Page 37 of Carnal Urges
“By what?”
“That you’d do that for me.”
The way she’s looking at me is odd. She almost looks as if she’s grateful. As if…
She likes me.
Which is pure fantasy on my part. The woman despises me. Perhaps I’ve hit my head on asphalt, too.
My voice comes out gruff. “You’re no good to me dead.”
“What difference does it make if I’m dead? You said you were working on getting me home. You don’t need me anymore. Right?”
She sounds curious. Or is that suspicious? I can’t tell. “I didn’t say I didn’t need you.”
As soon as it’s out, I’m fucking horrified. I know exactly how bad it sounded.
If I didn’t, the look on Sloane’s face would clue me in.
Green eyes as sharp as the edge of a blade, she says, “So youdoneed me? For what, exactly?”
I growl, “Target practice.”
Her gaze is steady. Unblinking. Unnerving.
She says softly, “Gangster… do you have a crush on me?”
“No.”
“Because no one would blame you if you did.”
“Jesus. You’re off in the head.”
“And I did tell you this would happen.”
I thunder, “It didn’t happen!Nothing has happened!”
“No?”
She rises and approaches me. I take a step back, then curse myself silently and stand my ground as she nears.
When she stops, she’s standing so close, I can smell the shampoo she used to wash her hair.Myshampoo. That’s my soap, too, scenting her skin. And my shirt she’s wearing.
And my briefs, unless she took those off.
Fuck, did she take them off? Is she naked under my shirt?
Looking up into my face, she says, “I’ll be the judge of that.”
Then she stands on her toes and kisses me.
THIRTEEN
SLOANE
It’s like kissing a brick wall.
No, that’s not right. Let me rephrase.
