Soulless The Girl in the Box - By Robert J. Crane Page 0,49
louder. “Sienna?” I heard Kat’s voice, then knocking again. “I know you’re in there; your phone’s GPS is still transmitting.”
“Go away!” I cried. “Come back in an hour!”
“I can’t!” she shouted back. “Ariadne just called, and we’ve got things to deal with!”
I felt a kind of surly whine come from my lips as James laughed softly against my stomach. He kissed me on the belly and rolled off me, allowing me to get to my feet and stagger to the door. It took all my restraint, once I had opened it just a crack to see Kat, not to reach out, grab her by the head, and slam it in the door for interrupting my efforts to lose my virginity. “What?” I felt the acid drip from my tongue, looking daggers at the pretty cheerleader who didn’t have any problems at all sleeping with her boyfriend.
She looked paler than usual, but then again, she had looked like that a lot on this trip. “Ariadne called.”
“Yes, I heard you the first time.”
She looked to either side down the hallway, then back at me. “Can I come in so we can talk?”
“No,” I said. “You can leave so I can get back to doing what I was doing!”
Her brow crinkled and she looked mildly offended. “What were you doing?”
I let out a heavy exhalation and felt my hand go to my forehead as I bowed my head. “Ugh, never mind. What did Ariadne want?”
“She got your message and was calling you back.” Kat looked at me with wide eyes. “Also, leaving us with that Reed guy while you went to the bar? Not cool. You’re lucky I woke up first.”
I felt a wash of chagrin. “What did Scott say when he woke up?”
“He’s still kind of out of it, but he didn’t seem too happy.” She shook her head and glanced past me, suddenly stiffening. “Is there someone in there with you?”
I opened the door wide enough to show her that I was in my bra with my pants unzipped, then shut it back to only a crack. “Yes,” I said with some urgency.
Her eyes widened in alarm. “Won’t that...you know,” she lowered her voice to a bare whisper, “kill...whoever you’re with?”
“Apparently not,” I said. “But the mood? The mood is officially dead, thanks to you.”
“I’m sorry, but Ariadne wants us on the phone right now.” She stared at me, and I knew the firmness in her voice didn’t come from her.
“Just give me half an hour,” I said, pleading. I started to shut the door.
“Now.” She reached out and grasped my wrist, giving it a squeeze, then letting go immediately. “She’s in Kansas, and things have gone very, very wrong. She only has a short window to talk to us. She’s waiting for you.”
I buried my face in my hands and took a deep breath. “I’ll be there in a minute.”
I closed the door and felt James’s hands slide across my hips, teasing and promising more touches, more caresses. He kissed the side of my neck and I squirmed; it hit the right spot. “I have to go,” I said, my eyes closed, my words heavy with the regret I felt over every inch of my body – some inches more than others. I slid free of his grasp and turned to kiss him again on the mouth. I broke away after a moment. “I promise I will be right back after this call is over.”
I saw his eyes go cool in the half-light. “All right. I can wait.” He cracked a smile as his fingers stroked my bare arms and grasped my hands in his. “I think you’re probably worth it.”
I pulled away, giving him a coy smile before I stooped to pick my blouse off the floor. “Probably?”
He gave me a noncommittal shrug and went back to the bed as I threw my arms through the sleeves of my blouse. “I guess we’ll see.”
I sat on the edge of the bed and he leaned over my shoulder, kissing the back of my neck as I buttoned my shirt. “You never did tell me who you work for.”
“I doubt you’d have heard of us,” he said, nuzzling, his tongue on the side of my neck. “But if you’re interested, I can give you the whole pitch of why you should join us...after.”
I felt a little amusement as I slipped on my shoes. “So recruiting me isn’t your first priority anymore?”
“Nuh-uh,” he grunted. I gasped as his fingers tweaked me.