Dangerous Exes (Page 30)

“Thanks.” It came out so guttural, so low, I almost winced.

Her smile was sad. “Anytime, Jessie.”

My name on her lips didn’t sound angry.

It sounded like it belonged there.

I rubbed my chest again and coughed. Maybe I was getting sick. Because this tightness refused to go away. I went into the bathroom and jumped in the shower. Perfect temperature.

I let the water pelt my skin until I was numb.

And then I turned it hotter.

I was probably pink from the water abuse, but I didn’t care. I felt a million times better as I stepped out of the shower and rubbed my body with the lush white towel.

“Listen,” I overheard Isla say in a calm voice. “I’m sure there’s no cause for concern. One of my colleagues, Abby, is great at hacking, and she’s gone into every single file on his computer and found nothing. Next week we’ll start the second phase, but for right now, we really have nothing to go on other than your feelings, Danica.”

Danica.

Danica.

Danica.

Why did that sound . . .

Oh shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.

Shame washed over me again until I almost went to the toilet and puked. What the hell had I been thinking? I hadn’t. I just wanted to destroy.

Isla ended the call and ran her hands through her hair just as I stepped out of the steam-filled bathroom. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah.” She frowned at her computer screen. “I just don’t have a good feeling about this client, there isn’t really any evidence that her husband’s cheating.”

“Drop her,” I said too quickly.

“You think?” She tilted her head. “I mean we’ve never had to do that before, but something’s not adding up.”

I shrugged. “I say go with your gut, and if your gut says she’s not being honest, you can terminate your contract.”

Isla chewed her lower lip. “You’re right. It does say in our contract that within the first thirty days either party can terminate and the client will get half their deposit back.”

“Deposit?” I asked curiously. “Just how much do you girls charge?”

Isla’s smile lit up. “Enough.”

“Isla . . .”

“Why don’t you take a look at the contract and let me know?”

I coughed again and rubbed my chest.

“Are you getting sick?”

“Men don’t get sick.”

She rolled her eyes. “That doesn’t surprise me.”

I rubbed my temples as a pulsing headache started to make itself known. “I’m probably just dehydrated.” I pointed to the computer. “You really don’t mind if I take a look?”

“All my other files are password protected, so have at it, big strong man who doesn’t get sick.”

I grinned at that and took her laptop as she stretched her arms overhead and motioned back to the bathroom. “My turn, you use up all the hot water?”

“On purpose.” I smiled over the computer.

“What purpose would that be?”

“To hear you scream,” I said with a smirk.

“Aw, how cute, is that because it’s the only way you can make me scream?”

My eyes narrowed. “You do like research, only one way to find out.”

And there they were again.

Nipples.

Two. Ripe for the plucking, begging to be sucked.

She swallowed slowly and made her way to the bathroom. My headache jumped about a billion times harder in my head, pounding everywhere. It was the stress. “Hey, Isla, do you have any Tylenol?”

“Purse!” she called.

“Thanks!” I set the laptop down and grabbed her white Louis Vuitton purse and started rummaging through it only to find a small plastic bag labeled Headache Tea.

Huh, tea did sound good.

I went over to the kitchen area and put on a kettle.

Chapter Thirty-Two

ISLA

I felt like a new woman after that shower. Not because of the heat or the privacy, but because the shower had been a few desperate minutes that I was able to put my armor on and ignore the way the towel looked like it was ready to fall from Jessie’s waist at any minute.

I stared at that damn towel more than I stared at his six-pack.

That’s really saying something.

Maybe because I knew what the towel was packing.

And it was magnificent.

Songs should be written about that man’s package.

I’d know every word.

And cheerfully sing it at the top of my lungs.

I regained my focus.

My control.

I thought of my notes.

I thought about my clients and my appointments for the week, including this weekend with Jessie and his ex.

Focus.

Regain control.

Make a plan.

I had a plan.

Stick to the plan, Isla.

I put on one of the hotel bathrobes and slipped on their fluffy white slippers, then opened the door to see Jessie in a low-slung pair of sweats with my laptop in his lap.

“You’re brilliant.” He said it without looking up. “Fucking brilliant.”

I was too stunned to speak. And for some unfortunate reason, my throat closed up so tight I was afraid I was going to burst into tears.

“The clauses you put in your contract, the way you run your business, there’s no way you guys could ever really be sued, it’s ironclad. If your contracts look like this . . .” He whistled. “God save anyone who tries to take you down.”

He finally looked up at me, his eyes soft.

Was it wrong to want to run into his arms and straddle his lap?

I went with a simple “Thank you. That means a lot.”

“I mean it,” he said seriously, his eyes locking on to mine.

The tension swirled, it danced between us, it made my heart beat a bit faster while my body pulsed with awareness.

“I know you do.”

He winked and lifted a mug to his lips. “This is really good, by the way.”

I frowned. “We have tea?”

“Oh sorry, I hope it’s okay, but I found this headache tea in your bag and thought it sounded better than Tylenol.”

My lungs seized. “O-oh, that’s . . . just fine!”

My smile was so fake it was painful. I walked over to my purse and nearly passed out when I noticed almost every single ounce of the tea gone. I picked up the bag but didn’t see a dosage.

“I, uh . . .” I swiped my phone from the charger. “I’m going to make a quick phone call, my aunt, she’s not . . . well.”

“Really?” He looked suspicious. “A few days ago she grabbed my ass.”

“Hah-hah, that’s Goo-Poh, always . . . grabbing things.”

A puzzled expression crossed his face as he drank more tea. Not good. I rushed into the bathroom, slammed the door, and dialed her number.

She answered on a yawn. “Isla? Is that you?”

“He drank the tea!” I hissed into the phone.

“Your blessing is coming!” She sounded freaking overjoyed.

“No!” I started sweating. “The blessing needs to stay . . . inside his body, Goo-Poh!”

Another yawn. “But if it is his time, why not be accepting of the gifts of our ancestors? Did you know that when your father—”

“Goo-Poh!”

“I was going to say he was born very strong from that tea, everyone says so.”

I rolled my eyes. Yes, I knew the stories. Strong as an ox. Blessed by the universe. Salt would not melt him. I’d heard it all. And yes, he was a tall man, but nothing like Jessie.