AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Good-night, Liss,” he whispered.
When he pulled away, my lips parted at the noticeable lack of his presence. The phantom heat of his touch lingered on my skin. As he walked out, the room seemed achingly empty without his broad shoulders and heavy footsteps.
Automatically, I moved to the door and locked it, testing to make sure it was firmly secured. As a precaution, I grabbed a chair from the corner and wedged it under the door knob.
Considering how avidly Gideon had insisted I was his guest, I didn’t think he would try anything in the middle of the night. But it was better to play it safe than sorry.
Sliding my backpack off, I let it drop to the floor with a thud. My fingers strayed to my right boot, checking to see that the hilt of my knife was still there.
Too tired to shed my clothes, I sank onto the mattress with a sigh of relief.
Just a few minutes to close my eyes, I thought.
Then I would wait until Gideon was asleep. After that, I wouldn’t be his problem anymore.
***
A firm knock at the door made me jolt upright. I squinted as a steady stream of sunlight filtered through the window.
Damn it. I overslept.
“Liss?” Gideon called through the door. “I’ve made breakfast if you feel like eating something.”
I scrubbed at my face and ran my fingers hastily through my hair. My brain whirled as I recalibrated my plan. I was supposed to bail last night, but I’d clearly screwed that up.
What if I simply waltzed out of here and announced I was leaving? Gideon had no reason to stop me. I wasn’t a prisoner.
Although I couldn’t remember the last time I’d slept so deeply, uninterrupted. Growing up with a drug dealer for a brother meant I’d trained myself to be a light sleeper at an early age. I startled at every little thing that went bump in the night. I had nightmares that made me chug caffeine until I was a jittery wreck, wide-eyed and wired for days.
Except for last night. In Gideon’s house. On sheets that still smelled faintly of his cologne. That’s when I slept so well that I was practically dead to the world.
“I’ll be out in a minute,” I said.
After Gideon’s footsteps retreated, I wrestled with the urge to stay. My brother would be looking for me. The longer I remained in Buckeye Junction, the greater the chances that I would cross paths with him. And that would be one hell of an ugly experience.
On the other hand, I was good at laying low. I knew how to make myself small, invisible. I could disappear for a few days, stock up on some cash at the Blackjack clubhouse. And I could get one or two more nights of good sleep before I moved on. That seemed reasonable enough.
I pushed off the bed and made my way into the bathroom. I still wasn’t used to seeing the haunted person that stared back at me in the mirror. My eyes seemed to be too big for my face, my narrow chin even more pronounced after years fighting for every scrap of food I could hoard away.
My hand strayed to my hair, fiddling with the short strands. It used to be halfway down my back in thick chestnut waves. Until I got tired of my brother using it to yank me around. Then I took a pair of scissors to it and hacked it off. I still wasn’t used to the weird feeling of my bare neck with no ponytail swishing against it.
While I splashed water on my face and finger-combed my hair back, the scent of fresh, hot coffee wafted through the air to greet me. My stomach rumbled. I still had a meager package of beef jerky in my backpack, along with the bag of chips and brownies I’d saved from my meal yesterday. The thought of a full breakfast was too tempting to resist, though.
“One day,” I said to my reflection. “I’ll stay for just one day to put cash in my pocket. Then I’m out of here for good.”
I changed out of my sweater, opting for my favorite Guns ‘n’ Roses t-shirt with a long-sleeved shirt underneath to hide the bruises on my arm. If I was going to tend bar for money, I needed to make a good impression—clean and personable.
Emerging from the guest room, I headed for the kitchen. Gideon stood at the stove, scraping scrambled eggs onto two plates, with sausage and toast on the side. Two cups of steaming coffee already waited on the table. His vest was draped over a nearby chair. I admired the unimpeded view of his shoulders and the snug fit of his cream-colored Henley.
“Hungry?” Gideon ventured, bringing the plates to the table.
“Starving,” I replied.
In more ways than one.
Gideon had been very clear that sex wasn’t up for discussion. But maybe I wanted to change that. God knows my previous experiences sucked—few and far between though they were. So what if he was twice my age? He looked really fucking good in those tight black jeans and tattoos. Since I was leaving town tomorrow, it wouldn’t mean anything. No strings attached. Just the way I liked it.
I took a seat at the table and picked up my fork, digging into the fat, greasy sausages. The first juicy, spicy bite had me moaning like a whore in church. Gideon chuckled.
