Gracie?”
“You’re killing me, Magdalena,” he said with an exaggerated shake of his head. “Only one of the best martial artists of all time.”
She actually giggled at his mock exacerbation. “You have a big family.”
“Yeah, big and loud, and growing by the years. Lilliana, my older sister, married four years ago and has two kids with another on the way. Then there’s Khani and Zeke Slaughter who my mom practically adopted when we were all kids.”
Law tilted his head to meet her gaze and again his virile beauty struck her silly. His eyes still glimmered from laughter and a relaxed smile curved his lips. “You know a little about me. Now it’s time for you to share a little more about you.”
His tone implied, Why don’t you tell me how you got yourself into this mess in the first place?
She shrugged, not knowing the correct response.
“Not going to cut it. Start at the beginning again. We need to see if we missed anything.”
Mags opened her mouth to protest, but a vibration against her hip stopped the words on her lips. She levered back, allowing him to retrieve the device, and awed at their closeness. It seemed so comfortable only seconds ago. But his hand grazed her hip and suddenly the currents shifted. The strength of its pull, his pull, flushed her body with heat that gathered in a pit of molten desire between her legs and frightened her to the edge of his lap.
When she teetered, his thick forearm steadied her. Some of the impact of his affect ebbed as his gaze left her to check the screen of his phone. A tiny fraction of the overwhelming urge to wrap her legs around his hips and never let go fell away, allowing her breaths to flow more evenly and her brain to shift out of fuck him gear.
“Hey, Poppy, I can’t really talk right now,” he answered.
She wondered if Poppy was another in his long list of siblings, or a cousin perhaps. Law’s furrowed brow told her he didn’t like what he heard from the other side of the phone.
“He’ll take care of it. He’s not a kid anymore. Trust him to do what’s right. I have to go.” After a pause he said, “I love you too, Mum.”
Law set the cell on the floor beside his leg and met Magdalena’s gaze. Her anger must have shown on her face loud and clear because he recoiled. A shrug came next. “What?” he asked incredulously. “I’m a little busy.”
“Not too busy to talk for five minutes,” she retorted.
His lower lip tucked into his mouth then he dragged it through his teeth, considering her. “You’re just trying to avoid my questions.”
“No,” she said in a whisper. “I’d give anything to talk to my mother just once more. You have yours. Don’t waste the time.”
“That’s a balls-hard blow, if I’ve ever taken one.” Law shook his head, but grabbed his phone.
Mags seized the opportunity for some space. “While you talk to your mum, I’d like to get cleaned up. If that’s all right?”
The point of his knuckle smoothed the skin just above her cut lip. “Sure. Towels are under the sink.”
When she stood and headed for the main room, his hand curled over her shoulder, and it took every bit of strength she had not to arch into his touch.
“I’ll fetch your bag,” he said.
His fingers remained, soaking through the thin fabric of her blouse for a moment longer then his sturdy boots thudded across the floor. Magdalena’s cheeks puffed as she billowed a huff. This was no time to fall into bed with a man. But old habits apparently lived long and died hard.
Law returned with the phone to his ear, nodding as he listened. His left lid closed over his wicked green eye in the signature wink that acted like a welder’s torch to her resolve. He turned away and Magdalena’s gaze zeroed in on his nape. She never found the area erotic. Until now. The curve of his skull sloped down and tapered slightly. Tan skin shown through the base of his prickly hair and four distinct grooves grew from his hairline. They defined
“You’re killing me, Magdalena,” he said with an exaggerated shake of his head. “Only one of the best martial artists of all time.”
She actually giggled at his mock exacerbation. “You have a big family.”
“Yeah, big and loud, and growing by the years. Lilliana, my older sister, married four years ago and has two kids with another on the way. Then there’s Khani and Zeke Slaughter who my mom practically adopted when we were all kids.”
Law tilted his head to meet her gaze and again his virile beauty struck her silly. His eyes still glimmered from laughter and a relaxed smile curved his lips. “You know a little about me. Now it’s time for you to share a little more about you.”
His tone implied, Why don’t you tell me how you got yourself into this mess in the first place?
She shrugged, not knowing the correct response.
“Not going to cut it. Start at the beginning again. We need to see if we missed anything.”
Mags opened her mouth to protest, but a vibration against her hip stopped the words on her lips. She levered back, allowing him to retrieve the device, and awed at their closeness. It seemed so comfortable only seconds ago. But his hand grazed her hip and suddenly the currents shifted. The strength of its pull, his pull, flushed her body with heat that gathered in a pit of molten desire between her legs and frightened her to the edge of his lap.
When she teetered, his thick forearm steadied her. Some of the impact of his affect ebbed as his gaze left her to check the screen of his phone. A tiny fraction of the overwhelming urge to wrap her legs around his hips and never let go fell away, allowing her breaths to flow more evenly and her brain to shift out of fuck him gear.
“Hey, Poppy, I can’t really talk right now,” he answered.
She wondered if Poppy was another in his long list of siblings, or a cousin perhaps. Law’s furrowed brow told her he didn’t like what he heard from the other side of the phone.
“He’ll take care of it. He’s not a kid anymore. Trust him to do what’s right. I have to go.” After a pause he said, “I love you too, Mum.”
Law set the cell on the floor beside his leg and met Magdalena’s gaze. Her anger must have shown on her face loud and clear because he recoiled. A shrug came next. “What?” he asked incredulously. “I’m a little busy.”
“Not too busy to talk for five minutes,” she retorted.
His lower lip tucked into his mouth then he dragged it through his teeth, considering her. “You’re just trying to avoid my questions.”
“No,” she said in a whisper. “I’d give anything to talk to my mother just once more. You have yours. Don’t waste the time.”
“That’s a balls-hard blow, if I’ve ever taken one.” Law shook his head, but grabbed his phone.
Mags seized the opportunity for some space. “While you talk to your mum, I’d like to get cleaned up. If that’s all right?”
The point of his knuckle smoothed the skin just above her cut lip. “Sure. Towels are under the sink.”
When she stood and headed for the main room, his hand curled over her shoulder, and it took every bit of strength she had not to arch into his touch.
“I’ll fetch your bag,” he said.
His fingers remained, soaking through the thin fabric of her blouse for a moment longer then his sturdy boots thudded across the floor. Magdalena’s cheeks puffed as she billowed a huff. This was no time to fall into bed with a man. But old habits apparently lived long and died hard.
Law returned with the phone to his ear, nodding as he listened. His left lid closed over his wicked green eye in the signature wink that acted like a welder’s torch to her resolve. He turned away and Magdalena’s gaze zeroed in on his nape. She never found the area erotic. Until now. The curve of his skull sloped down and tapered slightly. Tan skin shown through the base of his prickly hair and four distinct grooves grew from his hairline. They defined
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