Black and Blue (Otherworld Assassin #2)(34)
Author: Gena Showalter

He was allowed to show skin. So unfair.

She wanted to lean into him as she settled beside him. Thankfully, she had a big bowl of popcorn clutched tightly to her middle, preventing her from making a fool of herself.

She forced herself to concentrate. On the screen, Timothy Mercer, the man who’d tried to burn Blue alive, wandered throughout the Lucky Horn, shaking hands with a few of the patrons, leering at the girls as they paraded past him, and even slapping a few on the ass.

“Pig,” she said, tossing a handful of popcorn at the screen.

“Good to know I’m not the only one,” Blue muttered.

She stiffened as she read between the lines. He claimed he forgave her, but clearly he hadn’t yet forgotten. “You’re not a pig. I was wrong to call you one, and I’m sorry.”

No response.

Fine. Back to the video, before she became a needy bag of pleas. Please tell me you’ve truly forgiven me. Please don’t be mad at me. Please like me.

After hours and hours of watching Mr. Mercer repeat the same routine, she began to feel as though she were on a merry-go-round.

Finally Blue pressed Pause, the image freezing. He scrubbed a hand down his face. “We’re friends, right?”

Yes. No. Maybe. After what had happened in her kitchen . . . “Right.”

“Can I tell you something without getting a lecture about my whoring ways?”

He’d slept with Pagan after all, and that’s why he hadn’t wanted to go all the way with Evie. “What did you do?”

His eyes narrowed. “It’s not what I did, it’s what I feel.”

Oh.

Her guilt became the white elephant in the room. She had to stop thinking the worst about him. He wasn’t a bad guy. He was actually a great guy. And bottom line? She had absolutely no room to judge. It was just easier to acknowledge his faults and ignore her own.

“Tonight was hard,” he said.

A pang cut through her chest. “With me?”

He threw a pillow at her. “No, smarty. I hurt Pagan pretty bad.”

Finally she understood. The breakup. She released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. “You feel bad.”

“Yeah.”

“Even though you did the right thing?”

His gaze was stark. “Yeah. Even though. She cried.”

A serial bang-and-bailer wouldn’t care. He was so much more than Evie had ever given him credit for, wasn’t he. “Do you love her?” she asked, tensing.

“No.”

“Then you gave her a small hurt now to prevent a big hurt later on. Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind, Mr. Blue. I think I told you something along those lines at our first meeting.”

Their eyes locked, neither of them willing to look away. The air thickened with awareness, always that awareness, and waves of his power brushed against her skin. Why? Why was this happening? She’d climaxed once tonight. She shouldn’t be gearing up for another.

Blue jolted to his feet and backed away from her, toward the exit. “I’m tired. I’m going to bed. We’ll figure out a plan of action in the morning.” With that, he turned and stomped from the room.

Thirteen

MORNING SUNLIGHT WASHED THROUGH the bedroom, splashed on the bed . . . on Evie, who was sprawled across the entire mattress. And she’d once accused him of being a bed hog, Blue thought with a wry smile.

He peered down at her, his entire body buzzing with energy—and need.

It wasn’t going away.

Surrounded by wisps of white lace hanging from the posts of the bed, and the pale blue fabric of the comforter, she was Snow White after she’d eaten the apple. Or maybe Sleeping Beauty waiting for her prince . . . and a kiss. I’ve had my hands in her hair. I’ve had my face pressed against hers. I’ve moved my lips against hers.

I almost had that pale, soft skin completely bared . . .

He fisted his hands to stop himself from reaching for her.

Last night, shortly after leaving her in the living room, he almost said to hell with it and jumped her. The heat of his desire practically scorched his soul. But first he wanted her to want him with the same ferocity he wanted her. Because if he took her, he would disappoint a very good man; a man he loved. He could even lose his job.

That was a lot to deal with, just for a casual affair.

Too much, really. And he wasn’t going to do it, he decided.

Things with Evie had to be platonic from now on.

For the best.

Blue gave her a gentle shake. “I need you to wake up now, dewberry.” Unable to sleep, he’d spent the entire night listening to the audio feed from Star’s house. Finally, a few minutes ago, he’d heard something worthwhile.

She blinked open her eyes, her irises a deep, rich brown with striations of gold. He’d never noticed the gold before.

He really liked the gold.

Great start there, Platono.

“Blue?” She batted his arm away and grumbled, “What the flip are you doing in my room? And did you just call me ‘dewberry’? Because I am fully prepared to castrate you with a dull spoon.”

He grinned. “Get up and get dressed. We have a lead, and I know you want to tag along.”

“A lead? What lead?”

“Star’s guards have information about someone matching Solo’s description. Apparently, he was spotted at an abandoned warehouse in No Man’s Land, and they plan to gather the troops and go in guns blazing at dark, since they don’t have the stones to face him in broad daylight. That means we can beat them there.”

Blinking, she jolted upright. Dark locks tumbled down her shoulders and arms, and he had to force himself to back away from her before he did something stupid.

He strode to her dresser and pawed through the drawers, throwing a pink T-shirt in her direction, followed by a pair of socks, a bra, pink, like the top, and lace—nice—and a pair of pink panties. Lace as well. Really nice.

His stomach clenched as his craving for her intensified.

You respect Michael. You want to keep your job.

How many times would he have to remind himself?

She caught every item.

“I know you like to go commando some of the time, but today you’re going to be a good girl and wear proper undergarments.” He’d never be able to concentrate otherwise.

“Fine.”

He strode to her closet and selected a pair of jeans. “How soon can you be ready to leave?”

“Five minutes. And that’s not girl code for an hour.” She padded to the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. A second later he heard the whirl of the enzyme shower’s motor.