can explain—”
“I don’t want to hear it,” Declan snapped. “Get back to town now before I raise up a shitstorm.”
This time, it wasn’t the anger in Declan’s words that made all the hair on my arms stand on end. “Shitstorm” was code for a dangerous visitor. I stiffened, my fingers white-knuckling the phone as I processed his words, unease racing up and down my spine. There was only one person that Declan could be warning me about. And now I knew what he meant by ‘just you.’”
“I’ll be there as quickly as possible,” I said.
“See to it,” Declan said before hanging up.
I stuffed my phone into my pocket, rubbing my face as I stared out into the woods, the mist and fog still coatingthe ground. The morning chill had nothing to do with the goosebumps prickling up my arms.
“I’ve got to leave for a bit,” I said when I got back inside the cabin, forcing myself to stay casual. “I’m locking the doors when I leave. For your own good, don’t leave. I mean it.”
“Is everything all right?” Morgan asked.
“It should be,” I lied. “Just need to check on a few things. I won’t be long, okay?”
Her eyes darted toward the door. I saw her chew the inside of her cheek as she debated whether to run the second I left. After a long moment, she nodded reluctantly.
“Please stay,” I said, feeling more than a little relieved when she gave another nod.
Without another word, I raced outside, shifting to run back to Falcon’s Reach.
The streets of town, normally lined with people moving from shop to shop, filling the air with a lively hum, felt emptier than normal. More than once, I caught sight of people in tight circles, murmuring to one another. It only solidified my fears. Someone unpleasant, someone unwelcome, someone dangerous, had come to town.
I walked through the town square, noting again the lack of people wandering around as I crossed the plaza, heading toward the tall stone building on the other side. As I climbed the steps, I took one last look around the courtyard before opening the door and dipping into Town Hall.
Declan’s office was on the fourth floor. I took the elevator and rounded the corner to where his assistant’s desk was. Instead of the normally smiling Rose lounging behind her normal desk, Jackson stood in the middle of the room, clearlywaiting for me. The thin line of his mouth and the darkened expression in his eyes only put all my senses on more alert.
