Exposed. Samantha Keith

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СКАЧАТЬ broad shoulders filling the doorframe. Her heart skidded to a stop and her blood churned.

      “You scared the life out of me!” she cried. Her heart beat wildly in her chest and she closed the curtain. “And get the hell out,” she hissed.

      “You have five minutes or I’m coming in to get you.” The door closed softly behind him and irritation gnawed at her. She rested her fingertips against her temples and took a deep breath.

      Nate had nearly caught her about to get off at the memory of him.

      And the bastard had interrupted her.

      Chapter 5

      Dammit, he hadn’t wanted to see her again. At least not until they were on the ship and surrounded by thousands of people. In a normal situation, he would have called her, so they could talk. But the safest situation was in person. He’d knocked on the door, but she hadn’t answered and that had sent his blood pressure through the roof. With his pulse racing and his heart in his throat, he’d jimmied the lock and the sound of the shower running had reached his ears the second he stormed in.

      She hadn’t even heard him. Her lack of self-preservation was fucking terrifying. He’d done a quick sweep as soon as he’d made it inside, and had come up empty-handed. Thank god, otherwise he really would’ve had to jump her in the bathroom and made sure she kept quiet.

      He leaned against the kitchen counter and took in the untidy kitchen. An empty bowl with popcorn kernels sat in the sink, the bag still sat on the countertop, and butter and salt filled the air. He massaged his closed eyelids with his thumb and forefinger. It was too damn late for this. He’d been on the brink of sleep, warm and naked in his bed, when his phone had vibrated. He had almost ignored it. But of course, the first thing that had come to mind was Maddie.

      The bathroom door swung open and Maddie stomped toward him. A white towel wrapped around her slim frame, the end tucked between her moist cleavage.

      His head pounded. He didn’t move from his spot, and there was no way in hell he was going to get close to her. If he did, he’d regret it later.

      Her eyebrows snapped low over her eyes in a deep scowl. She folded her arms across her chest. “What are you doing here?”

      “We need to talk.”

      One perfectly shaped eyebrow bounced skeptically. “You could have called.”

      He exhaled deeply through his nose and dug his hands in the front pockets of his jeans. Her wet hair hung loosely over her shoulder, and her ivory skin was free of makeup. His gaze dropped down to her bare legs, drops of water rolled to collect at her feet. His teeth bit into the inside of his cheek.

      “I told you not to talk to anyone in this apartment.”

      She snorted and her arms swept around her. “Hello, look where we are.”

      He closed his eyes and opened them. She was always so damn difficult. “I just finished sweeping the place, it’s clean.”

      Her lips twisted. She shifted her weight to the side and tapped her foot. “So then, talk.”

      “Go get dressed, and then we’ll talk.”

      Her eyes flashed. “I’m not getting dressed. I’m going to bed the minute you leave.” Her arms fell to hang at her sides and she stepped farther into the kitchen. The small of her back rested against the island adjacent to him and her hands reached behind her to rest on the edge of the counter. The towel barely reached the tops of her thighs, and this close, her warm fruity fragrance invaded his senses.

      His chest constricted and his blood pressure dropped. God, he wanted her. Her soft, heart-shaped mouth relaxed and the denim of her blue eyes turned dark. His fingers tingled with the need to touch her, to tear away the towel and lift her onto the counter. His hands curled into fists in his pockets.

      He cleared his throat. “Then get your pajamas on, or something. I can’t talk to you when you’re half naked.” His tone sharpened more than he’d intended. Her chin lifted. She brushed her hair to fall behind her, exposing the slim line of her shoulder. A spark of fire lit her eyes. Ah, hell. Here comes the attitude.

      “I sleep naked, Nate. So like it or not,” she said, her fingers plucked at the towel around her waist. “This is how I’m staying until I crawl into bed.” She lifted her chin and smiled.

      Annoyance layered with desire simmered inside him. The muscles in his neck tensed and he worked his jaw. An image of Maddie curled in bed, naked and still damp from a shower, flashed through his mind. And that wouldn’t be the only place she’d be wet. All it would take was one touch, one step in the direction of her room, and she would come.

      Over and over.

      “Look, if you’re going to stand there and stare at me, I’m going to bed. Lock the door when you leave the same way you managed to unlock it.” She pushed away from the counter. “See ya.”

      He brought his hand out and caught her wrist. Her silky smooth skin burned through him. Heat spread through his body and a deep, desperate pulse surged inside him. He needed her more than he’d ever needed anyone in his life. She swiveled to face him, her gaze fell to his hand on her arm, but she didn’t pull away. She stepped closer, her body pulled him like an intense magnetic field. Her eyes locked with his, every instinct told him to turn away, to run… If he had her once, he’d want her forever.

      His fingers snapped open, dropping her wrist. Her small white teeth caught her bottom lip and her gaze fell to his jaw. A muscle in his neck twitched. He moved his jaw, and forced his brain to make a sentence.

      “What happened for him to change the plans?” His tone was low and rough. If he didn’t get out of here soon, he’d lose all of his resolve.

      Her lips jerked into a mocking grin, but she didn’t move away. “Tony attacked me in the parking lot when I left work,” she said flatly. “I had no choice but to handle it.”

      Nate’s heart slammed against his ribcage. He clenched his hands into fists at his sides. If the bastard had hurt her… “What happened?” he ground out.

      She lifted her eyes to the ceiling and dropped them back down. “He came on to me and threatened to tell Carlos that I had hit on him if I didn’t sleep with him. He got a little grabby and I used some self-defense moves.”

      His eyes dropped to her neck, a faint reddish-purple mark stained her skin. He cursed and brought his fingers to brush the spot. Her skin was warm from the shower, faint drops of water scattered across her chest.

      “He choked you?”

      Her shoulders trembled beneath his touch. Her lashes lifted and the intensity in her eyes hit him like a punch to the solar plexus. Her fingers curled around his forearm and she pulled his hand away and stepped out of his reach.

      “I’m fine. You should know I wouldn’t let him get away with anything. I don’t think he said anything to Carlos. He was drunk. And aside from that, he’d look like a wuss for getting his ass kicked by me.”

      She was right. If Tony had been drunk, he’d have been careless. Security cameras littered the interior and exterior of the club. If Carlos found out he’d assaulted one of his women, he’d kill him.

      “Now СКАЧАТЬ