Page 12 of Riding Dirty

I do a sweep of the bathrooms as well and am beyond surprised when I walk down the back hallway and see the person who must be her partner, Alex. He’s got his back to me and is scrubbing the floors vigorously.

Watching him for a moment, I lean against the wall of the hallway, crossing my arms over my chest as I take him in. He’s got his earbuds in and is rocking out to whatever the fuck he’s listening to, and for whatever reason, I find the scene funny.

Then, as if he can sense me watching him, his spine straightens and he turns around, his eyes shifting up to meet my own. They widen, then he tugs his earbuds out. His lips part in awe at the same time his eyes widen.

I could make him stand in front of me and sweat, but that isn’t my style when it’s someone I’m not trying to intimidate. And I’m not trying to intimidate him. Plus, I can tell what side his bread is buttered on at first glance, so he’s not a threat at all whatsoever when it comes to Elodie, which is all I really give a fuck about.

“Everything looks good. I’m Wrath,” I say, pushing off the wall and extending my hand.

He reaches out to take my hand, and we shake before our hands fall to our sides. “Alex. I’m Elodie’s cousin.”

Nice.

Cousin.

Even fucking better.

“You guys did a great job,” I state, and I watch as he presses his lips together. I don’t know what the fuck he’s thinking, but it’s clear he’s thinking about something. And then he speaks.

“Thanks. We really deserve more than you’re paying us, just saying. This place was disgusting.”

My lips twitch into a smirk. “You’re right,” I agree. “Don’t worry, I’ll get you taken care of.”

His eyes widen, and his lips press together in a thin line before he speaks. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

I could make him sweat a little, but decide against it. He looks horrified and almost as if he’s ready to turn around and run. Far the fuck away from me.

“Yes, you should have, because I thought the quote Elodie gave me was low,” I begin. “So I was planning on paying you guys more anyway. It’s cash. It doesn’t matter.”

He blinks a few times, then he makes a noise in the back of his throat. “Are you serious?” he asks.

“Double,” I state, then I walk past him and smile.

I fucking love surprising people, then walking away. It seriously makes my fucking day. I don’t know the psychology behind that, but I don’t care either. Pushing the thoughts out of my head, I focus on one thing and one thing only: getting to Elodie… and surprising her.

I head straight for the kitchen, for that woman I crave, the one who is off fucking limits.

CHAPTER

NINE

WRATH

When her round hazel eyes meet mine, I can’t help the way my body responds to her. My cock presses against the zipper of my jeans, and my heart races like a fucking teenager’s. This girl is dangerous to me in more ways than one.

I need to remind myself to stay away from her. It’s honestly for her own good. I’m not the kind of man who should ever get involved with a pretty young thing like her. I would ruin everything about her.

Even if that’s exactly what I crave… her ruination.

“This is too much,” she whispers as she looks down at the fistful of cash I just handed her.

It’s not. Honest to fuck, it’s probably not enough. I shrug a shoulder, my gaze never leaving hers. She is still staring at me, wide-eyed and slack-jawed. I have never wanted to fuck someone so badly in my life.

I try to remind myself that I can have half a dozen women who are just hanging out in the other room, but my body doesn’t give a fuck. It wants this one. Then I realize she’s waiting for me to say something, so I clear my throat in an effort to get my shit together before I speak.

“Your quote wasn’t enough, babe. I only agreed to it because I wasn’t sure how things would go, but now that I’ve seen your quality, you’re worth more than you quoted me.”

She blinks a few times, then clears her throat before she curls her fingers around the money. “Thank you,” she whispers, although it sounds as if she’s got something caught in her throat.