God that felt good. Side effects my ass, Royce thought. He made a mental note to get even with Sean. After spending two years in the same clothes, the first order of business was a long hot shower.
Royce entered the house, sliding the patio door silently open. Didn’t the girl know to keep her doors locked? He moved quietly in the direction of the bathroom, stopping abruptly as he spotted a mound of blankets piled on the couch. The mound began to move; one incredibly long leg, toes pointed, poked out for a brief moment, and then ducked back beneath the covers.
Was something written on her foot? The blankets shifted again, he held his breath as a wild mass of tangled black hair and the face of an angel emerged. Her eyes were still firmly closed, and he found himself wondering what color they might be. A sprinkle of freckles covered her nose. He loved freckles and wondered where else they might be hidden. Royce resisted the urge to unwrap whatever present might be buried in that pile of blankets.
A cell phone, lying on the coffee table, began to ring. A hand suddenly appeared from beneath the blankets to silence the ring and disappeared again just as quickly.
The ringing cell phone snapped him back to reality. What was wrong with him? He’d clearly been without a woman too long.
#
Royce stepped out of the shower and reached over to snag the small white towel hanging beside the shower door. Unfortunately, there had been two clean towels in the cabinet; neither was made for a man of his size. Wrapping the miniscule towel around his waist, he moved toward the sink, looking forward to the extra toothbrush and disposable razor he had located in the medicine cabinet. Talk about a five o’clock shadow. As he filled his palm with heavy, floral scented shaving cream, he fervently hoped the scent would not linger.
Sean should arrive within the next couple of hours. There were a lot of blanks waiting to be filled in. What had he missed? What had been happening at home over the last two years?
Home was a fortress located in the mountains of North Carolina. The sprawling compound provided each member of ART their own private residence. Meals were often eaten together in the main lodge when assignments permitted. Sunday was “family day”. A special lunch was followed by an afternoon of outdoor fun and games--, a day to rest, regroup, and spend time with family and friends. Elsa, their on-site chef, was nothing short of an artisan in the kitchen. She refused to worry about fat and calories for “Sunday Meal” but no one complained. It was so worth the extra work-out Monday morning.
State-of-the-art security systems kept their compound hidden from prying eyes and would-be trespassers.
Home held painful memories for Royce now. Time has a way of healing, and good memories were starting to overshadow bad ones. Time had done nothing, however, to help ease his loneliness, emptiness, or guilt. After this mission, he might go home for a break, maybe.
Royce threw away the toothbrush and razor then cleaned up any remaining evidence of his visit. Luckily, he still retained possession of his wallet, and it contained plenty of cash. He pulled out two fifty-dollar bills and tucked them under the toothbrush holder. Royce secured his towel a little tighter and cautiously opened the bathroom door. Surely a girl who looked like that had an occasional overnight guest. Hopefully one who had left behind a change of clothes?
Becki yawned and stretched her tired limbs not bothering to open her eyes. Since she had been so rudely awakened too early by Kurt this morning, she planned to spend most of the day lazing on her couch and catching up on sleep. Unfortunately, her sleep had been filled with dreams--, some good, some not-so-good. The dream she was having right now, however, was downright mouthwatering.
Adonis stood in her living room, wearing nothing but a small white towel. “Please don’t wake up, please don’t wake up,” she mumbled, wishing she could touch him.
“Ummm,” she mumbled appreciatively. God, his abs were no measly six-pack; they were a full twelve. And he smelled like… her favorite shaving gel?
Wrinkling her nose, she brushed the tangled mass of hair out of her face, and sat up.
Brown, Royce thought as her eyes suddenly opened wide. Before he could even attempt to explain, she launched herself toward him; a bundle of fury tangled in blankets, limbs flying. Before he