Page 28 of Fear the Reaper
“What do we do now?”
“You wait here,” Reaper said, rooting around in the dash board. “I’ll go tag his car.”
“Reaper…”
“I won’t be long.”
Before I could say anything else, he was out the car and darting across the street. For such a large man he sure moved light on his feet. I watched him, taking in the way he operated. If I was walking by I wouldn’t think he was up to anything. Still, he leaned against the car, glanced both ways then dipped and rose. He then jogged back to the truck and climbed in beside me.
“Swede will always know where he is if we lose him.” Reaper said.
“And you’re sure we’ll be okay here?” I asked, glancing around. “It’s a parking lot.”
“We’ll be okay.”
I slumped back into my seat and sighed. There were so many things going through my mind. If we didn’t figure it out, Estelle would never have her life back and it wasn’t like the Brotherhood could keep protecting me forever.
“When this is over, you go back to reporting,” Reaper said after a while. “What will you differently?”
“I don’t know.”
“I see.”
I sighed and yawned while looked out around the lot we were parked in. It wasn’t a massive space but big enough for us to get lost in the bustle. It wasn’t a name brand kind of place—more of an undercover knock-off land. “About last night. I didn’t mean to just, kind of, throw myself at you.”
“Do you hear me complaining?”
“No—but you sure weren’t keen on it.” I sighed. My apology was beginning to come out a little angrier than it should. I swallowed and tried again. “All I’m saying is, there you were being so kind to me and I ruined it. I should have been more ladylike.”
Reaper laughed.
“You think this is funny?”
He exhaled loudly. “You think that’s why I stopped? Because I wanted alady?”
I tossed my hands up and shrugged.
“Star—let me explain something to you.” He didn’t take his eyes off the building we were watching. “When I was a part of the world, my taste in my bed had never beenladylikeand last night proved that hadn’t changed. I stopped because this isn’t the right situation to let that monkey out of the bag.”
I watched him intently. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying, if you and I are ever going to sleep together, it’s not going to because we’re stressed out. I would want you to remember every taste, every touch, every curve of my body. I would want you to obsess over it, own it, then crave it every second of every breath afterward.”
The soft rumble of his voice left me speechless and wet. His words flowed over me like a blanket, fresh from the dryer. I wrapped myself in them, soothed myself with them until all I wanted to do was reach across and touch him.
“I’m going to admit something.” My voice shook. “Last night wasn’t a mistake. Even though I know I could never deserve you—all the things I’ve done. I just wanted one night with a man who didn’t think I—”
When I stopped, he turned to look at me. “Didn’t think you what?”
“Who thought I was beautiful.” I cleared my throat. “Don’t get me wrong. I don’t need a man to make me feel worthy. Not anymore. But any woman who tells you she doesn’t care to feel beautiful, is lying.”
Reaper turned his attention back to the bar. I sighed and bowed my head.
“And I made you feel beautiful?” He asked.
“Yes.” I admitted. “It has been a while for me. After Roger, I lost that.”
“Well, don’t put too much stock in what Roger thinks or thought. He was an idiot.”
