Page 8 of A Velvet Kiss After Dark

“Yes, you do that. I’m going to get back to that article I was writing.” Turning her back on him, she sat at her desk and opened her most recent document.

“Why don’t I believe you?” came the growling question.

She shrugged and began typing away. “I don’t care what you believe, but I have work to do and I’m not going to sit here arguing with you. The sooner you go to sleep and heal, the quicker you’ll be out of my hair.”

“Harsh, lady.”

Harsh. What did he know of harsh? He had a body that men and women were drawn to, unlike her small frame and little breasts and tiny butt. Shaking her head, she put on her imaginary work hat and got to it. He hadn’t been bullied because of how he looked, but she knew all about being torn down for looking different, for looking inferior, for having a body others liked to gloat that they didn’t have.

“I can feel your anger scalding me.” A curse was followed by a sigh. “All right, dammit, I’m sorry. Okay? I’m sorry I said that. Christ.”

“Forgiven.”

He grumbled but eventually rolled over and fell asleep.

Tabitha counted fifteen full minutes before tiptoeing over to his prone form. The bulge in his back pocket was her goal. A wallet and a phone all tucked into one denim pocket. Squatting beside him, she watched his expression for any sign of movement. Her heart pounded with fear. She had no idea what she’d do if he woke up, but it wouldn’t be good. Not his reaction nor her excuses.

Moving slowly and gingerly, she caught the phone and wallet in a two-finger pinch with thumb and index finger. Carefully, she tugged and pulled. His body stiffened and she retracted her hand, a frightened expression on her face.

Shoot, she was busted!

But he settled back down and she resumed her theft until finally, after long, excruciating minutes, she nabbed her prize. With glee, she hopped back over to her desk and turned on his phone. It was locked with a passcode that she didn’t know. After trying a few random numbers, she gave up and closed it.

The wallet was black, thick, and closed with Velcro. The Velcro posed a problem seeing as it was loud to pull open. Glancing back at him to ensure he still slept, she slipped across the hall to the bathroom and closed herself inside. She turned on the water and, as she flushed the toilet, peeled back the Velcro.

Eeeeeeeeeerp!

Rolling her eyes at the heinously loud noise, she stared at the door to await his imminent arrival. But nothing came. The toilet flushed but she kept the sink water on as she snooped through his wallet.

Looking for what? She wasn’t sure. Anything incriminating. Anything about the mysterious man that would fulfill her desire to know more about him—a desire so strong she knew it was a dangerous game she played.

She divested it of the contents. A driver’s license made out in the name Kane Gunner. She looked at the card front and back, not believing for one second that Kane was his real name, as she’d told him before. But it was there. The ID showed his species as being Were and his year of birth. Her eyes widened in surprise. Wow. Just wow. Obviously, she knew vampires and Weres lived far longer than humans did, but to see the date listed was something else entirely.

There was lots of money. Folded up, crumbled bills—some small, small very, very large. He had an AAA card, which made her burst out laughing. Just as quickly, she staunched the laughter and resumed her rummage.

A small slip of paper was inside with initials written next to numbers. Several of them were crossed off.

T.K. 22g

X.D 104k

S.R. 390g

L. Y. 427g

She wondered what that stood for. A name and an amount? A company and part of an address? Was this someone who owed him, or someone he’d “taken care of” in the past, or was it a job he had to do? And why was one mysteriously crossed through?

Finding nothing else of interest, she put everything back to rights and flushed the toilet again, unsure what good that would do. She shut off the water and took a deep breath. Now she had to go through the painful task of putting the wallet and phone back where it came from.

She opened the door and stepped outside and froze. Oh, no. Ah… shit.

Kane leaned against the wall opposite her. He looked relaxed. Too relaxed. Ankles crossed, hands at his side kind of relaxed.

Shit! And she never cursed! She could just picture her mother’s scornful face at her use of swear words.

“How was it?” his deep voice asked, giving away nothing.

“How was what?” Her voice sounded tiny.

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