Page 20 of It Takes a Thief
“Thank you for that,” I say, searching his face, trying to figure out if he wants me as much as I want him. Although he can be hard to read sometimes, I can’t miss the heat that flares in his dark eyes.
“You’re welcome,” he rasps.
We’re so close, practically toe-to-toe, and I see him swallow hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. His slight stubble has grown thicker since we left Arcadia, and it’s so sexy. I zero in on his lips. Not too thin or too full. Absolutely perfect. Made to kiss a woman.
I start to push up onto my toes, and I swear he’s lowering his head, when he suddenly jerks back.
“Goodnight, Princess,” he says, sidestepping me. “It’s been a long day.”
Disappointment washes over me. “Dammit,” I whisper-hiss, watching his tight ass walk away from me and disappear into the kitchen.
I’m not sure how I messed that up so royally, but he’s gone. With a sigh, I force myself to walk up the steps. To preserve my dignity and not go chasing after him. Even though it’s far too tempting.
Dragging my feet down the dim upstairs hallway, I try to come to terms with his blatant rejection. It feels awful.
When I reach my room, I step inside and flip on the light switch. My gaze goes straight to my bed and the pile of pillows stacked against the headboard. All thoughts of wrecking my bed with Linc disintegrate, and I gasp.
I try to blink away what I’m seeing, but it doesn’t go away.
Stumbling back a step, a scream rips out of my throat.
Chapter Eight: Linc
Keep your hands, your lips and your dick to yourself.
I keep repeating the mantra in my head as I swig down an entire bottle of water, hoping it’ll help cool me off. Shocker, it doesn’t. Hell, I don’t even think an ice bath would help. After adjusting myself, I crush the plastic bottle and lean a hip against the kitchen counter.
Merritt is a princess, royally out of my league—pun intended—and taking advantage of our forced proximity isn’t going to happen.
At least that’s what I keep telling myself. But things are getting hotter every single moment I’m with her. How am I supposed to ignore her come hither looks? At this point, I think my dick is sporting a permanent indentation from my zipper.
Because the truth is, I’m so attracted to her, it’s getting harder and harder to ignore. But the whole situation is impossible. I have no business being with someone so exquisite, so beyond lovely, as Princess Merritt Fontaine. She’s more than out of my league—she’s light years from my meager existence.
Fuck me. I’m lusting after my client who’s goddamn royalty. This is bad. Really, really bad.
Two weeks, I remind myself. That’s all I have left. Then she returns home, and I can go back to Denver. Other than my work and team, though, nothing waits for me there. That used to be fine, but now loneliness tightens my heart in its grip. I sigh, feeling caught between a rock and hard place.
A loud scream pierces through my thoughts, and my reaction is instantaneous.
Instinct propels me out of the kitchen and straight up the stairs. Racing down the hall, I pull my gun from the holster at my back, and skid to a halt just inside the doorway to Merritt’s bedroom.
Merritt staggers a few steps toward me, her beautiful face whiter than the pristine comforter on her bed. Catching her in my arms, I pull her close, angling my body to shield hers as my gaze scans the room. I quickly zero in on the knife embedded in her fluffy pillow.
Fuck.
There’s a note, too. Where the fuck did it come from? Because it sure as hell wasn’t there when we were here earlier. And while I want to know what the fucking thing says, first I need to comfort the woman shaking in my arms.
“I’ve got you. You’re okay.” She buries her face against my chest as I stroke a hand down her soft hair and back.
Why does having her in my arms feel so right?
“Mer,” I say, keeping my voice gentle, “I need to search the apartment.”
She pulls back, eyes widening in alarm. “You think someone might still be in here?”
“I don’t know, sweetheart. But I’m going to check this place from top to bottom.”
She nods, reluctantly releasing me. I do a quick sweep of the ensuite and walk-in closet. Even look under the bed. This place is huge, though, and the sooner I check the rest of it, the better I’ll feel.
