Bang Bang(17)

“Honesty…” She shrugged. “It’s better than you lying to me… mechanic my ass.”

“I did work as a mechanic…”

“Fancy word for a made man.”

Yeah, she had me there. “We should sleep if we’re going to get an early start tomorrow, alright?”

Nodding, she turned on her side, careful to slip all the way to the end of the bed, and didn’t say another word.

I quickly dropped my towel and put on my boxers then turned off the lights. Slipping my gun under my pillow, I slid into the bed and lay across the middle, just because I could.

Unfortunately two hours into what should have been a dead sleep I was awoken by Amy’s hand, and then her arm, and then her leg as it snaked around mine.

Sleep was going to be hell.

And just as I was getting used to the fires singeing my body — she started to purr in her sleep.

Wide eyed, I stared at the ceiling and repeated all the different reasons I couldn’t take advantage of her — all the reasons I couldn’t kiss her.

She purred again.

To hell with that — all bets were off when she was ready… and I was going to be there, waiting. I couldn’t care less if I had bullet holes in my body; my mouth was going to be the one to claim hers forever.





CHAPTER NINE



Amy



I WOKE UP in the middle of the night to find myself basically plastered to Ax. His warm muscled body was like a beacon to mine. With his arm wrapped possessively around me, and his breathing even, I was able to stare at him, stare at the beautiful man who had rescued me — the beautiful man who had abandoned me.

His eyelashes were so long it was impossible not to notice them. They were black and had a slight curl at the end. His jaw was covered in a bit of dark stubble — I’d forgotten how dark his hair was, or how silky it had always felt between my fingers. It was shorter than I remembered it being, but it was just as wavy, shiny. Too pretty to be boy hair, too tempting for me not to want to reach out and thread my fingers through it.

But I knew I’d either wake him up and be on the opposite end of his gun, or he’d use it as an invitation we both knew I wasn’t ready for. I craved him, but I didn’t want to get lost in him and then suffer the absolute torture of having to say goodbye once he finished his job and dropped me off in Chicago.

I had no home to go back to.

No job.

Nothing.

Where was I even going to live?

I pulled back from his body and chewed my lip in thought. It didn’t help that the bed was so soft and expensive. I was used to my crappy mattress, used to lying on the floor.

Finally, after I couldn’t fall back asleep, I grabbed two pillows and tossed them onto the floor next to me, then I pulled one of the throw blankets from the bed.

Once I was settled on the carpeting, I was finally able to relax a bit. Worry still plagued me, but at least I wasn’t wrapped up in Ax. I shivered. The only problem was the floor was colder than I had realized. I tugged the blanket tighter around my body and closed my eyes.

Two seconds after they closed, cloth rustled behind me and the mattress shifted, and then footsteps shuffled across the carpet. Ax’s warm body joined mine; the comforter from the bed fell on top of both of us. He pulled me into the cocoon of his warmth and kissed the top of my head. “I couldn’t care less about the middle, Ames… I just want to be by you.”

Unshed tears stung my eyes as I clenched them shut, my breathing uneven as I tried to keep myself from sobbing against his chest.

“Sleep.” He kissed my head again. “I’ve got you.”





I woke up to the sound of Ax yelling into his phone. Rubbing my eyes, I yawned and then managed to find my way out of the massive amount of covers and down the hallway.

A spread of more food than I’d ever seen in my entire life was on the table; hot coffee was already poured for me. Ax continued yelling, but pointed to the seat.

Not wanting to argue with someone who was so clearly against mornings, I went to the table and fought the urge to clap my hands in excitement.

Toast! Jam! Sausage! Bacon! I could seriously have died happy in that moment, and I even had orange juice. I didn’t appreciate things like that until I suddenly couldn’t afford them. Until that first day I went to the store and couldn’t buy orange juice because it was out of my budget.

I reached for the juice with one hand then grabbed my coffee with the other.

“Double fisting?” Ax sat down across from me and tossed his cell onto the table; it landed with a clatter.

“Who was that?” I set down both drinks then bit into a piece of toast and stifled a moan as the raspberry jam hit my tongue. I closed my eyes in ecstasy, licking my lips then took another bite.