Risking it All (Crossing the Line, #1)(14)

CHAPTER FIVE


Bowen pulled himself up from the top stair, where he’d spent the night propped against the wall. Not wanting to leave Sera for a second on the chance Hogan changed his mind and decided to take care of her sooner, he’d spent the night in the stairwell, watching her door. He still hadn’t trusted himself enough to bring her home last night. Not when he’d been starving for her. It had taken every measure of willpower to walk out of her room. If he’d taken her back to his place, no doubt she would have ended up on her back. Watching her move around the dining room for hours on end last night, her firm ass swishing in those jeans, the air-conditioning causing her nipples to bead, he’d been strung so tight by the time her shift ended, his vision had started blurring. Dangerous territory.

Especially when despite her protests, she’d clearly wanted him to stay.

He hadn’t exactly gotten the most restful night of sleep on the metal staircase, so he’d had a lot of time to think. Sure, he made a living out of being underhanded, but the kind of deceit it would take to sleep with Sera without her

knowing

his

role

in

her

investigation? Even he didn’t lack enough conscience for that.

Worse, after she’d given him so little protest over entering her room, he had the sneaking suspicion she planned on seducing information out of him. Or distracting him with sex while she continued to pursue Hogan. The physical connection he felt with her couldn’t be faked, but the idea of her using it against him made him undeniably angry.

A hot-to-trot virgin. Wasn’t that just his f*cking luck?

He wouldn’t know the first thing about being with someone inexperienced. He’d never been anything but hard and fast with a woman. As soon as they’d been pleasured, he took his own, having already mentally moved on.

Scrubbing a hand over his morning beard, he made his way toward her room. Or more accurately, her prison cell. When they got back to his place, he planned on putting her in a room she could breathe in. A room with a window. Granted, it would be clear on the opposite end of the apartment with plenty of distance between them. Bowen had to laugh at himself. As if it would matter. He would know she was there, sleeping in his sheets, showering in his bathroom. Naked.

This was going to be a long week.

Bowen reached her door, testing the handle to make sure it was still locked.

When it opened with little urging, panic rushed in and overwhelmed him. He shoved the door open, his heart stopping when he found her bed empty. Her clothes were still stacked in the same spot as last night; her bed looked slept in. Where the hell was she?

Oh, God. He rubbed the heel of his hand against his chest, cursing himself for not taking her out of this place last night. What had he been thinking?

“Sera!”

He pivoted on a heel and strode out of the room, only to be brought up short at the sound of a musical laugh. Even though he’d never heard the amused notes before, he immediately knew it was Sera. Relief swamped him at the sign she was okay. The rest of him wanted to know who had managed to get a laugh out of her. Following the sound toward an open door, he banished the panic. No more. It would be a cold day in hell before he let her out of his sight again.

Panic morphed to swift, consuming jealousy. It whooshed through his system like a hot wind, obliterating rational thought. Sera sat cross-legged on the bed with a shirtless man, folding a bandage in her lap. The ends of her mouth were tilted in an absent smile, the smile he’d had to work double time to get a glimpse of last night. She hadn’t noticed him yet, but the man leveled a steady gaze at him from his position against the pillows.

The only thing saving the guy’s life was the fact that Sera had all her clothes on.

The life-threatening injury he sported didn’t hurt his cause either.

“Sera,”

shirtless

man

rumbled,

nodding toward Bowen.

“Huh?” Her eyes met his. “Oh.”

Oh?

“Get off the bed.”

Wisdom won out and she didn’t argue with him, coming to her feet almost immediately. But irritation at following orders

replaced

self-preservation.

“Don’t order me around.”

“You’re mine for the week. Or did you forget?”

Angry color flooded her cheekbones.

It was the wrong thing to say, but he couldn’t

see

reason.

A

foreign

possessiveness had taken up residence in his chest, and until she moved away from the shirtless man, nothing could breach it.

He jerked his chin toward the patient.

“You got a shirt or something, man? Not that I’m not f*cking dazzled.”

Shirtless ignored him. “I’d ask Sera to introduce us, but based on your temper, I think I can guess who you are.”

“Impressive.” He crossed his arms.

“Shirt.”

With a heavy sigh, Sera moved toward a chest of drawers and pulled out a shirt.

It didn’t help ease his irritation she knew which drawer they were in. She walked over to the bed and handed over a red shirt, nodding once when the guy thanked her.

“Bowen, this is Connor Bannon. Mr.

Hogan’s cousin.” She glanced between the two of them. “Call me crazy, but I smell a budding friendship.”