Fraud (Antihero Inferno #2) - Lily White Page 0,27
body with open appreciation.
“You need to leave. I have plans for today and they don’t include playing with you. I got over this shit in high school. It’s boring.”
“Is it?”
A smile curls his lips as he adjusts his position on the bed to lean against the headboard and stretch out his longs legs.
He’s casual today, dressed in a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt. It’s a good look on him, the cotton doing nothing to hide the strength of his body.
I might as well be naked for the way he stares at me.
“Get out,” I remind him. “I need to get dressed.”
He crosses one ankle over the other and settles against the pillows, his biceps bunching when he lifts his arms to place his hands behind his head.
“Actually, I think we have a score to settle on that front. I seem to remember you stripping me down to nothing and getting a good view. It’s only fair you return the favor.”
Cocking a hip, I laugh. “It wasn’t that great a view. Don’t flatter yourself.”
Yes, it was, actually.
Insane, really.
This man’s body should be immortalized in sculpture.
He cocks a brow in challenge. “Are you shy, Ivy? That’s so unlike you. I’m disappointed.”
“Maybe I’m just trying to save you the frustration of seeing everything you’re not allowed to touch.”
He grins at that, and his eyes flicker with evil.
“I’m not leaving. You’ll want me here in the next hour or so. I can promise you that.”
Laughing, I shake my head. “Sure. Whatever you say. Stay put if you want. It’s no skin off my back.”
I try to hide the fact I’m walking on shaky legs. Hoping I’m not failing, I cross the room to a bureau set near the bathroom and pull out a small summer dress and clean panties.
My back is to Gabriel when I pull my nightgown off, a choked sound from the bed drawing my notice.
Clutching the nightgown to my bare chest, I glance over my shoulder to see Gabriel taking a long, slow look down my body and back up again.
“Problem?”
He smiles when his eyes meet mine. “Not at all. I just swallowed down the wrong tube. You know how it is.”
Such a liar, this man.
“Uh huh. And here I thought you must have seen something you like.”
A small shake of his head as he looks around the room and back to me.
“There’s nothing special that grabs my attention. I’m not sure why you thought that.”
With a roll of my eyes, I grab my clothes and haul ass into the bathroom.
“I’m taking a shower,” I call out. “If you get bored by yourself, there’s a balcony you can jump off.”
He laughs. “I’d never do you the favor.”
“Such a shame,” I say, the door slamming behind me just before I lock it and slide down the smooth surface.
Fuck my life. I have no idea what to do to get rid of him. I can call Scott and tell him to get me. I can jump on my dad’s private plane and fly away. I can run again, but I have the sneaking suspicion none of this will be easy.
Gabriel wouldn’t have come all this way if he didn’t have a plan in place. And what did he mean by saying I’d want him here?
I don’t want him here.
I want him at home, a thousand miles away from me, his cold fury and jagged temper a perfect match to the cement and steel city.
How the hell did he even get into my room this morning?
There’s no telling with him, and with that thought in mind, I shove up to my feet and force myself into the shower. The hot water does nothing to soothe my frayed nerves, is powerless to ease the tension from my shoulders.
I want to hide in here forever, but I know that’s pointless. He’ll wait forever just to piss me off. Gabriel is aggravating in his level of patience.
One thing I’ve learned through my war with him is you never know when he’ll strike back.
Knowing this won’t end the longer I stay in the shower and panic, I get out and get dressed, being sure to take my time brushing my teeth and throwing my wet hair up into a messy bun.
Gabriel is still on the bed when I walk out of the bathroom, his eyes glued to the screen of his phone instead of lifting to look at me.
He’s far too relaxed for me to trust anything about this situation.