Page 63 of Wicked Heat

My mouth is dry. “Why not?”

“Anticipation,” he whispers, then taps a kiss to my lips. It’s close-mouthed and quick, like the perfunctory kiss of a relative. Yet in that moment it seems like the most erotic touch I’ve ever experienced.

“Are we clear?”

I nod.

“Good. Then it’s time to go.”

“Go? Wait, what? Go where?”

“Austin.”

I stand up straighter, my sappy, dreamy demeanor hardening with confusion. “As in Texas? We’re going to Texas? Why?”

“My office is there. And my accountant. We’ll make a stop in Vegas. I have a meeting there tonight. We’ll head to Texas after that, and then we’ll have all day Thursday, so you don’t have to panic. You’ll have the money by your Friday deadline at the latest.”

I gape at him. “Tonight. You have a meeting tonight?”

“Vegas doesn’t sleep.”

“So we’re flying?”

“I build engines and race cars,” he says, turning and heading back into the bedroom as I follow. “What do you think?”

The very idea boggles the mind. “We’re driving… to Texas?”

“To Vegas. We’ll decide about the rest of the trip once we’re there.” He heads into the bathroom and returns with a shaving kit, which he hands to me. “Toss that in the bag for me while I grab a few other things.”

“Oh, sure. No problem. Sex slave and servant girl. Happy to oblige.”

He ignores my snark and heads back into the bathroom. I take the kit to the bed and plunk it in the duffel. As I do, a pair of rolled up jeans shifts, revealing a glossy red that looks strangely familiar. I push the jeans aside, then suck in air.

My book.

It’s Reveries at Dawn. Right there in Ash’s bag. And from what I can tell by the bookmark, he’s at least three-quarters of the way through.

I push the jeans back and make sure the shaving kit is covered. I’m not sure why I don’t want him to realize that I know he’s reading my story. Maybe I’m afraid he’s ultimately not going to like it.

Except that’s not it at all. In fact, it’s the exact opposite. It feels like a bond between us, all the more potent because Maggie was right about one thing: the sexy anti-hero who Bethany falls for? Yeah, he was totally modeled after Ash.

“Ready?”

I leap backwards. “You scared me!”

“Yes, this is a terrifying home, full of unexpected dangers.”

I cross my arms and look him up and down. “You already made that perfectly clear.”

To his credit, he laughs. “You make a good point, Ms. Bernstein.”

I roll my eyes. “And to answer your question, no. I’m not even close to ready, considering I didn’t know I’d be traveling to freaking Vegas today. We need to go to my house so I can pack, and I’ll need my laptop, and I want to make sure Aria will be around when the workmen show up tomorrow, and⁠—

“Are you on any meds?”

I blink at the non-sequitur. “No.”

“Got your phone?”