Back In The Bedroom (The Wrong Bed #29)(10)

He wasn’t used to being touched, not like this. Give him a good fight, give him good sex, those were the kinds of touch he was used to.

“If we can’t get out, if we have to stay here, then I have to talk,” she said. “I have to hear you talk.”

“I’m not much on talking.”

She laughed, and the sound went through him like wine. “That’s probably the understatement of the year,” she said and put her head on his shoulder as if they were old lovers.

Or worse, friends.

“My brother, Rafe, is like you,” she told him, her fingers dancing over his flesh. “He only talks when it’s really important. The strong, silent type, I guess you’d call him. Maybe that’s why he’s a good photographer. But my sister…” she said, smiling. “Two peas in a pod. I think Carolyn can outtalk even me.”

“This I can’t imagine.”

“It’s true. I’m the baby of the family, you see, so believe it or not, I didn’t talk until I was three-and-a-half. There was no need for me to say a word, Rafe and Carolyn talked for me. And then one day I just started speaking in full sentences, and I haven’t stopped since.” She smiled. “So. Your turn…you’re an only child,” she prodded gently when he didn’t speak. “Eddie said so.”

“Eddie talked about me?”

“He mentioned you on my first day of work. In fact, Eddie’s so young himself, I actually assumed you were just a kid.”

“He had me when he was a teenager.” Far before he’d finished sowing his wild oats, which had left Reilly alone with his teenage mother, Cheri. But because Eddie hadn’t been a cruel kid, just a stupid one without a condom, he’d given them half of the trust fund he’d been born with. Cheri had saved every penny for Reilly’s college, which he’d gotten halfway through, studying business and finance, before Eddie decided he wanted back in their lives.

Ten years later, both mother and son were still resisting Eddie’s efforts.

“You didn’t grow up with him?” Tessa asked.

“No.” He could feel her breath against his chest, could feel her waiting for more. “I told you, I’m not good at this.”

“Well, we could always escape instead.”

She was something, he’d give her that. Determined and spirited and brave as hell. But against him she felt so tiny, and he knew she’d be utterly defenseless in a fight against those four. He traced the bruises on her throat and felt an odd and unwelcoming urge to keep her safe. “It’s almost dawn. I’ll go soon.”

“But—”

He put his finger over her mouth before it could start running again. Had he wanted to protect her? Well, who the hell was going to protect him, and not from the perps, but from her? “I said I’d go.”

She pulled his hand from her mouth and blinked those dewy eyes up at him. “Okay.”

“Why do I get the feeling you don’t really mean okay?”

“No, really. I’ll…be patient.” She shot him a wistful smile. “Just tonight I was wishing for more adventure and excitement in my life. It’s why I took the job with your father in the first place. I figured a variety of different tasks at different places would help provide some of that. But now that I’ve had a real adventure and real excitement, all I want is my own bed, and maybe a bubble bath to go with it.”

In spite of himself he smiled. “A bubble bath?”

“Strawberry-scented. What are you wishing for?”

A bottle of something aged and expensive. A faceless woman. A break from the nightmares this night had brought back.

But he’d settle for just being out of here. Alone.

“Reilly?”

What the hell. “Sex.”

“What?”

“Forget it.”

“No, no,” she said quickly. “I asked.”

Yeah, she’d asked. He lay there on the small cot with her, soaking up the feeling of being so close to another human being, trying not to think of what they could be doing to pass the time.

Maybe silence wasn’t the way to go after all, because when her mouth wasn’t running off, his other senses sort of took over, starting with how her soft curves felt against him.

“Reilly? What do you do? For a living?”

“Why?”

“Just filling time.” She cocked her head. “Is it a secret?”

“Accounting.”

“You’re an accountant.” Her tone was disbelieving.

“Yep.”

“What did you do before that?”

“Why?”

Now her lips curved and he couldn’t take his eyes off them. Since she was still staring at his mouth, he figured it was only fair.

“Is that a secret, too?” she asked.

“Actually, yes.”

Her eyes widened. “Really?”

No. He just didn’t want to get into it. He didn’t like to talk about it, and he wouldn’t start now with the woman who was plastered against him from head to toe, feeling soft and sweet and everything he didn’t want but suddenly craved.

“It’s just that you don’t really seem the accountant type to me,” she said. “More like…secret agent man or something.”