Ricochet (Renegades #3)(55)
Author: Skye Jordan

“Sure it wasn’t because your PTSD was out of control?”

Rachel sucked a breath and held it.

Nathan took another menacing step forward, but Josh sidestepped and kept his hands ready in a way that reminded Rachel of Keaton, the Renegades’ martial arts expert.

“What happened to you out there, man?” Josh asked, his tone more disrespectful than compassionate. “Had to be hella bad to get your CO to fly your sorry ass back to the States from halfway around the world.”

“Either you fire me or you shut your fucking mouth,” Nathan warned, fists clenching, body tilted forward, ready for a fight. “And if you say anything to anyone, you will see a slander lawsuit that will strip you of your fancy posh life. A life my work overseas helps make possible.”

“Don’t give me that patriotic bullshit,” Josh bit back. “If you cost a life here, you’re no good to us anywhere—in the US or Afghanistan or Iraq or fucking Timbuktu. And that is my business. If you don’t tell me, someone else will.”

Josh turned and walked back toward the dining room.

Nathan stood there a long minute, unmoving. Rachel ached to go to him, to wrap her arms around him and explain that Josh really was looking out for Renegades and the staff and the actors. But he wouldn’t understand. And his pride would surely be crushed if he knew she’d witnessed the argument.

Finally, Nathan raked both hands through his hair, then jerking his fists down to his sides with a sound of supreme anger as he turned toward his room. But his gaze paused on Rachel’s cabin. Could he see her? Fuck, he’d be so pissed…

But he only continued to turn and stalked to his own room, flipping on the light and slamming the door so hard Rachel jumped.

Her heart beat hard; her breaths came fast. She’d promised herself that if he’d returned to his room alone, she’d make the jump. She’d throw caution to the wind and go to him. Offer herself. Because she wasn’t even sure how to seduce a man anymore. Now she wondered if she ever had.

But…he was so angry…

And, hell, what if he slammed the door in her face…

“Then I could say I tried,” she murmured, the answer surprising her own ears.

Before she could change her mind, she slipped off her panties, pushed into her boots, and walked out of her cabin.

The night wrapped around her, dark, quiet, and chilly. The cool air on her sex was exhilarating yet uncomfortable in its unfamiliarity, and by the time she’d reached his door, she had twenty reasons not to knock and just as many butterflies banging against her ribs.

Rachel licked her lips, shifted on her feet, rubbing her thighs together to ease the tingle between her legs, to ease the ache higher, and tried to formulate some stupid cover in case something in his face clearly told her he didn’t want her there.

But she could have stood there all night before she thought up anything decent, so she raised her hand and knocked twice, then stepped away and clasped her arms behind her back. She heard nothing for a few long moments and gazed down at the cement porch, wondering if she should knock again. She rested one boot tip on the porch and scraped her lower lip between her teeth, glancing over her shoulder.

The door swung open so forcefully, she gasped and turned, dropping her arms. “Oh…”

His scowl instantly turned to confusion. “Rach—” Then he looked behind her, took a step toward the door, rested a hand on the frame, and glanced down the dirt walkway.

“Josh isn’t with me, if that’s who you’re looking for.”

His shoulders relaxed, and he eased into that sexy stance she loved. He was barefoot, his button-down untucked and undone down the front, showing three inches of bronzed bare chest, and the two black-rubber lined, sexy silver tags hanging there.

“Is…everything okay?” His voice was rough, his mouth tense, the skin around his eyes tight. He didn’t step away and invite her in. Didn’t even look excited to see her.

With bees buzzing in her belly, Rachel licked her lips and glanced through the opening between his body and the doorframe, where a simple full-size bed sat at the center of the room. Folded sheets were piled on the edge, the same as they had been in her own bedroom, since the housekeeping staff wouldn’t arrive until the following afternoon.

“Yes,” she said, her breath coming out in a rush. “I was about to ask you the same thing.” Since he wasn’t going to invite her in, she slipped through the narrow space, her back scraping the doorframe.

“Rachel,” he said, his voice low and filled with warning. “I’m not in a patient mood. Which means this isn’t the best place for you to be…looking like that…wearing those boots.”

Relief spurted in her chest, followed by hope. Those emotions gave her the moxie that had vanished three times over tonight. She strolled to his bed and picked up the sheets, then set them on the small dresser. Picking up the fitted bottom sheet, she shook it out.

“I’m just checking that you have everything you need,” she said.

She turned her back to him and bit her lip for courage before she lifted her arms overhead to shake the sheet loose and let it float to the mattress. Her dress cleared her naked ass cheeks as soon as her arms were shoulder high, and cool air swept over her bottom, her thighs, her sex. Then the hem of her dress slowly hid her body from view again as she lowered her arms when the sheet touched the mattress.

“Since the housekeeper doesn’t start until tomorrow morning,” she said, talking to keep her nerves under control, “I’ll just make this for you real quick.”

At one corner, she bent enough for her dress to lift over the curve of her cheeks as she secured the elastic band around the mattress. Nathan was so utterly silent, she darted a sidelong look as she moved to the upper corner of the bed.

His mouth was open, his gaze dark and dazed on her body, as if he’d been shocked stupid.

A little thrill of accomplishment, of power, gave Rachel the confidence to continue. She leaned farther over this corner, working to get the sheet over the mattress, and her dress rode higher. “I’m sure you’re tired.”

His deep exhalation made giddiness bounce in her throat. She had to just go for it. All or nothing.

She cast one quick look to make sure he was still watching before she lifted one knee to the mattress, then the other. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep my boots off the sheet.” She lowered to her palms and slowly started crawling across the mattress, her ass and her sex completely exposed. She had to close her eyes against the confusing sense of both excitement and shame, and thanked God she wasn’t looking at him or she’d never have been able to do it. “These last couple corners are always the hardest, you know?”