Page 39 of Shattered Veil
If this were any other situation, I would shove an unwanted assistant at Shane so fast...
But not Ella.
“Unless you want a career in cyber security, you—” I stop talking when she waves me off.
She wants to teach.
“Shane Quinlan, this is Ella Snow.” I make the introductions. “I’ll meet you in your office in a minute, Shane.”
She fidgets when I say her name but smiles at Shane.
“Quinlan? Are you Trace’s brother?” she asks.
“Cousin. And it’s nice to meet you,” Shane says to Ella and leaves, flashing me a knowing smirk.
“Can you do me a favor, butterfly?” I grab my gym bag from the chair near my desk.
Her cheeks swell at me calling her that. “Depends on the favor.”
“We’re in agreement that what happened between us, every piece of it, the plane ride, the hours we spent in the hotel room, and how much I paid you stays between us.” I hate that I sound like some pervert coach, harassing his progeny.
“And the shower,” she whispers, her eyes trailing over me again.
That shower sex was the best of my life. “Definitely the shower. Everything.”
“Of course.” She exhales.
“Good, who you fuck is your business.”
“Exactly.” Pain in her eyes floods my veins with rage.
Why hadn’t her father done anything about her abuse?
Watching her with her father, I see Ella controls her own life. But she smartly heeds warnings about her safety.
I love sex and I wanted you...
“How are you doing?” I ask her, moving a tendril of dark auburn hair from her face.
“I’m good. Still adjusting to the gravitational pull of the earth from this hemisphere.”
My eyes go wide. “You feel that too? The difference? I thought I was crazy!”
“I can’t say if you’re crazy. Leaving me in a hotel room—”
“I’m sorry,” I say with my eyes on the floor.
I don’t explain why I left though, and she doesn’t ask because she accepts that I blew off a hooker.
Damn... That’s cold.
“And what will be my duties, Mr. O’Rourke?”
“You can call me Balor around here. Everyone does.” Knowing I probably stink, I say, “I need to take a shower.”
Her jaw tightens. “My duties wouldn’t have anything to do with that, would they?”
Testing boundaries, I approach her. “Depends.”