Page 85 of Taste of Blood
28: Asher
I GET TO the office early, mainly because I tossed and turned all night and finally gave up on the bed. You’d think after the fuckfest I engaged in with Cord I’d have been relaxed enough to sleep like a baby, but I couldn’t get our last conversation out of my head.
He’s jealous of me. As much as he pretends he doesn’t care, he couldn’t hide that, which means maybe there’s still hope for us. Maybe he’s just scared to admit it.
Or maybe I really did hurt him so badly he can’t forgive me.
No, I’m not going to think like that. If he was that hurt, he wouldn’t be coming to my apartment of his own free will and letting me do whatever I want with his body. Because no one forced him to come over last night. There was no mitigating circumstance like when he was injured and half conscious.
Granted, he’s still not ready to admit to that, but it’s a step in the right direction. One that makes me feel a little lighter today.
I step off the elevator and stop at Elaine’s desk to get an update on the day’s schedule. After she fills me in on the meetings and appointments ahead of me, she offers a sly grin.
“You look chipper today.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I murmur as I thumb through the mail she handed me.
“Yeah, right. I know an after-sex glow when I see one.”
I raise my brow at her and look around; we’re the only two people in the office right now. “Did you come up with anything new on our search?”
“I see what you’re doing there. I’ll let you get away with it this time, only because I’m feeling a little inadequate.”
I pat her on the back. “Don’t beat yourself up about it. I’ve got something else for you to look for.”
“Oh yeah? Please tell me it’s a picture. This would be so much easier if I knew what this guy looks like.”
“I’m sure Cord would agree with you, but no, there’s no picture. We do have a new location, however. O’Hara’s bar.”
She immediately starts typing it into her computer and a series of windows pop up showing the front of the bar, a map of the area, and what looks like a couple of articles on it. “How’d you get this?”
Cord didn’t say I couldn’t tell her. “They followed a tunnel from inside the warehouse that led them to the bar.”
She grins. “This is like a spy movie.”
“Hardly.”
I’m still a little wary about the fact that Cord and I met there last week. What are the odds I would think of that place when we hadn’t been there in years? Had the Python’s men been there when we were? Did they have cameras watching the alley where we fucked?
It’s not that I’m worried about getting caught, it’s just that anything could have happened while we had our guard down that night. We’d have to be more careful next time. If there even is a next time.
And if I have anything to say about it, there will be. I know the responsible thing to do would be to swear off public sex in the name of safety, but where’s the fun in that? Cord and I had always thrived on a bit of danger in our relationship. The lure of the thrill kept things fresh.
“What are you thinking about?” Elaine asks.
“Nothing.”
“Sure. You’ve got this shit eating grin on your face, like you’ve been up to no good.”
“You watch too many movies,” I reply as I brush past her and make my way to my office.
A stack of paperwork and several challenging meetings keeps my mind occupied enough that I don’t obsess over this Cord situation until Elaine stops by my office late in the afternoon. Or is it early evening? It’s dark outside my windows and I notice the floor is quiet, meaning most of the staff have gone home for the day. I guess I got more involved in my work than I thought.
She drops a folder of papers on my desk and takes a seat.
“What’s this?” I ask as I open the file. Inside are several pages of what looks like printouts of articles and blog posts, along with a few grainy pictures.
“That’s everything I’ve found so far on the Python. I hit the jackpot when I went after O’Hara’s.”
