Chapter 11 Specter
Specter
“Fuck!”
I yell the word before taking a deep drag of my cigarette, standing on the back veranda in the cold to vent my impotent fury at the situation. I stopped following him and he got hurt. Why didn’t I trust my instincts?
“What’s going on?”
I swing around to see Phantom standing behind me, a concerned look on his face.
Blowing out a breath, I run my hand over my stubbled chin. “Someone I care about was attacked.”
“The guy you’re obsessed with?”
I nod. “Yes. He’s upstairs in my room. He was attacked and he came here.”
“Is he okay? Need the doctor?”
“No doctor.”
“Why are you upset?” His hand lands on my shoulder. “Talk to me, Specter.”
Exhaling slowly, I squeeze my eyes closed for a few seconds. Phantom is a good listener.
“I knew he was in trouble. I sensed it and I left him unprotected.”
“Hey. You can’t take on that guilt, man. You’re not in a relationship with him, right?”
“No.”
“So what could you have done? Stalked him?”
“Yes.”
Phantom chuckles. “There’s no sense in focusing on what you could’ve done. Put your energy into helping him now.”
“You’re right. I can do that.”
“Any idea who the attacker is?”
“None.”
“Okay, well if you need help, you know where to find me. We’ve got your back, Specter.”
He hugs me even though he knows I hate it, and I end up slumping against him and smiling into his shoulder. Guess I needed it.
“Thanks, man.”
He pats my shoulder. “He must be pretty smart.”
“Why do you say that?”
“He came to you. If anyone can fix it, I have faith that it’s you. When you find his boogeyman, you’ll paint the town in that dude’s blood.”
“Damn right I will.”
“Coming in?”
“Gonna finish my cigarette.”
Phantom nods and slips back inside while I work out the rest of my stress with some nicotine. I hope my absence gives Cashmere enough time to shower and change comfortably.
Change. Shit.
He can’t put on the same clothes he was attacked in.
I drop my cigarette and stamp it out before hurrying back inside.
The tea is already steeping, so I grab the tray with the pot, a couple of mugs, and the honey bottle, thankful for Whisper’s tea routine.
I rarely drink it, but when I do, I drink it plain.
“Smells like chai.” Whisper himself enters the kitchen. “That’s a pretty fancy setup for late tea.”
“I have a guest.”
His eyebrows rise. “What? That never happens.”
I grunt noncommittally. “He likes chai tea.”
“Just chai. Chai tea is redundant.”
“What?”
“Never mind. Wait.” He opens the fridge and pulls out a small white bottle. I watch as he twists the cap off and pours just a bit into the bottom of both mugs. “Skip the honey and try this cream instead. It’s excellent with chai.”
“Okay, thanks.”
“Here’s a few cookies too.” He tosses a pack of gingersnaps at me. “They go with the tea nicely.” He shrugs. “You’ll impress him.”
“Thanks, man.”
Whisper grabs a bag of chips from the pantry and salutes me as he leaves the kitchen. I hurry up the back stairs, even though I’m sure by morning everyone will know I have someone in my room. It is, after all, the first time.
When I enter my room it’s humid and warm and Cashmere is sitting on my love seat, wrapped only in a towel, his elegant legs crossed. He’s tapping on his phone and hasn’t noticed me yet.
Fucking hell, he’s beautiful all stripped down. No makeup, hair wet, no fancy outfit. Just him.
He notices me and his brow creases slightly. “I didn’t hear you come in. Should call you Stealth instead of Specter.”
“We already have a guy named Stealth.” I set the tea down. “How are you feeling?”
“Much better after the shower. Thank you.”
“Sure.” I pour tea into the mugs and stir it around. “Um, there’s cream in it. Whisper says it goes great with chai. I hope you like it.”
“Whisper?” He nods. “Specter, Stealth. Everyone you know has a weird code name?”
“Everyone I work with, yeah.” I cross the space and open a dresser drawer, digging out a T-shirt. Then, from another drawer, I grab a pair of shorts. “Will these work for tonight?”
His face lights up. “Thank you.”
“Of course. In the morning we can go get anything you need from your place.”
His brow creases again and for a moment I think he’s going to argue, but he just nods. “Okay.”
“What do you want to do about work?”
“What does that mean?” he asks, reaching for a mug.
I watch him sip his tea. His face lights up, sending bolts of pure satisfaction through me.
“Good?”
“Great. What do you mean about work?”
“Do you still want to go?”
“I have to.”
“I’m sure we could work something out.”
He noticeably bristles. “I can’t just stop living my life. Besides, that’s probably the best place to be if we want to find out who’s behind this.”
I nod. “You have a point. I’ll have to work it out with my boss, but I’ll be there, or worst case, someone from my team will.”
He looks like he wants to argue again, but he just nods and sips his tea. “Your team. Is this the part where you tell me what you do for work?”
“Are you in my bed?”
“Apparently, I will be.”
“You know what I mean by that.”
He taps his pretty manicured nails on the mug. “I think the circumstances have changed enough to warrant a shift in your plans.”
I study Cashmere for a moment, more than a little distracted by his near nudity. He’s right. It’s not like this is any normal courtship. Not like it ever could be.
The problem is I’ve never told a soul before.
Not one single person. There’s never been a reason to, and of course confidentiality is important, but he is in my home and I don’t plan on letting him leave any time soon.
When this is all said and done, he’ll be my man, so he may as well know what he’s dealing with.
“I work for an organization that…” I pause, searching for the right words. “We take care of problems that traditional methods can’t.”
He pulls his head back slightly. “That’s the most cryptic thing I’ve ever heard. You said words without saying anything at all.”
A smile tugs at my lips. “You’re right.” I set my mug down on the coffee table. “I’m a hitman, Cashmere.”
He stares blankly at me, blinking several times before calmly sipping his tea.
“Did you hear me?”
“Yep.”
“Well?”
“You murder people?”
I nod. No sense trying to soften it. “Yes.”
After a moment, he shakes his head and chuckles darkly. “Leave it to me to jump out of one frying pan into another.”
“You’re not in a frying pan with me, Cashmere. Obviously, I’m not going to hurt you. I don’t hurt anyone unless I’m paid to do it or they’ve earned it.”
He swallows hard. “Everyone in this house is…” His words trail off as I nod. “I can see why you save this news for after you’ve already hooked your prey.”
“Prey? Is that what you think you are to me?”
“I don’t fucking know, Specter. You don’t know me, so other than wanting to fuck me, what else is there?”
“We’ve been over this. I want everything with you, not just your body.”
“Based on what?” His tone is sharp. “Based on how pretty I am? Looks fade. Look at me right now, Specter. What do you see? A bruised face?”
“Beauty. Raw, natural, absolutely stunning beauty. That’s what I see.”
He scoffs, wrapping his hands around his mug.
“And if you think I’m only talking about your face, you’re wrong.”
“You don’t know anything about me beyond my face.”
“I disagree.” I scoot a little closer in the already small space between us. “I see your spirit. Your fight. How strong you’ve had to be for probably way too long.”
His gaze softens.
“I see someone who intrigues me, and I desperately want to know more. I see art, a rare treasure who deserves my attention. If all I wanted was a quick fuck, trust me, I wouldn’t work this hard.”
Cashmere’s gaze focuses on the liquid in his mug. I wait quietly for him to say something. I know I’m intense, but I’ve always believed it’s better to say what you want plainly instead of dancing around it.
“And then what?” he asks softly, almost inaudibly if I weren’t so trained on him. “We date? We go to movies and dinner like average people?”
“Is that what you want?”
He shifts away a bit, like the question makes him uncomfortable. “I have no idea what I want,” he admits. “What do you want?”
“You. I’ll figure out the rest after.”
I can tell he’s not ready to continue this conversation, so I stand to put some distance between us. “I’m gonna change. You can change in the bathroom if you like.”
Cashmere sets his mug down and takes the shorts and T-shirt, wordlessly returning to the bathroom.
I can’t believe he’s in my bedroom. I’ve spent the better part of a year obsessed with getting close to him, and now I’m minutes away from having his scent coat my bedsheets. Granted the circumstances are pretty shit, but I’ll take what I can get.
I realize I can’t change clothes. I don’t sleep with clothes on. Just my briefs. That would probably make him uncomfortable though, so I grab shorts from the drawer and pull those on instead of my sweats. I’ll be hot, but that’s fine. I’ll deal with it.
The bathroom door opens and Cashmere steps out, swallowed by my T-shirt. My shorts go all the way to his knees, and he looks like a teen who got into his dad’s closet. I didn’t realize his build was so much more petite than mine.
He extends his arms. “I look ridiculous.”
“Or cute.”
He scowls at me. “Cute is never the vibe I’m going for.”
“You’re welcome to sleep in whatever you like.”
Cashmere snorts. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you? If I just peeled out of all these clothes and slept naked beside you.”
“I’d prefer you didn’t if it’s still hands off.”
He struts toward me, nearly pressing his chest to mine when he reaches me. “It’s definitely still hands off.”
His breath smells minty, and up close like this, I can see all those delicious freckles dotting his cheeks.
His pretty light-tan skin is absolutely flawless except for the swollen reddish-purple bruise on his cheek.
The sight of it reignites my rage. I could spend all night searching this city for the asshole who did this, but that doesn’t make any sense yet. I need to know more.
“It’s late. You should get some rest.”
Cashmere nods, but makes no attempt to put distance between us. “How does a hitman blow off steam at the end of a shift?”
“What do you mean?”
“You have to do something, right? It’s gotta be kind of stressful.”
“The gym. Sometimes I smoke.” I hold his beautiful hazel gaze. “Sometimes I fuck.”
“What are you gonna do tonight?”
“I smoked.”
“You’re relaxed now?” He reaches up and drags a finger lightly across my jaw. “You don’t look relaxed.”
I grab his wrist and pull his hand away. “If I don’t get to touch, neither do you. I’m only human, Cashmere.”
A sexy smile spreads across his plush mouth. “That’s fair.”
“But when you change your mind, prepare yourself. I’ve been saving up.”
He looks mildly confused for a moment before understanding settles over his features. His Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows. “You’re an interesting man, Specter.”
“So are you, Cashmere.” I release his wrist and watch as he moves around the bed to the other side.
I can’t believe I’m about to have my sole obsession in my bed and I can’t do a damn thing with him.
Even as my dick swells, I grit my teeth with determination.
Cashmere needs to know he’s safe here, and he is.
I’ve waited this long; I can wait a little longer.
But if I wasn’t sure he was mine before, I sure as fuck know it now.
I’ll keep him safe, provide for him, worship him.
It’s only a matter of time.