Page 46 of Hard Lessons

Chapter Nine

“I’ll go take a shower,” Luca said, standing and running his hand through his hair.

“Sure. I’ll clean this up.” Serena gathered the plates.

“I can do it after.”

“No, it won’t take me long. You go ahead.” She resisted glancing at the door.

“Thanks.” He bent and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “It’s pretty damn perfect having you here, even if this place is a bit shabby.”

“I’m glad you think so.” She smiled up at him.

“And then afterwards,” he said, stroking her hair, “we have the small matter of your other two hundred spanks.”

Her ass tingled just at the thought and she stared outside, her eyebrows pulling together. The sky had darkened, a gloom stealing over the grass to the cliff.

“You can’t get out of them,” he said. “You committed the crime, the way I did. Actions have consequences.”

“Go take that shower,” she said gruffly then turned her attention back to him. “You smell.”

He lifted his right arm, exposing a tuft of dark hair, and sniffed. “No, I don’t.”

“Well, something around here does.” She stood, plates in hand, and stalked past him to the kitchen.

As the kettle boiled again she heard the pipes creak and the shower come on.

Quick as a flash, she grabbed her bag, pulling it tight over her shoulder. All she needed was five minutes to put distance between herself and the cottage.

Dashing back through the living area, she paused. Rain was pelting the window, hard little bullets that rattled the glass. A flash of lightning filled the room.

But the weather didn’t matter. This was her chance.

She quickly unlocked the door and stepped outside. A huge boom of thunder shook the sky and had her heart beating faster than ever. Serena didn’t hesitate. She took off to the left and skimmed past the cottage. It only took her a second to climb the small fence at the end of what looked to be a bedraggled vegetable patch. And then she was off, running with the wind gushing up behind her, as if it were on her side.

Almost instantly she was wet, her hair plastered to her head and her sweater sticking to her body.

She risked a glance behind.

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