Page 127 of Wicked and Claimed

After five endless minutes, Dr. Haynes’s lips thinned. “Negative.”

“Not surprising,” Nash drawled, relief evident beneath his affected boredom.

“Perhaps not, but Mr. King…” Dr. Haynes’s tone could have frozen hell. “Mr. Gray has already expressed his concern about your lack of effort. We can provide medications if you’re having…performance issues. Or are you too distracted by our new hairdresser to focus on the breeder you paid so handsomely for?”

Haisley’s head snapped up, her stomach plummeting. Nash had been flirting with someone else while she’d been trapped in this luxurious suite of hell?

“That won’t be necessary. I perform just fine,” Nash insisted.

“Good to hear it.” Dr. Haynes packed up her bag with sharp movements. “Remember, you can’t leave the island with your merchandise until we’ve confirmed her pregnancy. I’ll return next Friday. I sincerely hope you try much harder in the next seven days to produce results. You can start by showing us your…enthusiasm with tomorrow night’s event.”

Event?Haisley hadn’t heard a word about that. The next auction was still weeks away…so what had Dr. Haynes meant? Haisley intended to get back to that, but first…

The door closed behind the doctor with a click. Haisley stood and rounded on Nash. “The hairdresser? Are you kidding me? What the hell?”

“Watch your mouth, woman!” Nash’s grip on her arm was urgent as he dragged her toward the bathroom with a growl. “Not another word.”

Haisley dug in her heels and dragged her feet, but she was no match for his size and strength.

He flipped on the shower. Steam filled the air as he turned on the music. This again?

She didn’t fight when he stripped her bare and shoved her into the shower before shedding his own clothes, stepping into the stall, and crowding her against the wall.

Suddenly, his lips were at her ear. “The hairdresser is one of our operatives. Hunter brought her in to help.” His hands framed her face, desperation lit his eyes. “These people watch everything. Question everything. You know that, right?”

“Yes, but?—”

“If I didn’t act as if I’m trying to hook up with her, what excuse could I give for us talking? What happens if they get suspicious enough to investigate? If Gray, Dr. Haynes, or their minions decide to dig?”

Grudgingly, Haisley understood. But she hated it.

Hot tears mixed with the shower spray as she pressed her face into his chest. “You’re explaining? You’re risking your cover to protect my feelings?”

“Yes. I see this is breaking you.” His arms tightened around her. “But I can’t always do it. These people will kill us.”

He was right. She was putting him in a horrible position, thinking with her heart, instead of her head. She had to stop letting her emotions get the best of her.

“You’re right.” She lifted her head, meeting his concerned stare through the steam. “We can’t fight them if we’re fighting each other. I’ll try to be a better partner.”

“I want more than that.” His thumb traced her cheek. “After all this is over, I want us.”

Warm water sluiced over them, but Haisley shivered. Last night had proved that, no matter what, he owned her, heart and soul. She felt so uncertain, like a newborn fawn on wobbly emotional legs. But she had to get it together—for both their sakes. “We can’t know about tomorrow. Not now. But I won’t let my feelings put you in danger anymore.”

“Haisley, baby. You?—”

She stretched up and covered his lips with her own. “Later. We’ll figure us out then. Right now, we need to focus on surviving.”

He sighed. “I hate this. All of it.”

“Me, too. But I’ll try to help in every way I can. Any idea what Dr. Evil meant by an event tomorrow night?”

“I caught that, too, but I have no idea. Something tells me we’ll find out soon, and we’ll handle it.”

“Together. We have to.” The enemy had left them no choice. “I need to feel like more than a fixture. I need to know what’s going on.”

He nodded, then kissed her forehead. For a moment, they just held each other while the water cascaded over them. So much unsaid. So much uncertainty.

She only prayed her heart would survive whatever came next.

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