Chapter 9
Until that morning, I’d never slept with a woman.
Don’t get me wrong, I’d lost track of how many I’d screwed.
I’d banged them up against walls, fucked them senseless on couches, plowed them good and hard in the back of cars. But once that was done, I never felt the urge to wrap my arms around them, pull them close, and hold them tight as we both drifted off to sleep.
I sure as hell had never felt the need to declare any of them mine while I was buried deep inside them. And when we were done and it was time for them to walk away, I never felt the slightest twinge of loss.
Why would I? After all, we’d both received what we wanted out of the transaction—my physical release and their erotic brush with danger.
But with Kiera, everything was different.
I wasn’t surprised. I’d known from the first moment it would be. Everything about her was different—her stare, her touch, her voice. Every word and action made it clear she didn’t see me like other women did. To her, I wasn’t just an opportunity for a thrilling quickie with a notorious criminal.
To her, I was a man.
The concern in her eyes when she’d seen me bleeding cemented that in my mind. She’d swatted my threats and resistance to the side, putting herself in a vulnerable situation to patch me up.
And this time, when she spoke, it wasn’t with a bowed head and shielded eyes. She let me see the real Kiera—a strong and capable woman who was scrambling to survive.
After that, I knew once I kissed her, I’d never want to let her go.
But at a certain point, I’d had to.
Both of us had been exhausted—her from exertion and me from the sleepless night before—and neither of us had any trouble drifting off for a few hours. But eventually, I woke up and was forced to face the day.
Kiera stirred as I slipped from the covers and got out of bed.
“What’s up?” she asked sleepily, rubbing at her eyes.
“Nothing you need to worry about,” I assured her, smiling at her languid casualness. “Go back to sleep.”
She ignored my words and, holding the sheets to her naked chest, slowly sat up. “How are the stitches? The lidocaine must have worn off by now. Did the pain wake you up?”
I shook my head. Just as she’d warned, my side was a little sore, but the pain was nothing major. I’d had a hell of a lot worse. “I’m fine, but there are a few things I have to do.”
She shot me that stern look, the one she’d used while stitching me up. It must have been her serious doctor stare, the one she’d used to take control of unruly patients, and I’m sure, back in the hospital, it had worked like a charm.
“The only thing you have to do is rest,” she said.
“I wish that were true.” There was nothing I wanted more than to slide back into bed and cradle her against me again. Well…maybe there was one thing I wanted more. “But there are some things I can’t put off any longer. I have to take a shower, then go out and talk to my brothers.”
Her brows arched. “You have brothers?”
“That surprises you?”
“A little,” she said with a shrug. “You give off some serious ‘only child’ vibes.”
I couldn’t imagine anyone else daring to talk to me like that. But with Kiera, I not only didn’t mind, but I actually enjoyed it.
“Your instincts aren’t wrong,” I told her. “I was an only child until my biological father died when I was nine. After that, I was adopted. So, now I have twin brothers.”
She nodded before starting to wrap the sheet around her. “Well, if you’re heading out, I should too.”
“You don’t have to,” I surprised myself by saying. “I shouldn’t be away for more than a few hours. I’ll be back before tonight.”
“Yeah…I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” she said. “I’m way past my rule-breaking limit today. If Jane finds out?—“
“Fuck Jane.”
She laughed—actually laughed. No one had ever had that reaction to something I said. But strangely, I wasn’t offended. I liked the sound, mainly because it meant she was becoming more comfortable around me.
“I’d really rather not,” she joked, already out of bed and picking her clothes off the floor.
“At least take a shower with me,” I said.
For a second, she glanced at the bathroom door longingly. I watched as some of the spark left her big, caramel brown eyes. She let out a long sigh. “Again, not a good idea.”
My shoulders stiffened. “Because of Jane?”
“Because this was a one-time thing,” she said, a note of sadness in her voice. “I won’t call it a mistake. It was way too amazing, too perfect to dismiss it like that. I’ll never forget it…but it can’t happen again.”
“Why not?” I demanded.
“Because of who we are,” she said.
“A doctor and a criminal?”
She shook her head, and her rich chestnut hair brushed against her bare shoulders. “You’re the client, and I’m your cleaner. We both have secrets. Terrible secrets. You heard my story. Getting close to me would put you in danger.”
“I’m not afraid of your brother-in-law or the FBI,” I assured her, but she just shrugged.
“Well, I am,” she said. “And I’m also afraid of whoever you work for.”
“And me?” I asked. “Are you afraid of me?”
She studied me with those gorgeously intelligent eyes for a few seconds before finally shaking her head. “No. I’m not naive. I know I probably should be, but… I’m not.”
“Good,” I said. “Because you need to know I’d never hurt you. I’d kill anyone who tried.”
“Why do I get the feeling that’s not hyperbole?” she asked with a dark laugh. “Don’t get me wrong. I appreciate the sentiment, but it doesn’t change anything. If anything were to happen to you because of me?—“
“Because of you?” I held back a bitter laugh. “Kiera, do you have any idea who I am?”
“No, I don’t.” The steel was back in her eyes. “And that’s the way it’s supposed to be. I don’t know you; You don’t know me. That’s how we both stay safe.”
“I can keep you safe.”
She closed her eyes and let out a long breath. The sad sound caused the center of my chest to tighten uncomfortably. “Unfortunately, I can’t make you the same promise. I’m sorry, Dorian.”
“Don’t be sorry. Just promise me you’ll be back next week.”
It was the only way I could stand to let her leave. I had to see her again. I needed to. If she said no, I wasn’t sure what I would do, but I wasn’t above using my body to keep her pinned to my bed all week if that was what was necessary.
“Sure,” she nodded slowly before piercing me with a stare. “But only to clean your apartment. Things go back the way they were.”
“Just to clean the place,” I agreed to the first part with a nod…but not the second. Deep down, I knew that things between us could never go back to the way they used to be.
Not after the searing pleasure we’d just shared.
“Okay, then,” she said, shimmying into her pants from underneath the sheet. I watched her modestly turn around before slipping on her bra and shirt and turning back to me. “I guess I’ll see you on Tuesday.”
“Wait,” I called as she walked out the bedroom door. “I still need to pay you.”
She spun back around with a horrified expression. “Absolutely not.”
Shit.
“Not for sex,” I tried to assure her. “I just know you need the money.”
Given the offended look on her face, apparently, that explanation wasn’t much better. Even though I hadn’t meant to, I’d clearly wounded her pride.
“I’m not looking for a sugar daddy,” she said with a scowl. “I only get paid to clean, and I didn’t do that today.”
“But you did stitch me up,” I countered, already reaching for my wallet. “What’s the going rate for a doctor to make a house call these days? Does a grand cover it?”
Her eyes focused on the stack of hundreds I held in my hand. She bit into her lip, uncertain.
“I honestly don’t know,” she said, a little of her humor creeping back. “I never had to deal with billing. That was another department.”
“Well, take this to start,” I said, pressing the money into her hands. “And if it ends up being more, just tag it onto my bill next time.”
Eventually, she gave a reluctant nod and stuffed the money in her front pocket.
“Thank you,” she said before heading toward the front door. “But do us both a favor and try not to get hurt this week.”
“No promises.” I leaned against the bedroom doorframe, watching her go. “You’ll just have to come back to see how I fared.”
“Right,” she said, shooting one more smile. “Then I guess you leave me no choice.”
“That’s the idea,” I called out as she disappeared around the corner.
A moment later, the sound of the door opening and closing echoed down the hall…and I was alone again.
After a few seconds, I turned on my heel and headed back into the bedroom.
The time with Kiera had been amazing, and I hadn’t wanted it to end, but now it was time to get back to real life.
I picked my phone up from the bedside table and dialed Matteo.
He answered after a single ring. “Brother.”
“We need to talk. Grab Gabriel and meet me down at the docks in thirty.” The waterfront was one of the few places we could be sure no one was listening to our conversations.
“I take it that means you have news.”
“Yeah.” I sure as hell did. “But you’re not going to like it.”