Page 40 of Dirty Gambit

Resigned, she let the topic drop. There was no point. Telling him might set him off and make him even more unmanageable. She’d wait until she was ready to let him go.

The motel sat in perfect near darkness, a two-story, single building nestled on the edge of the highway in the middle of nowhere. Every light in the place had been kept off, as per her arrangement with the sweaty man behind the counter when Lena had originally gone in to make the deal. Several thousand dollars short of Travis’s money, she had walked away with eighteen suites to Bella Cabrera for three days. With that much cash, he hadn’t even bothered with asking for her ID or asking anything.

In record speed, she had everyone packed into the room.

“I want my shower now,” Jaxon commanded the moment the door had been sealed behind them.

“Fine.”

She checked the bathroom for anything that could be used as a weapon, then stepped out to let him in.

“Leave the door open,” she commanded when he started to shut it.

He narrowed his eyes. “You could just join me.”

She ignored the comment, ignored the heat his words invoked, and gave the door another shove, widening the opening. “Open.”

Turning away, she moved to where Jessie stood, tugging on the knobs of the dresser. Behind her, she heard the shower rush and the metallic clatter of plastic loops over a metal bar, followed by the rustle of plastic being disturbed.

Keeping one eye on the bathroom, Lena crouched until she was sitting crossed-legged on the carpet. Her attention drifted between the little girl and the naked man.

Jessie turned on unsteady legs and focused on Lena. She babbled something and stabbed a tiny finger towards the ceiling just above Lena’s head.

“Ceiling?” Lena asked, tilting her own neck back to look.

The girl jabbered on a bit longer, staggering around the room, touching everything in sight. At one point, she wandered into the bathroom and smacked both hands on the curtain. She hollered intelligibly and gave a start when Jaxon snapped the barrier back just enough to poke his face out.

“Can I help you?” he grumbled teasingly.

Seeing him, Jessie giggled and tried to climb into the tub with him.

Lena caught her quickly and hauled her up.

“None of that,” she said, guiding the girl out. “You’ll be getting your bath soon enough.”

It immediately became a game. The moment she was set on her feet, Jessie made a beeline for the bathroom. When caught and hauled out, she squealed and laughed. It was hilarious the first few times, but after ten minutes, even Jessie began to grow annoyed at being stopped and shrieked. It was a blessing when Jaxon finally emerged, damp, but concealed by a thin towel around his lean hips. His hair dripped beads of water onto his wide shoulders and down his beautiful chest. Lena fought not to stare but who was she kidding? The man was the very embodiment of Adonis. He was walking art, a billboard for healthy living and dirty dreams. She hadn’t forgotten their conversation the night before. She hadn’t missed his silence. She had lain awake for hours after, hoping for things she had no right hoping for. It wasn’t until daylight chased away those thoughts and delusions, setting her back on track.

“I’m guessing you didn’t think to bring me extra clothes.”

It wasn’t a question, but there was no mistaking his annoyance.

“I didn’t,” she admitted. “You’re only with me for three days. I didn’t think you’d need clothes so soon.”

He huffed. “I don’t know what kind of men you’re used to, but I shower and change my clothes daily.”

Lena struggled not to roll her eyes. “How nice for you, but you’re just going to have to live in your clothes a little while longer.” She looked over at the pile he’d left on the bathroom counter. “Guessing how much that must have cost, wearing it a few more times might be good for you.”

He pursed his lips, creating a thin, white line of displeasure. “You certainly have me figured out, huh?”

Lena gave a lazy shrug. “I do. I’m practically an expert on Jaxon Howard Westwick. I have a whole file to prove it.”

Something in his features shifted. First surprise that faded into a slow deliberation that made the back of her neck prickle with apprehension.

“I didn’t take you for a stalker,” he returned with a slow, sly grin carving across his mouth. The leer was one of a hunter cornering a particularly difficult prey. It was predatory and victorious like he finally had her exactly where he wanted her.

“What?” she snapped before she could stop herself, the drive and the stress of running out of time making her tone sharper and meaner than she’d intended.

Jaxon lifted a single naked shoulder in an easy mimic of her earlier one. “Nothing.”

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