Page 48 of When She Unravels
“Why?” I repeat.
She brushes a strand of hair off her face, looking nervous. I know whatever comes out of her mouth won’t be the whole truth.
“Look, I practically just got here, and I’m not settled in yet. I have a million things on my mind.”
A million things I could resolve in a day if she’d let me.
I’ll start with one.
“My driver told me where you live,” I say.
Confusion mars her features. “Okay. And?”
“You need to move out.”
“What for?”
My jaw muscles tense. “That hostel may as well be a halfway house. I don’t want you there.”
Anger flares inside her eyes. “You don’twant methere? Where I live is none of your business.”
It became my business the moment my lips touched hers. I open a desk drawer, pull out a wad of cash, and slide it toward her. “Use this for a deposit on a nice place.”
She’s shocked at first, but it doesn’t take long for that shock to morph into fury.
“Are you trying to buy me?”
I was about to tell her she can quit her job and I’d pay for all her things, but her outrage makes me backtrack on that idea.
“No. I’m trying to help you,” I say. “And I’m also trying to get you into my bed again, but those are separate things. Take it.”
She peers at the rubber-banded stack and shakes her head. “I don’t want a handout. I know it’s not the best place, but I can wait to move until I save up enough.”
Clearly, she hasn’t spent any time looking at the price of places in Ibiza. “It’ll take months for you to earn enough for a deposit at your current pay.”
“Then promote me,” she says, tipping her chin up. “Make me a server.”
“Take the cash, and you can consider it done.”
She squeezes her lips together and nods. “I’ll pay it all back,” she says. “You can take it off my paycheck until I’ve reimbursed you.”
I flick my fingers dismissively. “My payroll team has better things to do than calculating that.”
“Then I’ll pay you back in cash.”
“Sure,” I say only to appease her pride. Not a chance I’ll take a single euro off her hands. My lips curve into a smirk. “Now, let’s get back to that fantasy of mine.”
“I don’t get it,” she says, putting the mop down and crossing her arms over her chest. “Why would you want me after how I reacted last time?”
Is she embarrassed about her crying?Cazzo,this woman really has no idea what she does to me. “You cried because you were overwhelmed at how well I made you come with my tongue. You really think that’s a turnoff, Ale?”
Her cheeks turn pink again. “So you’re turned on by my inexperience.”
“And by all the things I can teach you. If you let me.”
I rise from my seat and move to stand behind her. She’s very still as I brush her hair from her neck and inhale her delicious scent. “I can be gentle, Ale.” My lips trail against her skin. “And patient. I can do things to you that will make Thursday night pale in comparison.”
Her breath quickens. She tilts her head to give me better access and releases a pent-up sigh. “You said you didn’t need a distraction.”
