course.” You twat. She was going to bloody him. She really, really was.
“Wonderful. Now, I have to go. I have business yet to see to. I’ll use your shower before I go.” He kissed her shoulder again and then rolled out of bed, going to the bathroom to flush the condom he’d used.
She had a few precious minutes to herself. A few minutes to calm her breathing, to think about how much she hated him. A few minutes to get her anger under control.
When he came back out, she was sitting on the side of the bed, wearing a robe and waiting for him with one of Ella’s little smiles. Polite, demure, and empty.
Patrick looked pleased as he bent over to kiss her forehead. When his lips touched her forehead, she had to fight the urge not to recoil . . .
Flash, flash, flash.
New buyer . . .
Meeting . . .
She saw a place in his mind.
She knew that place.
It was one of the resorts. She’d been to all of them by now, having dinner at various restaurants, accompanying him on tours when he was showing business associates around.
This place was the one done up like a hunting lodge.
Dipping her chin, Dru swallowed the bile churning its way up her throat.
New buyer.
What the hell did that mean?
And she counted the seconds for him to leave. She had to get a message out. If her contact could get in there . . . damn it, was there even any time?
* * *
IT was a harsh shock when Dru ended the contact.
But it was needed.
Especially considering he had his hand wrapped around his dick and was more focused on jacking off than paying attention to his target. Hell. He hadn’t even realized he’d stood up. He’d been sitting with his back braced against a tree, staring at the little cabin.
Now he was standing there with his fly open.
He couldn’t think when his head was that full of her, and he looked down in a daze, realized almost ten minutes had passed without him even realizing it. Ten minutes while she’d fantasy-fucked him.
He could all but taste her again. He was that tuned into her. Feel her body sliding against his. Her hands tangling in his hair—
Wait. That wasn’t right. He reached up, skimmed a hand back over his short hair. Not enough there to tangle a hand in. What the . . .
Squeezing his eyes closed, Joss tried to reestablish that connection, but all he managed was a surface connection. Faint, just enough to let him pick up on anger. She was pissed about something. Still dazed. And trying hard to keep him out . . . which made him realize she was very aware of him.
Closing his eyes, he readjusted himself, zipping his jeans back up and groaning as his aching cock twitched against the heavy confines of the denim. This was seriously fucked up. He had a job to do. He hadn’t ever had anything interfere with a job before, and he couldn’t afford to let it start happening now.
Just thinking about the job served as a bucket of ice water. Setting his jaw, he stared at the little cabin visible through the trees. He needed to get inside. He was going to have a chat with that son of a bitch.
Nothing like thinking about a serial rapist to get his mind where it needed to be.
Time to get to work.
TWELVE
THE bathroom was the one place he hadn’t bugged, and she’d searched damn well. Apparently he was too fastidious to want to watch her as she took a piss, and she was grateful for that much.
Of course, it was the one place she could send a private text.
She took a disposable phone, one she’d activated weeks ago but hadn’t yet used. She’d have to toss it after tonight. Sending a text, she included the password along with her message.
Can you get there?
A few seconds passed before the reply came. Damn, timing is tight. I’ll try. But may not happen.
Good enough.
She deleted the message. Dismantled the phone and flushed the SIM card. Tucking the bits and pieces in the pocket of her robe, she left the bathroom.
Please. Let him find something.
* * *
THE meeting was tonight.
About time. Mike was tired of being Mike. Tired of playing the nice guy. He wanted this part of the job done so he could go back to doing what he did best. Scoring with the girls. Back on the hunt. But first he had to