Page 119

I can’t believe I was hired as a hitman and didn’t even know it.

Except I can. It’s just another item in a long line of bad luck.

“Fuck!”

The shout echoes around me and it’s only a single second later that the door slams open.

“Are you o—” Reuben chokes out as he catches my naked form.

“What have you never seen a naked woman before?” I gripe, turning my wrath on him.

He is the one who hired me.

Who got my hopes up that I was succeeding in my small business.

“I—” His cheeks tinge pink as he spins away. “I have it’s just…it’s been awhile.” He admits sheepishly. “I am a notorious bad luck charm for anyone who lands in my life.”

My heart warms, and my anger dissipates into the air. “So am I.”

“Here.” He offers clothes without turning around.

Grabbing them, I slink the shirt over my head. Enjoying the smell and texture. The pants I attempt but they are way too long and I am forced to bunch them up. “Fully dressed now.”

He slowly twists to face me. “You’re bad luck?”

“The worst.” I exhale heavily, pushing all my previous anxiety out too. “My aunt says it’s just the universe protecting me from the bad.”

He angles his head down, his turmeric hair falling forward as his eyes widen in surprise. “I never thought about it like that.”

“I mea—” I shrug cutting myself off. “It’s never me who gets hurt…it’s always someone else. But I can’t help but to blame myself.”

“It was my fault my wife died.” He admits.

There’s an added dose of emotion to his confession that causes me to want to reciprocate.

“I’m the reason my boyfriend died.” I volley back.

He is now the third person who knows.

His lips twitch, and his large vascular hand raises to my face, cupping it, his thumb settles on my lips. “When I’m around you it feels like I’m in a vacuum. Like nothing can touch me.”

I lean into him further. “It’s been lonely.” My lips move against his thumb and he swipes harshly against it.

The rough callouses cause tendrils of desire to wrap up in my belly.

But my mind flashes to Kale and Orzo. To the two lights I have found at the end of a long and treacherous cave.

“It has.” He agrees, his eyes hooding in lust.

Stealing my entire attention.

The air is charged. It’s thick and syrupy. Sweet and sticky.

My tongue lashes out, licking along his thumb.

He hisses jumping back. It takes a few beats for him to regain his composure. “I never loved my wife. It was arranged and only two weeks after, she died.” The words spill between us. An unfordable river. “I promised myself I would never fall in love. I owed her that much.”

There is an odd fragility in his voice that causes me to reach up on my tiptoes for him. For me to cup his face. It’s scratchy against my palm. A beard attempting to take home where I had not seen before.