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“You worked forhim?”
“Yes.” She closed her eyes and let out a long, slow breath. “I scheduled the loads and managed the books. All behind the scenes stuff. It was difficult, given how young I was, but Issa taught me alot.”
“Is that how you learned to shoot? Doesn’t seem like there’s much need for sharp shooting accountants thesedays.”
She giggled. Honest to God giggled, and it made him want to wrap her up and keep her somewhere safe, where he could hear her laugh anytime he wanted. While it was tempting, he realized that doing so would be like trying to wrap a cactus in bubblewrap.
“No,” she said on another giggle. “There isn’t, but…outside the fact that I’ve lived on the run the past year and a half…” A mischievous smile bloomed on her lips, lighting up her entire face. “I went through a self-destructive phase during my first few years with Issa. When his bodyguard caught me trying to steal his gun, Issa thought it was a good idea to show me exactly what I was asking for. He took me out on one of his boats and let me target shoot at some offshore floats. I was hooked from that first shot. He taught me everything I know about guns and shooting. He was very strict about making sure I knew how to defend myself. Not that I minded. I lovedit.”
“Did he teach you how to fight,too?”
She nodded. “Yes. Well, he hired instructors for some of the more traditional martial arts like Kalari and Judo, but he’s the one who taught me how to fightdirty.”
Grant let out a long whistle. “Kalari, huh? That’s impressive.” Hell. He would have to remember to hide the brooms and mops. “So you can fight just as good with a stick as you can with a gun.” She laughed again, and the sound went straight to his heart and spread to his groin. With his hand under the table, he reached down and adjusted his jeans, cursing his lack of underwear as his zipper cut into hisdick.
“No. If I’m going to use lethal force it’s easier to shoot someone. Besides, I didn’t stay with it long enough to master it. Choreographed routines were boring. Instead I took to the streets and honed my skills in the realworld.”
“You ran away?” Grant didn’t have a difficult time picturing her as a rebellious teenager, but he couldn’t see her running from the only person sheknew.
“No.” She shook her head, her mischievous smile relaxing into a sad sort of grin. “I was just…unfocused, and a bit…self-destructive. I got into a lot of fights in school. Issa eventually took me out and hired private tutors. I couldn’t fight at home, so I would sneak out at night or on the weekends and pick fights with the local kids. I uh…yeah.” She blew out a shaky breath, nervously tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “I gave Issa a hard time for a while. I had some things I had to figure out how to deal with. Issa understood and eventually helped me find better ways to find the answers. He helped me deal with a lot ofthings.”
“He meant a lot toyou.”
Grant watched as her thoughts turned inward. Unable to defend against the need to comfort her, he reached out and laid his hand, palm up, onto the bar. She hesitated, but eventually offered a sad smile and laced her fingers with his. “He was everything to me. When I woke up after the accident I was so confused.” She rested her other elbow on the edge of the bar and massaged her forehead. “You can’t imagine what it’s like waking up and you know your name, but you have no clue who youare.”
No, he couldn’t imagine. He thoughthewas having an identity crisis. Hell, she’d been just a kid. “How long were you in thehospital?”
“I don’t know. I woke up in a bedroom in Issa’s house.” His jaw tensed as another anonymous piece of the puzzle was pulled into view. If his gut was right, and she wasn’t a victim of some random car accident, they wouldn’t have wanted it reported. Not that the Indian authorities would have done much either way. They weren’t well known for prosecuting crimes againstwomen.
“Do you speakHindi?”
She shook her head. “I mean, I can get by now, but I didn’t then. Issa spoke English well enough.” She released his hand and reached for her glass, taking a long sip of water. “It’s strange. I speak English fluently, but I can’t remember learning it. I…sometimes…since Issa was killed I feel like I’m not really me, but I don’t know who I should be.” Grant was so focused on her expressions that he startled when she slammed the glass down onto thebar.
“I don’t want to talk about this anymore. We’re running out of time. I need to make that call to Jauhar and set up a newdrop.”
“You’re not making that call.” He watched as her eyes widened at first, then narrowed as that familiar fire swirled within the dark silver depths. He wasn’t surprised when she rocketed from her chair and braced her hands on the counter in front ofher.
“What do you mean? I’ve told youeverything!”
It took nearly every ounce of tested discipline to keep his lips from twitching into a grin. He didn’t know what it was, but seeing her like this made him want to reach out and claim the passion in her eyes; to claim her and fuck her with a ferocity that utterly unhinged him. The veins in his dick instantly filled to capacity and he had to stand up to relieve some of thepressure.
“You heard me. You aren’t making that call.” He scooped up the plates and glasses before turning to the sink, more in an effort to hide his expressions than to tidy up. He knew it was shitty of him to push her buttons, but he couldn’t helphimself.
“I don’t need yourpermission.”
Dishes clanged in the sink. Grant turned and leaned against the counter, his arms crossed over his chest. “No, you don’t. But you need myphone.”
“This is bullshit!” Thalia turned and stomped toward thehallway.
“If you’re planning to leave then you’ll also need my helicopter. Or did you forget that we’re in the middle of Safari country?” When she froze in place with her back to him, he moved to where she stood and leaned his shoulder against the wall in front of her. “Where’s the thumbdrive?”
“Fuck you,” she spat, her obvious outrage lacing her tone. Grant chuckled and pushed away from thewall.
“Been there, done that. Quite thoroughly, I believe.” She dodged his hand when he reached up to caress her face, setting off a few of his own fuses. He wouldn’t force her, but he wouldn’t allow her to outright deny him either. “Don’t push me away,fossa.”
He crowded behind her and slowly ran his fingertips along the backs of her thighs, lifting her skirt when he reached the full, tender globes of her ass. “Tell me.” He felt her shudder, but she didn’t pull away. The need to fill her nearly overwhelming, he watched over her shoulder as her chest heaved with each labored breath. Her arms folded beneath her breasts, pushing them up until they were nearly spilling out of the top of her little sundress. Drawn to them, his hands slid up and under the bodice of her dress, peeling her arms away as the soft, bare flesh of her breasts filled his hands with perfection. “Tell me,” he breathed into her ear, his tongue darting out to trace her delicatelobe.
Thalia couldn’t think. His hands were so hot against her skin. Her whole body ached for his touch, his mouth, his cock. She knew she had to stand her ground, but damn she couldn’t remember why. “I don’t…” A flash of erotic pain zinged through her pebbled nipples when he trapped and pinched them between his splayed fingers. The muscles in her neck collapsed and her head fell back against his shoulder. “I hate that you do this tome.”
