“For your body.” Grant said slowly and then looked at the door. “Are you waiting for something?”
“No, no, of course not. Why would you think that?”
“I don’t know.” He shrugged. “You just seem preoccupied.”
“I just, I don’t know. You’re acting crazy and I’m wondering if I’m going to be stuck here forever like Sleeping Beauty or Rapunzel.”
“Rapunzel?”
“You know. The girl that was locked in the tower and had to climb down her hair?” My voice trailed off. What was I talking about?
“No I don’t know her.” He grinned. “I don’t have a tower here, but I’ll see what I can do.” He winked at me and pulled me towards him. “I can climb down your...”
Knock Knock.
“Yes?” Grant’s voice was annoyed as we both turned towards the door.
“I need to talk to you.” Tyler’s voice was stiff and he didn’t look at me as he stepped into the room again. I tried to avoid looking at him. I wasn’t sure why my heart was beating so fast again. There was something about Tyler that I couldn’t resist and I didn’t know why. It confused me inside. And I was confused and worried enough as it was. I desperately wanted to get out of this house, but for some reason Grant didn’t want to let me go. The panic in my head was screaming at me for being so calm. The adrenaline in my veins was telling me to make a run for it. Every fiber of my being was trying to convince me that there was something majorly off in this situation, but I just couldn’t seem to step away. A part of me, a part of me that I didn’t know existed was captivated by the two men I was with. I was caught up in some sort of spell. A part of me liked the hint of danger that I felt. That was a part of me that I wanted to shake out of me, but I couldn’t.
“What do you want?” Grant’s voice was frustrated as he looked at me for a brief second. There was unabashed lust in his eyes and my body cried out in remembrance of the previous night.
“We have a problem.” Tyler pursed his lips. “We need to talk. Now.”
“Fine.” Grant let out a huge sigh. “I’ll be back.”
“Go and have a shower, Evie.” Tyler said to me softly.
“What?” I stared at him in confusion.
“Go and have a shower and get dressed.” He ordered me as Grant walked out of the room.
“Who do you think you are?” I said softly, not getting why he thought he could boss me around.
“I don’t think, I know.” He took a step towards me. “If you know what’s good for you, you will go and have a shower and put some clothes on.”
“Why?”
“Because that way, you don’t have to sleep with Grant again.”
“What?” My voice rose.
“Everything okay?” Grant looked back into the room. “What’s going on?”
“Evie’s just telling me what she wants for breakfast.” Tyler didn’t even look back at Grant. “Go down to the study and I’ll meet you there.” He looked back at me for a few seconds and I could feel my chest rising quickly as I stared at his face. In this moment, I could see the ex-cop in him.
“Why did you leave the police force?” I asked him softly.
“What?” He frowned.
“Was it because you didn’t like having to take orders?” I rolled my eyes. “You seem to think you can just boss everyone around. I’m surprised Grant lets you talk to him like that. You seem so insubordinate.”
“You think so?” He grinned at me. That wasn’t the response I’d been expecting to receive. His grin surprised me and delighted something in my soul. He was truly in a state of delight at my comments. His eyes were light and almost jumping at me. The smile on his face took me aback. It took him from a serious, hard man to an even more sexy and humorous figure. Why did he have to be so sexy?
“If you were my employee, you’d be fired for the way you talk to me.”
“It’s a good thing I’m not your employee then.”
“I hope that Grant doesn’t fire you in the study.” I gave him a wide smile, showing him that I meant the opposite of what I said.
“I don’t think I have to worry about that.” He laughed and ran a finger down my cheek. “If he fired me, I wouldn’t be able to do this.”
“You shouldn’t be doing that anyway.” I gasped as we stood there staring at each other. “You shouldn’t be touching me.”
“Why not?”
“Tyler, I’m here with your boss!” I pursed my lips and stepped back. “You’re being highly inappropriate.”
“I am?”
“You shouldn’t be touching me or propositioning me.”
“I’ve propositioned you?”
“You want to sleep with me!”
“What’s wrong with that?” He winked at me and licked his lips.
“I’m not a toy.”
“Do you not want to be with me?”
“I’m not that sort of girl. I don’t go from bed to bed.” I could feel my face heating up. “Imagine if Grant heard you.”
“I don’t care if he hears me.” His eyes narrowed and the smile left his face. “What you did last night was stupid, you know that right?”
“I don’t need you lecturing me.”
“Why not? Because you have a brain?”
“Excuse me?” I gasped and reached forward to push him away from me. “You’re a jerk. What I do or don’t do is none of your business.” My hand connected with his chest and he grabbed it and pulled me towards him.
“You have no idea Evie. You have absolutely no idea.”
“What do you want from me? Is this some sort of game you’re both playing with me?”
“I don’t play games.” His lips came towards mine. “Let me kiss you.”
“No.” I swallowed and whispered back, my lips a mere inch from his. “You can’t.”
“I can.” He pressed his lips against mine lightly. I felt a sliver of electricity pass from me as his moist lips caressed me. “I can and I will.”
“How did Eugenie die?” I whispered against his lips as he pulled back. All of a sudden all I could think about was the girl on the mantelpiece. My body was throbbing. My brain was fuzzy. My skin was on fire. And my heart was thudding. I stared at him and waited for his answer. I wasn’t sure why I brought her up as opposed to telling him off for kissing me. Maybe because my lips were still tingling from his touch.
“It’s a long story.” He paused, his features darkening.
“I’ve got time.”
“It started the way your story started...” His voice trailed off and his eyes darkened, turning from blue to black.
“What do you mean?”
“She went to a club to make a little money.” He shrugged. “She fell into the hole.”
“What hole?”
“The hole of depravity and sex.” He sighed. “Do you know how the tale of Little Red Riding Hood ends?”
“She’s saved from the wolf.” I said slowly, my heart racing. “The woodsman comes and saves her.”