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“Mr. Musgrave, you have a lovely home.”
He smiles. “Thank you. Now tell me, Katherine, what is it you do with your time?”
I bite my lip and watch his eyes darken as I say huskily, “I’m a personal trainer. It’s how I met Sam here. He likes my vigorous workouts to bring him into shape.”
He almost pants out loud and I notice that Sam engages the other men in the group in conversation, leaving me on the edge with Preston. He moves closer and says huskily, “Then I may be interested, Katherine. I’ve been meaning to get in shape for a while now and may be able to put some business your way.”
I stare at him for a second and then nod coolly. “Yes, I think you may benefit from my personal attention. However, you must know that I’m a hard taskmaster and don’t go easy on my clients. My workout is a little extreme and not many men are up to it.”
He smiles. “Oh, I’m up to it, my dear. You can count on that. I don’t mind how hard you push me, the harder the better. Let’s just say my pain threshold is quite admirable.”
He hands me a card. “This is my personal cell number. Call me tomorrow and we can set something up. You will find me an eager student.”
As I take the card, his fingers brush against mine. He says huskily, “I will look forward to hearing from you.”
Luckily, we are interrupted by a man obviously intent on kissing his ass, so I take my chance and move away. Sam joins me almost immediately. “You ok?”
I nod and show him the card in my hand. “That was the easy part. I’m sure the next part is gonna be way harder.”
Sam looks worried. “Like I said, you don’t have to do anything you’re uncomfortable with.”
I smile. “It’s fine. This one will be a piece of cake.”
We don’t hang around long. The mission’s accomplished, so Sam calls for Baxter and we make our excuses.
On the ride back, I’m conscious something has shifted since we made the journey here. Sam is quiet and brooding about something, and I’m thinking hard about the job in hand.
By the time we return to the apartment, my mind’s buzzing with what the job will involve. One thing’s for sure, I’m not going to let my past interfere with my future.
Chapter 6
Sam
Tonight was harder than I thought. For some reason I thought it would be easy to help Katherine with the mission she has. That was before I met her. She has a hard edge; I saw that almost immediately. Then again, that doesn’t surprise me given that she’s lived with the Reapers for so long.
They train everyone to stand on their own two feet and look after themselves. However, Katherine has something in her eyes that betrays her training. When I told her of Preston’s preferences, she looked afraid and vulnerable, and it was the second she let her guard down that something shifted within me. It brought out the protector in me and pushing my desire to one side; I want to help her deal with the obviously difficult road ahead. I enjoyed her company and felt proud to have her by my side. I saw the envious looks of the other men and the jealous ones of the women. When she warned Patricia away, it felt good, like it was meant to be. I tried not to think about the picture she painted of us getting naked, but I’m a man after all and since then have thought of nothing else.
We draw up outside the apartment and walk to the elevator in silence. I need to distance myself from my feelings because they won’t help Katherine at all. She seems subdued and my heart goes out to her. The men she’s after are cold and ruthless. It will be a difficult task for her, and I’m not sure if she knows just what she’s taking on.
As soon as we reach the apartment, she looks over and raises her eyes. “So, what now?”
I look at her with surprise. “What do you mean?”
She laughs softly. “Tomorrow. What happens if he calls? Do I just agree to meet him and see how it goes or do you have some kind of master plan you want me to execute?”
I nod toward the kitchen.
“Let’s grab a coffee and I’ll fill you in.”
We head toward the kitchen and I try to ignore the desire that rages through me whenever she smirks my way. I’m like a kid looking for a first date with this woman. Normally I’m the one forcing an interest in my companions. With her, I’m looking for any shred of interest or signal that she feels the same, but so far nothing. She is polite and good company, but that’s all.
The feeling of rejection is making me want her even more. Maybe I should step up my game and find out what makes her tick?
I set about fixing us a coffee and she looks at me thoughtfully. “So, how long have you lived here?”
I shrug. “One year, maybe two. I’m not sure, really.”
She shakes her head. “I bet you show more interest when it concerns your business. I expect that gets your attention. Don’t you get lonely rattling around in here being waited in by two people who you hardly say two words to.”
