Page 27

That was going to be a hard act to keep up.

TEN

“You live here?”

I looked around the room, slowly sipping my water.

He’d carried me to a big black SUV sitting in the parking lot and opened the trunk, grabbing a bottle of water, before carrying me back to the room. When I saw the padlock on the outside of the door, I clenched my teeth together. Then he’d poured the water in the glass I’d kicked out of his hand earlier.

But before we got back to the room, I noticed the fact that there wasn’t another soul around. There were two cars in the parking lot, and when I tried to see where the exit of the lot was, there was nothing but excessive plant growth on either side.

The place was completely abandoned and set in the middle of nowhere.

“Yes, I live here. For now.”

“What does that mean, for now? Are you squatting or something?”

Pretty boy had his elbows on the table and was taking slow bites of a sandwich that looked like it had turkey, lettuce, and tomato in it. He’d given me a sandwich earlier, and I’d scarfed it down in thirty seconds.

He swallowed. “You could call it that.”

“What would you call it?”

“I’d call it keeping the place warm while the owner is away.”

Humor lit his green eyes. They were almost cat-like, slightly tilted up at the corners and framed with long blond lashes that curled at the ends. His skin was flawless and he looked like he’d shaved ten minutes ago. He really had no business being so attractive, so put-together, when I was over here still smelling the stink of the moldy bed on me.

I leaned back in my chair and it creaked. “So who are Cade and Vincent?”

He finished the last bite of his sandwich, then, raising his eyes to mine, he slowly licked his thumb. The way he was looking at me was so intense that it stirred something low in my belly, and I shifted uncomfortably in my seat.

When he was done fucking with me, he tilted his head, a smile on his lips. “Cade is my brother. Vincent is a good friend.”

“You have a brother?” I asked. I wasn’t sure why that was so surprising, but it was. A small pang of envy flared that he had a sibling. Someone who’d always be there for him.

“Yeah. You’ll meet him soon⁠—”

“What’s your name?” I seemed to know everyone’s name but his.

There was a flicker of surprise in his eyes, and then he smiled, looking insanely pleased. “Court.”

I regretted asking him. I didn’t want to please this bastard.

He set his elbows on the table and leaned forward. “What’s your name? Or should I just keep pissing you off by calling you Margot?”

He pissed me off no matter what he was doing. Why the hell had I agreed to help him? How did I possibly think I could act reasonably around him?

“I like pissing you off. You look so damn cute when you’re angry, Margot.”

My blood boiled at his words, proving him right.

I picked up my empty water glass before my brain had time to think about what my body was doing. I hauled my arm back and threw it right at his big, pretty head.

He leaned to the side, easily dodging it. The cup hit the wall and shattered in an explosion of glass.

The look he gave me was lazy displeasure, something that promised sinful retribution, and it snaked through my bones. Heated my already boiling blood to lethal levels.

He stood up, his chair hitting the wall with a loud thump, setting my vibrating nerves on fire as he rounded the table. I scooted my chair back and jumped to my feet.