Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 64354 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 322(@200wpm)___ 257(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64354 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 322(@200wpm)___ 257(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
I kissed the top of his head and told him, “You were wonderful.”
“I doubt that.”
“You made me come in record time,” I pointed out. “That’s tangible proof of how well you did.”
Armando looked up at me and smiled. “Thanks for trying to make me feel better about being so clueless.”
He fell asleep soon after, and I rested my cheek against his hair as I thought back over the last twenty-four hours. We both knew this was brand new to him, but a lot of it had been new for me, too.
For as long as I could remember, I’d only allowed myself quick hookups with nameless strangers I met in bars. We’d fuck and go our separate ways. That was it. There was no real intimacy. We wouldn’t hold each other, or sleep in the same bed, or even share a meal.
I’d told myself it was all I could do, given my life of crime. It was too much of a risk to get involved with anyone, because they might discover how I made my living and go to the police.
But maybe I’d always been like this. I didn’t even know anymore.
And now, this sweet, beautiful man had stumbled into my life. Somehow, I was different around Armando. He’d put me at ease without even trying. Maybe that was because he’d been so vulnerable when we met. He’d needed me, and something in me responded. I’d been able to let my guard down, and the time we’d spent together had been wonderful.
I wanted more of this. More of us.
At the same time though, part of me thought it was a mistake to get too attached. Because even with all the precautions Dante and I were taking to hide me, I was still being hunted.
Maybe I was being paranoid. Logically, it seemed highly unlikely that anyone could find me, and I didn’t believe I was putting Armando in danger by being around him. I was getting a new identity, and I’d done everything I could to make myself disappear. There was no trail leading to me.
Even so, if he was determined to make me pay, a man like Ashcroft with his unlimited resources wouldn’t give up. I didn’t know how that situation would ever truly be resolved, not unless Dante actually found a way for us to push back. If that didn’t happen, there would always be this idea in the back of my mind that I might have to go on the run again.
And I had no idea where that left Armando and me.
6
Armando
A loud knock woke me the next morning. I sat up and blinked a few times as I tried to get my bearings.
Moments later, Tory stepped out of the bathroom, looking gorgeous and pulled together in a dress shirt and black pants. “Good morning, Armando,” he said. “That’s probably room service. I ordered us some breakfast.”
The clock on the nightstand told me it was nearly ten a.m. I tumbled out of bed and began gathering my clothes as I blurted, “I’m so sorry. I overslept.”
“It’s fine. We’re not in a hurry.”
“Okay. Do you mind if I take a quick shower?”
“Go right ahead. I asked the concierge to bring up a toothbrush and a couple of toiletries for you. They’re on the counter. If you need anything else, feel free to help yourself to my stuff.”
“Thanks for doing that,” I said, as I headed to the bathroom. “That was really thoughtful of you.”
After I rushed through my morning routine and got dressed, I slipped the toothbrush back into its plastic wrapper and stuck it in my back pocket. There was no point in letting it go to waste. Finally, I sprayed Tory’s cologne onto my wrist, pausing for a moment to enjoy its scent. It smelled crisp, clean, and expensive.
I put on my boots in the bedroom before joining him in the main part of the suite. Outside the wall of windows, the city was foggy and gray. My son had mentioned San Francisco’s “June Gloom.” Now I knew what he meant by that.
When I took a seat at the table, Tory filled my cup with coffee from a French press. I thanked him and asked, “What time is your flight back to L.A.?”
“They’re expecting me in about an hour and a half.”
“Your flight is expecting you?”
He looked embarrassed. “I know this is going to seem excessive, but my cousin Dante reserved a private jet for me. Or second cousin, technically. He’s one of the people I visited yesterday.”
“Really? He decided you needed something that luxurious for a ninety-minute flight?”
“I know it sounds totally over the top.” There had to be more to this story, because why would anyone randomly spend that kind of money? Then again, the things rich people did rarely made sense to me. Instead of trying to explain it, he said, “If you’re driving a rental car, maybe you can return it at the airport and fly with me, since you’re heading back to Southern California too. There’s going to be plenty of room on the plane.”