Page 38 of Wicked Duty
But more than anything, I’m pissed at myself.
If I hadn’t acted like such an asshole, she probably wouldn’t have rushed off. Then again, I only behaved that way because of her earlier stunt during her audition.
She’s a hell of a wild card, I’ll give her that. A hissing little wildcat.
I rub the spot over my nose. This isn’t working. Constantly fighting with her won’t win me any points, and if she never trusts me, she’ll never share information about the wallet in her possession. The one Shane is still awaiting an update on. And I’m no closer to finding it than I was when I first started this job.
A shriek launches me to my feet. “Callum!”
The fear in her voice propels me to the bathroom.
Is an intruder in there with her? Another kidnapper?
Did she fall and hit her head?
Cut herself shaving?
“Lucy!” I pound on the door. “What’s wrong?”
As I reach for the knob, the door flies inward, and Lucy’s warm, wet body smacks into me. I wrap my arms around her back to steady her. Her breasts, covered only by a skimpy towel, press into my chest. A tidal wave of jasmine wafts straight into my face.
Relief floods my system, easing the chokehold on my throat. She’s okay. Unharmed. But sweet Joseph, Mary, and Jesus, I’ll need to recite a thousand Hail Mary’s for the way my body’s reacting.
“In there.” She shudders in my arms. “Get it out!”
I peer around her, performing a quick scan of her small bathroom. “What is it? I don’t see anything.”
Her hands find my waist, and she holds on for dear life. “A spider. In the shower. I hate spiders.”
I’m torn between laughing and yelling.
A spider. She screamed bloody murder and scared the shit out of me because of a spider. And now she wants me to get rid of it.
Lucy’s damp, bare skin captures my attention, and I swallow. Maybe I should thank the poor bastard instead.
“It’s okay.” I rub soothing circles on her tense shoulders. “I’ll take care of it.”
She doesn’t move.
I swipe a drop of water from the side of her cheek. “Lucy?”
“Yeah?”
“If you want me to kill the spider, you have to let go.”
“Oh. Right.” Exhaling a breath, she scurries from the bathroom.
The view as she hurries to her room is off the charts. That towel barely covers her ass.
A thousand Hail Mary’s won’t be nearly enough to atone for my dirty thoughts.
Christ, there’s only so much torture one man can take.
I stare at the purple-and-green shower curtain and wait for my lust to subside.
It’s not just hot and dirty hate sex on the line. Every time I let myself get too close to her, I’m putting my professional reputation in jeopardy.
Memories flash behind my eyes. Faces of innocent people who should be alive today but aren’t because of my carelessness.
