No Escape From War (Trouble for Hire #1) - Cynthia Eden Page 0,38

get lost in her and let the rest of the world fall away. He wanted to take and take and take, and he wanted Rose to do the same. He wanted the time that he’d lost with her—he wanted it back. “I want a second chance.”

There. Done.

He shoved away from the door. “But for now, I’ll be on the couch. You can sleep easy, sweet—Rose.” Dammit, how many endearments had he been dropping? She didn’t want him using those endearments. She’d told him that. “You’re safe tonight.”

She stared at him a moment longer. So many emotions were flying through her gaze. He held his breath.

She shut the door.

Couch. Fucking couch. Get on it.

***

Rose stared at the door. Second chance. Her breath expelled slowly. He’d been all sexy and serious and downright lickable as he delivered his low, rumbling words to her. His dark eyes had burned with a sensual light as he’d said that what he wanted was—

You. Only you.

Her whole body was quivery. Her mind was in total chaos. She was furious with him. She hurt. And, dammit all to hell, she still wanted him, too. Nothing had changed that.

I was falling in love with you.

She wanted to believe those words. With all of her being, she wanted them to be true, but if he’d really loved her, would War have just let her go? Would he have lied to her this time about the forty-eight hours?

But as she considered the situation, Rose realized he hadn’t said that he loved her. War had said—when they’d been together before—that he was falling in love with her. Falling was different. It wasn’t the same thing as saying I love you. Was it?

She spun away from the door—the better to stop the temptation to yank it open and throw herself onto the couch and him. She stripped off her shirt. Kicked away her shoes. Shimmied out of the jeans and figured that even though she was bone tired, an icy shower just might do the trick—

A ringing stopped her. Froze her in place.

Her phone. It was in the heap of clothes she’d just carelessly tossed away. Her phone had been shoved in her back pocket. She bent, rummaged for it. As soon as she saw the screen— “War!”

The bedroom door flew back and slammed into the wall. He stood in the doorway, his broad shoulders nearly touching the frame, and his hands were fisted at his sides.

The phone rang again.

“I don’t know the number,” she said quickly. “This late—I think it’s him!”

War rushed forward. “Put it on speaker. Answer him. Keep him talking as long as you can.”

She knew she was supposed to keep the caller talking. The cops were monitoring her phone. War had pulled out his own phone and was firing off a text. Rose figured the text was either to Odin or Lynn or maybe to them both.

Her phone rang again.

He nodded.

Rose slid her finger over her phone’s screen. Made sure to turn on the speaker option. “Hello?”

“He won’t keep you from me.” A low rasp.

Her spine straightened. “You’re going to be locked away. You aren’t going to hurt me or anyone else again.”

“I enjoyed our time at the motel.” Again, little more than a rasp. He was disguising his voice. Using one of those apps that anyone could download with the click of a button or just doing it old-school style.

“I can’t say the same,” Rose fired back. “My dream date doesn’t involve some creep trying to strangle me with a bathroom towel. I’m more of a candlelight and champagne kind of woman.”

“Is that what he gives you?”

Her gaze locked with War’s. “He?” she repeated.

“I know he’s there. So eager to run back to you. He thinks he can stop what’s coming. He can’t. I will have you.”

“You aren’t going to have anything but a life sentence behind bars. We know it’s you, Dylan. You’re making mistake after mistake after—”

He hung up.

She was almost crushing the phone. She immediately tried to call the number back. It just rang and rang. Exhaling slowly, she forced her fingers to ease their death grip on the phone. “Do you think they got him?”

War had his phone at his ear. His expression was so tense. So hard.

“Put it on speaker!” She wanted to hear everything that was said.

He jerked his head in a nod and lowered the phone. He hit the option for speaker and—

“You’re sure that was him?” Lynn asked.

“Yes!” Rose said before War could reply. “He used the same rasping