Page 71 of Red King
This is it. My heart races. My mind, too. What if I’m making a mistake?
I take a deep breath and look through the blinds, and sure enough, there he is. His face is illuminated by the moonlight. I pull open the blinds and open the window, slowly revealing the silhouette of a man waiting outside. It’s dark out, so I can just make out his features as he looks up at me with those piercing blue eyes.
“Can I come in?” he asks in a low voice.
“Sorry,” I whisper. “Yes, of course.”
I move away, and Arctic climbs through. He gives a signal to someone outside, closes the window, and I lower the blind.
He’s here.
This is it!
Arctic is dressed in black jeans and a long-sleeve hoodie, which he pulls off his head. His hair is still perfect underneath.
I’ve only ever seen him in a suit and tie. This is an interesting change. He’s just as sexy. I think this man could wear a paper bag and still look good.
“The window…really? You weren’t lying when you said we needed to be discreet.” I never expected him to climb through my window.
“You will lose your job if we are caught,” he says. “You need to be very clear on that particular fact. It doesn’t matter how discreet we are; we might still get caught.”
“I’ll get fired. What about you?” I ask. “Will it be a smack on the wrist?”
“I would probably lose my place in the Tribute program.”
“Does that upset you?”
He shakes his head. “It’s worth the risk to me. More Tributes will be sent next year. This program already has the makings of a success. I’d be okay.” He gets a look of concern. “If we are caught and you are sent back to the Mainland, I will make sure that your contract is paid out in full. It’s important that you know there would be no financial risk to you.”
“That’s nice of you.” I fold my arms across my chest.
His mouth twitches. “You had a few conditions for this arrangement.”
“I’m not sure that this—”
Arctic pulls his top over his head. “It’s hot in here,” he mutters.
He’s wearing a white T-shirt beneath the garment. It looks so good on him that I instantly forget what I was saying.
Then he steps into my space, looking down at me. My brain cells literally fall over dead one at a time, like racing dominoes. My mouth falls open, so I close it again.
Suddenly, I can’t remember why this is a bad idea. I can’t remember a single condition, either.
I lick my lips.
“Let me have it, Paisley. What are your conditions?”
I look away to clear my head. “I don’t think I should report to you if I’m sleeping with you.” I lock eyes with him.
“If you’re reporting to me, there’s a good reason for us to see each other regularly, therefore it makes sense to keep things as they are.”
“So that we can have sex during working hours, you mean?” That’s a terrible idea.
“Yes, that’s exactly what I mean. I won’t use my position to control you in any way. This is all up to you. You’re the one in the driver’s seat.”
“Okay, fine. I can see how you staying my boss could help us sneak around. Once we’re done, you will need to change my reporting structure. I wouldn’t be comfortable reporting to you anymore.”
“Agreed. What else?”
