Page 85 of Distortion
Her tiny nod has my blood running cold. Why would that be her first thought?
What the fuck?
‘No,’ I say, my mind turning over everything I know about her. ‘Of course not.’
That place she was in? No way. Shade said it was basically a rich person clinic, practically a spa. Did John Novelle do something to her? When would he have had a chance? Or maybe it was when she was a kid. Shade said his dad didn’t have much patience for her bullshit. Maybe he did more than put her in time out.
‘What happened to you?’ I ask, wondering if she’ll give me anything else.
Silence.
‘Daisy?’
I look at our reflection in the mirror. She’s asleep.
Not examining my feelings too closely, I cradle her close and shuffle us further up the bed carefully so as not to wake her. But she never stirs, not even when I move the pillows at my back to get more comfortable.
‘It’s too bad you won’t be here a little longer,’ I whisper.
She’s different than I thought she was, than Shade described. She’s kind of playful in an off-kilter sort of way. I’ve never met a girl quite like her. If things were different, maybe we could have had some fun together.
With her curled up on me, I open my laptop and do some more work. I should get some sleep, but I’m enjoying the feel of her so close to me, and I don’t want to waste the time unconscious.
My door creaking has my eyes open in an instant and I realize I must have drifted off. Daisy is still asleep in my arms and the clock says it’s just shy of midnight. I yawn, looking over to see what woke me to find Mav standing in my doorway wearing a shocked expression.
‘What the fuck is this?’
‘Shh!’ I give him an angry look as I jerk my head down towards Daisy and mouth ‘what the fuck?’ at him
His mouth is hanging open and he just stares for another thirty seconds at least.
‘Did you fuck Shade’s sister?’ He angry-whispers at me.
‘No, actually,’ I whisper back. ‘What do you want?’
When he doesn’t answer immediately, I let out a small huff. Here it comes. ‘How long is it gonna take us to check the formulas. Does it have to be tonight?’
His eyes fall to her and then find me again. He comes in, closing the door softly.
‘I already did them,’ he murmurs.
I stroke her shoulder gently with my thumb in a silent, ‘Sorry, sweetheart. I like you, but you’re gone.’
‘Did you tell Applegate she couldn’t do the job?’
‘No.’
I frown at Mav. ‘He wasn’t there?’
No way. Applegate practically lives at the Novelle Center.
‘He was there.’
‘Spit it out. You know I hate it when you’re all dramatic and?—’
I freeze as Daisy shifts, not uttering a sound as she presses against me with a small noise of contentment that goes right to my dick.
I wait until she settles before my eyes find Mav again. ‘And cryptic,’ I finish in a whisper.
