Page 3 of The Hitman and the Psychic

Itook the soda Mr. Vanetti offered me and sat down to wait in his office, while he left to check on Stone, which was the name Mr. Vanetti told me he prefers. After he left, I couldn’t help imagining Stone in the shower, naked and dripping wet. Ugh. What was I thinking? I needed to keep my head in the game. Besides, getting involved with a man was the last thing on my to-do list, or any list for that matter.

Letting out a breath, I cracked the soda and took a sip, finally relaxing for the first time since coming here. Taking this job was probably the stupidest thing I’d ever done, but what choice did I have? The pay was too good to pass up, and with my lawyer’s fees stacking up, I had to do something.

And now I had to explain my psychic abilities to someone like Nathan Stone? Human-man-God andpersonification of all things sexy? It would be like trying to convince him that Santa Claus was real. He’d never believe me, and working with him would be pure hell.

Well… maybe not quite pure hell, I’d still get to look at him. Oh, boy. I was in trouble. The moment he’d stepped into the office replayed in my head. He’d come inside like he owned the place, and when his gaze landed on me… a palpable shock hit me in the chest. Tingles had spread through my whole body, and I’d wanted to throw myself at him, and taste those full lips.

I’d never had a reaction that strong in my life, even when I met Brandon. In fact, I hadn’t thought something like that was possible… until now. If Stone hadn’t been such a jerk, I might not have been able to resist the pull, so maybe it was better this way. He might not necessarily be the enemy, but he certainlywasn’ta potential lover, in spite of my reaction to him... or maybe even because of it.

If only I didn’t have to convince him that my psychic powers were real. Once I proved what I could do, he’d look at me differently. Instead of seeing a normal person, he’d think I was a freak on the crazy side. That heat in his eyes would change to disdain, and a little part of me would die inside. No. I couldn’t think that way. His opinion didn’t matter. And besides, I didn’t want a man in my life.

At least Vanetti didn’t seem to mind my abilities. He’d hired me for a simple job a week ago, and I’d come through with flying colors. He was fascinated with my gift, and his acceptance had meant the world to me. That’s why I hadn’t hesitated to come back for another job.

But he hadn’t mentioned that Stone was… well… a living, breathing fulfillment of every woman’s deepest desire. Just thinking about him sent heat into my core.

But what if Stone refused to work with me? He hadn’t been too happy that I was a psychic. Even proving it to himmight not change his mind. Would Vanetti insist on the plan anyway?

Dammit. Why hadn’t I thought of that sooner? Now it was too late.

The door opened, and my heart jumped as Vanetti stepped inside, followed by Sexy Stone. Yeah, that’s what I was calling him, now.

My insides turned to mush at the sight of him, and I had to hold back a groan. Talk about tall, dark, and handsome. When I’d first seen him, he had dirt and blood on his face, and his hair was a mess. Even then, it had given him a dangerous, but oh-so-sexy vibe that took my breath away.

But now? Holy hell! I could barely swallow. With the distraction of the blood and dirt gone, his dark eyes had depths to them I’d never imagined. His strong jaw seemed even more defined, and his dark hair brushed his forehead in a way that made me want to push it out of his eyes… ugh!

He met my gaze, and I caught a touch of heat in his eyes before a shadow crossed over them, quickly shifting into disdain. Yup… this was not going to go well.

“Let’s sit at the table.” Vanetti motioned toward the round table in the corner of his elegant office.

Stepping to it, I automatically pulled my pink dust-cloth from my purse so my bare skin wouldn’t come in contact with the chair. After pulling it out, I sat down, keeping the cloth in my lap in case I needed it again.

Stone’s eyes narrowed, and he leaned forward to peek at the cloth in my hands. He raised an eyebrow. “What’s with the hankie?”

His low voice sent a shiver down my spine. I tried to ignore it as I fought back a sarcastic reply. I was a professional, and this was a great opening to explain my ‘psychic powers,’ so I might as well take it. I cleared my throat and straightened my shoulders.

“My…abilitymanifests through extrasensory perception. It’s something called psychometry.” I shot him a challenging glance. “Ever heard of it?”

Stone smirked. “I like to know what tricks scam artists use, but this one’s new.”

Mouth twisting, I glared back but didn’t take the bait. “Most people are uneducated when it comes to things like this.”

“Why don’t you educate me, then?” His voice hardened, but he motioned with his hand to continue.

“Fine.” Oh, I wanted to educate him all right… in bed. Focus. “It’s simple. When I touch an object, or sometimes, a person, I get some kind of insight about them.”

“Such as?”

“Like their history… or something about the person who last came into contact with the object… that sort of thing. Depending on the circumstances, I can get a vision of the past or the future, and how it relates to the object.” I kept my tone firm and professional, ignoring the little voice in my head that reminded me how crazy that explanation sounded.

Stone raised his brows. “And… what’s the hankie for?”

I grimaced. “Well… I don’t like to touch every little thing, so I use it to protect me from sensory overload.”

“Right.” He nodded, but his lips twisted. “So, touching things tells you something about the object.” Huffing, he glanced between Mr. Vanetti and me. “No offense, but how’s that supposed to help me? I’m pretty sure touching that bomb today wouldn’t have stopped it from going off.”

“Abomb?” My eyes widened. I cleared my throat and tried to school my face. “Well, no, but I may have gotten something warning me away from it.” I didn’t add,withoutmy gloves on. “But I bet if I went back there now and touched a remnant of it, I’d get something from that.” Well, that explained the dirt and blood.

“Really?” Stone leaned forward, dark gaze intense. “Like what?”

---