Page 609 of Hell Hath No Fury
Her tight little body launches up from her seat as soon as Hull hauls in the bags, including the one from that cocksucker’s house that he repaired with duct tape. He drops the huge red sacks next to the water bowl while she stares at him with enormous green eyes and parted lips. Thank fuck. She finally has something she’s not arguing against.
She watches him stand again to his full height and swallows hard. I’m guessing she wishes now that she didn’t try and manhandle him earlier. And not just because he’s a giant. “Thank you.”
“You bet.”
I dismiss him with a head bob, not interested in his company or interruption, while she hurries over and scavenges in the cabinet again. A frown I hate draws down her gorgeous face, while she pours a small amount from the trashed bag into the bowl and sets the dish on the floor. Pete gobbles up the pellets so fast his snout pushes the container across the tile in his urgencyto devour every single bite. When he looks up at her, pleading for more with pitiful brown eyes, even I feel bad for the pooch.
“I’m sorry. That’s all I can give you right now.”
Shame floods her cracking voice. No wonder she was so pissed that the package ripped when I grabbed her. That must have been all she had until now. “Feed him, angel. We’ve got plenty, and I’ll get more as soon as he needs it.”
As always, she resists my order and slowly rolls down the crinkled paper to seal the top shut as best she can. “No, that’s okay. We don’t need yours. I’ll figure something out.”
What the fuck? For someone so poor, she sure is resistant to accepting a little help. “God damn you’re stubborn.”
Her gaze remains on her pet, guilty from his begging. “I don’t want to owe you anything.”
The tone is more despondent than ungrateful. I get the feeling someone made her pay a debt with more than money. My gut clenches from the thought. Motherfuckers. I have to prove I’m not them. “Maybe I owe you something.”
Lines wrinkle her forehead as she lifts her eyes to mine. I’m shocked myself since I’ve never apologized before to anyone about anything. The contemptible words are too poisonous to say out loud, but I can at least demonstrate my regret. I’m really not remorseful since the whole fiasco with that idiot led me to her. I never expected a mission to teach him a lesson would find me such a captivating woman. “I believe what you say about Potter and feel bad about fucking up your living arrangements.”
Now she’s the one to laugh. Not surprisingly her chuckle is humorless. “My living arrangements were already fucked up.”
No doubt. “I assumed as much. You’re in the crosshairs of his mistake so I’m keeping you here until the threat is over. Then you can find a place.”
More lies because I’m never letting her go and the only place she’s going is to my bed. Tonight, though she can sleep in oneof the guest rooms. Presumably she’ll argue but that’s okay. I wouldn’t expect otherwise.
Except this time, I’ve finally stunned her speechless.
* * *
Addie
He really is crazy if he expects me to say yes.
I’m crazy for not saying no.
My mind knows I should run away as fast as I can. But my aching feet and growling stomach and drowsy head say even sleeping on his rug would be better than any other option I have at this point. That’s a weakness I can’t allow. I’ve made it this far by relying on no one but myself. I can’t let my pitiful situation make me put my guard down. Just because he’s rich and sexy and powerful doesn’t mean he can be trusted. “I’m not staying here. I don’t even know your name. You don’t even know mine.”
He smiles a sinister, sexy smile that heats me despite the air conditioning. “Addison Scott. Twenty years old. Blonde hair. Green eyes. Five three. Hundred twenty pounds…”
He scans my body with a frown, and I cross my arms to cover my small breasts and wounded heart. Yeah, going days without food makes you scrawny. Deal with it.
“Your birthday’s on Friday, and you’re an organ donor.”
Asshole stole my ID. I hold out my hand, pissed that I’m shaking. He’ll think I’m scared, which I definitely am not. Well, not very much. He slides the plastic card from his suit pocket and lays my driver’s license in my palm, curling his fingers around mine. The squeeze feels possessive, especially when he runs his thumb across my pulsing wrist.
A buzz throbbing almost as fast as my heart rattles his phone on the counter. This gorgeous man—I don’t even know his name—curses and grabs his vibrating cell. Almost as if he’s aggravated we’ve been interrupted.
“I’ve got to take care of something.” He points down a hallway opposite of the front door as he stands up. “Bedrooms are that way. Pick any one of them you want. I’ll be back later.”
Later.
When the heck is later? Who the heck has multiple guest rooms? Why the heck am I still standing here as if I’m agreeing to his offer? “Wait. I’m leaving too.”
I trail behind him, unable to catch up with his long strides. Like the asshole he is, he doesn’t slow to let me either. “I’m talking to you.”
The huge goon I argued with earlier opens the front door for him, slamming it shut before I can slip through. I turn my anger on him since his boss isn’t here to fight with. “Open the door! I wasn’t finished with him.”
