Page 15 of Temptation and Treachery
Chapter Six
Celeste bit her thumbnail. How could she be thinking about shower sex after last night? But hearing the water splashing against the tile got her imagination going. He was in there, his nude body all soapy. Maybe he needed help washing his back. She sat up, a huge grin on her face. Her hair fell over her shoulder in a tangled clump. She grimaced. Very unsexy. Tiptoeing over to her bag, she dug through to find a brush. Her phone sat in a corner, the screen bright within the dark interior. It had to be Oz. Who else would be reaching out? Her clients knew about the “vacation”, and she set up their posts weeks in advance.
She rolled her lips, her thumb hovering over the start button. Reading texts from her father, while naked, reached an unimaginable level of icky. She went back to the bed, pulling the sheet to wrap it around her, then sat at the edge. Half dreading what she’d read, she pushed the button.
I have to leave. There’s an unexpected situation, but I’ll have someone meet you.
Shoulders slumped, she frowned at the phone while she pulled the cover high up on her chest. After all the stress and worry, she wasn’t even going to see him. His message had sounded like she had to get down here pronto.
“Everything all right?” Rio padded in from the bathroom wearing jeans and the towel he’d slung across his neck.
Her gaze shot to him then back to the screen. “Uh… Change of plans.” She brought the phone to her chest. “My father had to rework his schedule. The city’s flooded so…” She hitched a shoulder. She was still somewhere between relief, uncertainty, and disappointment.
For a moment he just stared, his gaze wandering across her face. She gasped inwardly. I must look like a hot mess. A blush raced up her chest and face. She smoothed her hair over her shoulder like a makeshift ponytail.
“Does that mean we don’t have to rush out of here?” he asked, dropping his bag on the corner of the bed.
She glanced up at him, finding him a little apprehensive and a little hopeful. Maybe things didn’t have to end so soon. “I suppose so, if you’d like.” She forced saliva past the thick knot in her throat. Were these morning-after jitters? “We could go to breakfast,” she suggested.
“Brunch,” he teased.
Morning sex had proved just as memorable as the night before, and as the images flashed through her mind she blushed again, knowing it gave her thoughts away. Biting her lip to stifle a grin, she murmured, “Sorry.”
“Don’t be.” He came around to take her face in his hands, tilting it back for his kiss. Her lips were wonderfully sensitive, swollen from everything they’d done over the past few hours.
“Why don’t you shower? I’ll go check on the rental then we’ll grab a bite and see where we go from there.”
She nodded then got up, dragging the sheet around her like an old-fashioned gown, leaving room for her to walk. A contented smile stretched across her lips. “I won’t be long.”
“Good.” He reached into his bag, pulling out a shirt. “If they don’t have a car, I’ll walk over to the diner and bring something back.”
“Perfect.”
“What do I get you?”
You with a side of sex. She reeled back the words. “Scrambled eggs, plain, with a side of ham. Wheat bread, lightly toasted.”
“You got it.” He winked, watching her go by like a cat fixing to pounce. “I’ll text you when I’m heading back.”
“Okay.” She rattled off her number before she ducked into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She put the phone on the counter, dropping the sheet on the toilet lid only to have it slide to the floor in a crumpled pile. One look in the mirror and she realized she looked just as bad. Eeek. Why hadn’t she gotten up to brush her hair? She ran her fingers through the tangles. How could a man like him be looking at her like he was ready to jump her…again? The wonder of it all still blew her away.
She turned on the water, stepping into the shower. Her father’s cryptic message wandered into her thoughts as she poured shampoo. The unexpected situation, could that be the people after him? As always, she wondered who “they” were. Did he mean the authorities or someone else? Did they want to arrest him or kill him? Those questions kept her up for countless nights after she’d made the mistake of Googling him.
Once her mother died, their visits had been few and far between. The calls brief, and on private lines. A few months ago, the texts started. She still had trouble picturing a man like Oz texting, but he’d said it was safer. Now the dreaded visit was postponed. Though she should be thankful for the reprieve. She grinned. How could she complain if she was getting Rio for a little longer? If she ended up in Houston for a while, why not plan dinner. A movie. What else did regular people do on dates?
…
Bud set out a pen and the paperwork for the rental. “You didn’t scare off that sweet little girl after I dropped ya off, ditcha?”
Rio suppressed a smile. “Nah, Bud. I didn’t. We’re grabbing breakfast then heading out.” He scrawled his usual, illegible signature, losing some of his cheer. The countdown had begun the moment the sun came up. Check on a rental. Breakfast. Drive to Houston. Say good-bye. Rio grimaced inwardly. What could he say to Bud? I don’t do long-term. I’ll make sure she doesn’t have a hard time walking away. Maybe a plain I’m a fucking bastard would explain everything.
Bud frowned. “Ya thinking she’s gonna kick ya to the curb when you get to the city?”
“Could be.” He kept his reply short, hoping things would end there.
“Yeah.” Bud took a deep breath while he folded the contract and put it in an envelope. “The good ones are smart that way.”
“Yup.” He gathered the paperwork, needing to get the hell out of town. Things would go back to normal when he got to Houston. The anxiety curling inside him was just the need to be in the thick of things.
