Page 57 of The Scarab's Game
“Brie’s team is looking for the auction catalog so we can confirm details.”
“Dark web?”
“She expects so.”
“I’ll have to talk to—” The bathroom door opened, and I shifted the conversation sharply. “Benedict with ham, coffee, and some?—”
Jenn walked in, wearing the robe like last night. Eyes down but darting up. “Yogurt and fruit?”
I put up a finger and nodded, pretending to finish my conversation. “Tea, yogurt, and fruit. How long?”
“Mais oui, but of course, monsieur.” Rav let out a chuckle. “I’ll call the order in for you. Mine was twenty minutes, so you can give her that estimate. And don’t forget to text me before she leaves.”
“Twenty minutes, perfect. Thank you.” I hung up and dropped the phone onto the bedside table.
Jenn glanced at the table, then back at me. “Why’d you call on your cell phone? The hotel phone’s easier.”
“I was too comfy to move.” I shrugged. “And it was all the way over on your side of the bed.”
She crossed the room, heading for her suitcase. “But you went to the other bedroom to grab your phone? You didn’t bring it with you last night.”
Why did I come back to this bed when staying in my room would have been wiser?
“And if you’d left to get it in the middle of the night, I would have woken up.” She opened the suitcase with her back turned slightly to me. She pulled out something black and tiny, stuffing it into an oversized pocket of her robe. Panties. Had she worn any under her sleep shorts? Had she soaked through those, too?
My dick twitched again, like the stubborn appendage it was.
“I’m stealthy like that.” I folded my arm behind my head and propped against the headboard, letting the sheet slip to my waist. Why was I still in her room? Old habits?
Ego?
Honestly? I wanted to see the hunger in her eyes by the light of day.
Fuck, who was I tempting more?
“Are you walking me over this morning?”
“I am.”
“And hovering all day while I work?” She turned so I could see her profile, but she didn’t look at me. Was she embarrassed about last night? Or this morning?
“Can’t imagine Dante would appreciate that.”
“Yeah.” She took in a slow breath. “About last night…”
I let my arm drop and sat up straighter. The gun. My dreams were so bad I could have killed her. I shouldn’t have been replaying how much I’d wanted her last night. I should have focused on how much of a danger I was. “Again, I’m sorry. I never wanted to scare you.”
“Not that.” She turned a little more, fidgeting with a black lace bra. “I think you’ve got Dante wrong. He’s a good man. Generous, kind?—”
“Handsome and rich?”
Blue eyes snapped to mine, and her mouth gaped in shock.
I wasnotjealous, especially after having her in my lap last night.
“After what I… I said… did…” Her cheeks flamed red, even more obvious because she hadn’t put on any makeup yet. She turned back to the suitcase, wet hair falling to hide her cheeks.
Why was I being such an ass? “Fear makes people say and do things they wouldn’t normally do. I understand.”