Page 28 of Unleashed

It takes him a surprisingly long amount of time to notice I’m standing there, and when he does, I could swear his skin seems to pale behind the tinted glass. We stare at each other for a second before he reaches out to slowly lower the barrier between us.

I angle a brow at him, crossing both arms over my chest. My earlier assessment was correct. The man is a mess. His hair is fucked up and his suit looks like shit. Probably a direct result of sleeping in his car.

“Good morning.” His voice is deep and gravely. Rougher than normal.

Also likely due to sleeping in his car.

“Is it?” I look from one end of his luxury sedan to the other. “Because I can’t say I’ve ever woken up after sleeping in my car and considered it a good morning.”

That might not be entirely true. Once I was old enough to drive, and pinched together enough pennies from one of my many part-time jobs to afford a vehicle, I slept in it more often than I slept in the shitty apartment my mom rented. It was cleaner, more comfortable, and safer.

But I’m willing to bet Trevor doesn’t live in a single bedroom unit run by a slumlord who accepts payment in all kinds of forms.

“Why the fuck are you out here?” I quickly glance over one shoulder to make sure Zara is where I left her, and relax a little when I see she’s happily playing with her tablet. Turning back to Trevor, I see he’s looking at the exact same place I just was.

And that’s when it hits—he’s discovered my secret.

It’s not that I don’t want anyone to know about Zara, I’m just very protective of her. Probably of myself too. I had people in my business for years. School counselors, teachers, employers. Everyone wanted to know the reasons I looked the way I did. Why my lunch account never had any money. Why my shoes never fit.

And when they found out, nothing ever got better. Actually, it frequently got worse.

“You know what?” I step back. “Never mind. I don’t actually care.” I take another step back. “Have a lovely day.”

I spin on one heel and go back to where I left my sister waiting. “You ready, Z?”

“Yeah.” She doesn’t even look up from her device.

Not initially at least. When she does, her eyes aren’t on me. They go right over my shoulder.

And I’m afraid I know why.

“Who’s that guy?” Her little nose wrinkles. “And why is he chasing you?”

“He’s not chasing me.” I grab her handles without looking in the direction she’s still staring. “He’s annoying me.” I roll Zara around the front of the van, managing to press the button to open the door in the process. “Ignore him.”

The ramp is unfolding as we reach the passenger side, but I still have to wait a few seconds for it to finish the process. Unfortunately, a few seconds is all it takes for Trevor to catch up.

“ Hi.” Zara greets him the second he reaches our side. Her smile is wide as she gives him a friendly wave. “What’s your name?”

I stare at my sister as she bats her eyes at him. I knew she was a social butterfly who never meets a stranger, but I was not aware my sister is a shameless flirt. “Don’t talk to him.”

She turns to me. “Why not? Is he a stranger?”

Considering he’s actually been inside me, I don’t feel like I can make that claim. “Not exactly.”

“Then why can’t I talk to him?” Her eyes widen. “Is he bad?”

I really wish he was. Because if Trevor had been bad, I wouldn’t be reliving our time in the bathroom every night while the rechargeable device that resides in my nightstand quietly rumbles between my thighs.

I decide to ignore her question rather than answer it, and roll Zara up into the vehicle, turning my back to Trevor as I buckle the safety harnesses into place. When I’m confident she’s secure, I climb out and set the ramp and door to close.

“Well?”

Trevor’s deep voice skates up my spine, sending shivers of something I refuse to name alongside it. And I don’t like it. Not one bit.

I do my best to avoid him as much as possible for that very reason. Something about him unsettles me. Creeps across my skin in a way that’s unfamiliar and uncomfortable.

It makes me angry and annoyed, and has me spinning to face him. “Well, what?”