How the Hitman Stole Christmas - Sam Mariano Page 0,44
definitely knows why. I can’t look at him as I drop the soft fabric on the ground, the air hitting more of my skin now.
My jeans are next. I steal a glimpse in his direction as my fingers push the buttons through the holes. His body is relaxed, his appreciative gaze roaming over my body, taking in every new inch of bare skin as I push down my jeans and start to wiggle out of them.
Now that I’m down to just the black bra and panties he bought me yesterday, my shyness begins to melt away. The worst is over, and it wasn’t so bad. It was actually kind of nice. I like the way he looks at me as I’m taking my clothes off.
I get the idea to tease him just a little, so I slide my hand up, dragging my fingers lightly over the soft swell of one breast, then cupping it in my hand and giving it a light squeeze.
Jasper’s gaze darts to mine, his eyes narrowing dangerously. “Careful, snowflake. I might start to think you want company.”
I shake my head, my cheeks heating at my own boldness. “No touching. You can only look.”
The heat in his gaze intensifies. I can feel an unspoken warning—he doesn’t like me telling him what he’s not allowed to do—so I distract him, turning my back to him and bending at the waist. Once I’m sure I have his attention, I hook my fingers into the thin black lace and push down my panties.
I hear him suck in a breath. My heart slams against its cage as I bend over, knowing as I do, I’m showing him my ass and pussy.
This is a dangerous game I’m playing. I don’t even know what possessed me. Before I can get into any real trouble, I hastily remove my bra and toss it, then climb into the sanctuary of the bathtub.
My hearts skitters as I sink into the hot, bubbly water.
The tub feels like base in a twisted game of tag. Imagining I’m safe inside it, I risk looking over at my handsome captor.
He’s taking a sip of whiskey, mean mugging me over the rim of the glass.
I can’t help smiling. “Hey, this was your idea,” I remind him.
“My idea was to watch your pretty little ass get naked, not for you to tease me.”
I flush with pleasure, but turn my attention to the bubbles in the tub in hopes he won’t notice. “I could tease you more if I felt like it.”
“I wouldn’t advise it,” he warns.
Because I believe him and I’m not prepared for any repercussions to my teasing, I stop and try to think of something less sexually charged to talk about while he watches me bathe.
“What did you and your sister talk about upstairs when she hauled you away?”
Sighing heavily, he takes another drink. “What a shitty brother I’ve been lately.”
My gaze darts to him. “Nora said that?”
He shakes his head. “She didn’t have to. She has a kid I didn’t know about, Autumn. My own sister.”
That was surprising. I don’t have any sisters or brothers myself, but I can’t imagine not knowing about something like that if I did have one. Hell, I know when my cousin has new kids and I haven’t seen her since elementary school.
“Don’t you have your sister on social media?” I ask.
“I don’t do social media,” he informs me, his words dripping with disdain.
I crack a smile. “Well, maybe you should. I know it’s not the same as being there, but I definitely see more of my extended family’s life events on social media than I would otherwise. A cousin of mine got married, and I would have never known. I haven’t seen her in… I don’t know, five or six years. Another cousin posted pictures of her new baby so I got to commiserate about her squishy baby cheeks. I know there can be a lot of BS on social media too, but it is what you make it. If you want to keep a low profile and just see what your sister’s up to, you could make a profile and only friend your family. It’s really up to you what you show, it doesn’t have to be a privacy blackhole.”
“In my line of work, an online presence is discouraged. The internet makes it very easy to find information about people. We prefer to keep to the shadows.”
I try—and fail—to bite back a smile as I drag my hand through the bubbly water.