She looked stiff and uncomfortable. “You going to sleep in your fancy little suit?”
“I’m fine,” she said.
“Suit yourself.”
He rolled to his back, draping an arm over his eyes as he let out a low groan. It would be simple to take a couple pills to ease the agony, but he didn’t trust any kind of painkiller. After being drugged, beaten, and starved when he was young, he never wanted to allow anything to alter his mind again.
The room was quiet enough to hear a pin drop.
He listened to Scarlett breathing next to him, her weight shifting slightly when she moved.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“What do you mean?”
“You’re in pain. I can tell. What’s wrong?”
He shook his head to dismiss her. “It’s just a headache. I get them all the time.”
“Really?” She sat up in the bed, wiggling closer until she was on her knees. When her hand touched his face, he flinched. “Shhh,” she cooed, massaging his temples in a rhythmic pattern.
He didn’t stop her.
“My grandmother used to do this to me when I had a headache.” Her hands worked some kind of magic, soothing the ache and making him feel human again. “I guess it’s an old family secret passed down to me. I never tried in on someone else before.”
“Why’re you doing this for me?” he asked. Bain seized her hand and hoisted himself up into a sitting position.
She didn’t answer him. They looked at each other, and that same fucking feeling he had earlier came back. This time he wasn’t as strong. He cupped the back of her head and pulled her closer. He paused briefly, then kissed her hard on the mouth. What he didn’t expect was the way her lips melted against his with no resistance at all.
Chapter Four
This was the craziest thing she had ever done in her life. Scarlett knew that there was no way out for her. Even if she went to the cops and begged for protection they couldn’t help her. No one could. In the few hours she had come to know Bain, she’d learned he wasn’t a man to be messed with. He always found his target.
The feel of his lips on hers was such a heady experience, and she closed her eyes, simply basking in his touch. He cupped the back of her head, and his tongue stroked along her lips before diving in.
She whimpered as he held her close. For the first time in her life she felt small, delicate, and her body came to life, wanting so much more. Resting her hand on his chest, she felt the pounding of his heart and suddenly pulled away, staring at him.
There was no way this man was human. He seemed so cold, so callous. How did he even feel? And yet, his heart was pounding, and she’d seen the pain in his eyes.
“Why wouldn’t I do it for you?” she said. “You were hurting, and I’m not a cruel person. You don’t deserve to suffer.” She dropped her hand down on the bed and licked her suddenly sore lips. It had been a long time since she had been kissed like that.
Bain didn’t let go of her head, and she couldn’t look in his eyes anymore. It was just too hard to have these feelings rushing through her. Nothing made a whole lot of sense.
“I’ve never been very good at any of this,” she said.
“What do you mean?”
“Sex. Coping. Understanding. You wouldn’t understand. I’ve never been able to connect, and the men I’ve been with, they weren’t exactly good guys.” He released her head, and she ran a hand over her face and wrinkled her nose. She stank really bad. “My last boyfriend, it was bad, and I finally left him over a year ago. Ever since I was a little girl, I always wanted to be a reporter. One thing after another stopped me from being what I wanted to be. Then this opportunity opened up, but again, if you don’t fit the model, they pass you over. I’m not some twenty-something anymore. I’m not slim, not that I ever was, and I’m not pretty. I’m fat, frumpy, and ugly, trying to make my way in this superficial world. This interview was going to kickstart it.” She smiled at him. “I know you don’t want me to interview you. You’re just waiting to find out knows about where I was.” She took a deep breath. All of her life she had fought these feelings of not belonging. Only her grandma had ever been able to make her feel wanted, loved. Death would be easier. “I told someone. I don’t w
ant you to hurt her.”
“I already know you told someone, Scarlett.”
“You’re a killer. Contracted and all of that. Kill me, put me in my apartment. You can make it look like an accident or something. I’ve got a history of depression.” She saw him frown. “Please, don’t hurt her.”
She saw his jaw clench. “You’re begging me to kill you?”
“Yes. Kill me, Bain. No one has to die because of me.”