Page 25 of King's Barber
6
Quain
Fucking flirty bastard.I glared at Luke as he took the garbage bag out of my hand and dumped it in the can next to my thigh.
“Well, thank you. I didn’t have the energy to lift a lid and put my trash in there.” Rolling my eyes, I crossed my arms. “I’m not a damsel you can woo.”
“Woo?” He grinned wide and slid his hand over his inked throat. I’d watched him long enough that I knew his tics by now, and this was Luke flirting. He knew how beautiful his tattoos were. “Never heard of that before. Sounds like something from Disney.”
I huffed and tapped my foot. “Doesn’t matter where it’s from, this isn’t happening. We’re not going to kiss again, and we’re certainly not going to fuck.”
“Why?” He stepped in closer, and I shifted backward to keep the distance. “Don’t think you can handle my cock?”
I pressed my lips together to stop myself from laughing. “I’m sure I can handle you just fine, but I don’t want to because I don’t fuck anyone who has any involvement with my business. In this circumstance, you’re my neighbor.”
“What’s going to happen? We argue, and after we fuck you complain about my garbage and my weed smoking in the alley?” He grinned audaciously and I couldn’t hold back a small chuckle. “Because, humbug, we already do that.”
“Humbug?” Frost trickled through my veins, spreading through my limbs. “Why did you call me that? Are you insinuating I’m deceitful?”
“You are.” He leaned in closer as my heart clattered. If my cover was blown, I’d have to reevaluate the entire assignment, and that wasn’t something I took pleasure in doing. “You tricked me into thinking you hate me, but I see the truth now, Quain Beaumont. You want to fuck me. All you had to do was ask.”
I scoffed but couldn’t hold back my smile. “You are full of shit.”
“Tsk-tsk,Mr. Beaumont, I thought a man of your standing wouldn’t swear like that. I thought you hadmorals.”
Shaking my head, I didn’t know if I wanted to laugh or deck him. Maybe both at the same time. “You drive me crazy, Luke.Crazy. You don’t know when to stop.”
“But you like that.” This time when he leaned toward me, I didn’t move away. His face was so close to mine; his breath tickled the skin near my mouth.
A part of me wanted him to kiss me again, but I was a professional at my job. I didn’t do anything that threatened my assignment’s success rate. The last man who had any kind of relationship to my job was my ex-fiancé, and his body sat at the bottom of Lake Ontario, where I’d left him for the marine life to eat. As frustrating as Luke was, I didn’t want to see him there, too.
“No,” I said sharply, but I didn’t stop him when he pressed his mouth to mine.
The faint taste of weed made me grimace, but that didn’t distract from the way his tongue massaged against mine or how his hands went to my back, sliding down slowly.
I grabbed his wrists before he got to my ass and pulled away. “Didn’t your parents ever teach you what no means?”
“Yes,” he purred, “but I don’t feel you pushing me away.”
“And?” I snapped. “What would you say if your cousin said no to a man and he kept going?”
He stiffened, his face darkening. I let go of his wrists when he stepped back. “I’d fucking kill him. But you’re not Sophie, and I know you. If you didn’t want me to kiss you, you’d make sure I knew it. You’ve let me know about everything else you don’t like.”
It was true. I’d always been outspoken about what I did and didn’t want. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. “At least ask me for a drink first, Luke. You’ve been fussing over me for the last week and a half, doing shit like this.” I waved my hand at the trash can with a glare. “I can’t complain because my salon doesn’t smell like your garbage anymore, but the least you can do is actually ask me out instead of acting weird.”
It also gave me a chance to keep an eye on him. Following Luke became tiring after a while, and having him close would make it easier. I’d let him flirt with me all he wanted so I could watch him, and I’d even go on a date with him, but I wouldnotlet him fuck me. That was a rule I had to stick with.
Barber cocked his head and tugged on his leather jacket, flashing me a charming smile. “Quain, would you like to go out for a drink with me?”
“No.” I turned my back on him and started to walk away, but he grabbed my arm, spinning me around and hauling me back toward him. I landed against his chest, my palm pressing against one of his pecs. His heart thudded under my touch, a familiar and comfortingthump, thump, thump. It was so easy to rip the life out of a man. Slit his throat with one flick of my wrist and the sound of their heart would slow before stopping altogether—also a good sound to hear when I was paid the right amount of money.
“I want you,” Luke whispered, leaning in closer until our faces were inches apart. “And this is just the beginning, Quain.”
“Is it?” I pressed my lips together tightly to stop myself from smiling. “You bore me.”
“I excite you. That’s why you come over to complain all the time. You can’t get enough of me.”
I raised my eyebrows and laughed. “You are full of yourself.”
