Page 9 of Twisted

Setting the coffee in front of her, I roll my eyes.

“My apartment is a base and nothing else. I have no interest in the workings of it, or anything else here for that matter. I work all the time because nothing interests me outside of it.”

She laughs softly. “You’re a strange man, Sam. You have so much, yet you’re poor where it counts.”

I smirk. “Says you. What about you, Katherine, what makes you tick? From what I know of you, you’ve lived a hard life being used by men. The one man you say you loved sent you away when he married another. Now you have to carry out his grand master plan as a reward. I would say the poorer one emotionally between us is you.”

I know I’ve gone too far when her eyes flash angrily and she stands up, pushing the coffee away.

“You may be right, Mr. Carrington. Yes, I’m a whore and for your information I’m a good one. It’s all I’ve ever known, so doing this will be a piece of cake. But for the record, I loved Ryder and probably still do. The last three years spent with the Reapers made me into something more than a man’s toy to be played with when it suits him. Don’t think for one moment that it doesn’t hurt inside when I think of him with another. This will be my final mission because my whoring days are almost over. I deserve more than being somebody’s plaything. I deserve someone who loves me, Katherine Rogers, as the woman I am and not because of a sexual need. At least I recognize that I need love, Mr. Carrington, because you are the saddest man I know if you think this life you lead is normal. You’re a robot and a machine with clinical feelings and a clinical life, and I see a sad, unfilled future for you as you sit in judgment of the rest of us. Don’t worry about the briefing, I’ll figure it out as I go. I’ll try to wrap this up quickly so I can get the hell on with the rest of my life. Good night.”

She turns to leave and something sparks within me. In two steps I cross the floor toward her and roughly pull her around to face me. I fist her hair in my hands and pull her tightly against me and lower my lips to hers. I punish those lips for daring to say the words I never like to hear. I bite that smart mouth and wrap my tongue around her vicious one. She moans against my mouth and presses her body into mine and gives me back as good as I give her. It becomes a battle of control. She will not submit to me but matches my every move. I push her against the counter and kick her legs apart. I press my body into hers and the fire rages through my soul. She gasps and I feel her arch toward me as she grabs the back of my head and kisses me long and hard.

I reach for the zipper on her dress and pull it sharply down. As it falls to the floor, I gasp at the sight of that beautiful body straining against the silken material that covers it. She pushes the shirt from my shoulders and runs her fingernails over my body. Then she rains kisses down my chest and takes a nipple and sucks it hard. I groan with longing and pick her up and set her back on the counter. Then I remove my trousers and see the longing in her eyes. She wraps her legs around my waist and pulls me close.

Then we both pull back at the same time and stare into each other’s eyes. I see the vulnerable girl with so much love to give the right man. I see the pain, anguish and hurt that she’s endured, mixed with the fear of rejection. She looks at me with the eyes of a lost soul, floundering around for something she’s never had before, and my heart breaks. Reaching up, I trace the beautiful contours of the broken woman in my arms and kiss her eyes and then her nose softly. Then I pull her gently against me and whisper, “You deserve so much more than me, Katherine. You need your happy ever after, not another jerk using you in a moment of passion. I can’t be that guy with you, Katherine. I want to be better than that.”

She leans forward until our faces are close together without touching. She leans her forehead to mine and says with a quiver in her voice. “Thank you.”

Then she kisses my lips and slowly slides off the counter and grabs her dress. I watch as she walks away without a backward glance, and as the door closes, it shatters my heart.

I head across to the drinks cupboard and grab the bottle of whiskey. Fuck, this is gonna be a long night.

Chapter 7

Katherine

Ifold myself in the sheets and draw my knees to my chest. I’m still shaking inside. What just happened? I wanted Sam so badly that all reasoning went out of the window. He looked at me differently to the rest. There was a need and passion, but something else. Something raw and vulnerable, the same as I feel inside. He looked as lost as me and when he stopped, something shifted inside me. His words crept into my heart and set up residence. His look seared into my mind and left a permanent tattoo. Sam in those few minutes did the unthinkable. He looked at me like a man wants a woman forever. Not the here and now, not in the carnal sense. He wanted me—Katherine Rogers, not Kitty the whore. This has changed everything.

I try not to think about Ryder, but it’s inevitable. When I’m at my lowest point, he invades my mind. He never loved me like I did him. I was just someone to take away the pain of a hard life. He used me to drive away the images of the job he does and then walked away, back to his life with his daughter without a backward glance.

I tried to get him to love me, to see me as something more than the whore before him. I wanted to care for him and make him my world. It was one-sided, though,and I never got back what I gave him in buckets.

Tonight, I saw that look I’ve craved from Ryder. Sam looked at me with passion and desire, but something else. He understood, and he wanted to give me more—a part of him that I’ve searched for so long. He set me free to become my own person again.

As I lie cocooned in my memories of past and present, I don’t see Ryder anymore. I see Sam. This has just made my job a lot harder.

* * *

Somehow,I got to sleep and when I wake the next morning it all comes flooding back. Today I have a job to do and must push any feelings I’ve developed for Sam aside.

I dress quickly and head to the kitchen. Susan is frying eggs and I see Sam looking at me from across the table. He nods coolly and my heart triple somersaults as I see the evidence of a hard night spent. He is unshaven and his eyes tired and weary. His hair is ruffled and I long to run my fingers through it. I want to sit on his lap and feel his arms wrap around me as he kisses me sweetly and tells me everything will be alright. Instead, I just nod and turn to Susan.

“Hey, Susan. Those eggs smell good. You’re a good chef.”

She smiles and sets a plate of eggs and bacon down before me.

“Your flattery will get you everywhere, Katherine. Now, make sure you eat everything. There are some cereals and juice if you prefer or some pastries in front of you. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some groceries to get. Leave the clearing up, I’ll do it when you leave.”

She heads off and I say quickly. “Thanks, Susan. I appreciate it.”

She smiles softly and winks. “I know you do my dear.”

As she turns to leave, I sigh inside. I like Susan and would like to have someone to talk to. I can’t even look at Sam because he’s confusing me in every way possible. So, I just stare at my plate and we eat in an awkward silence. After a while, he clears his throat, and the robot is back.

He says brusquely, “Anyway, when Preston calls you later, here’s the plan. You’ve already told him that you’re Katherine Rogers, a fitness instructor. I’ve fed that information to those who need to know, and your background check will bear your story out.”

I look up in surprise. “Wow, that’s fast. Who did you tell?”

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