Page 17 of Catching Trouble

Something about the slide of our skin together? The way he kept his eyes on my face the whole time, his breath hastening just enough for me to notice. And then, when our gazes met, he leaned closer, subtly, but definitely closer. I’d completely lost myself in the pull of his body… his heat.

What if I’d reached out and kissed him?

My heart skipped at the thought. Holy freakin’ hell! He was my boss. An absolute no-go in every sense. And not my biggest fan, either.

After the day we had, I wouldn’t be surprised if he fired me.

I pressed my hands to my face. What a mess. Accusing him of being a bored playboy? I wasn’t normally that rash. Perhaps it was the sneer on his lips when he’d examined his fishing net that drove me? Maybe it was his scowl whenever he spoke?

He seemed so closed off. It was as if I wanted to get a response from him. A rise.Anything.

I sighed, putting down my hairbrush. I tickled the little black kitten again. “Make the most of the bed, buddy. I’m not sure how much longer I’ll be here.”

At that moment, my phone rang, making the two of us jump. It was Iris. I’d tried calling her four times already, but the reception here was terrible. Probably something to do with the thick rock of the cliff.

“Hello?” I whispered, half expecting the line to cut out.

“Finally!” she said.

I smiled.It’d only been a few hours, but damn, it was good to hear her voice again.“I know, right? The reception here is appalling. Did you get any of my messages?”

She chuckled. “The first two were garbled. The third sounded more like morse code than words, and the last one, mostly static. Luc said the signal has always been bad. Something to do with the cliff.”

“Iknewit!” The uptick in my voice startled the kitten. He admonished me with a meow.

“What was that?”

“Nothing,” I lied. “Just a window shutter squeaking in the breeze.”

I hated fibbing to my bestie, but I didn’t want her to know I had an undeclared cat in my room. A contraband kitten. If Maxime found out, I bet he’d insist I leave him out in the cold to starve. Although I wasn’t sure it got cold this time of year, I didn’t like the idea of the little guy being left to the whims of nature.

“Okay, but now I’ve got hold of you, don’t move. I don’t want to lose you. You know, you should scout out the house and garden. There has to be a spot with good reception.”

I scoffed. I could just see Maxime now—scowl carved deep—if he caught me crawling around the garden, phone in the air, hunting for a signal.

“You still there?” she asked.

“Yes, I’m here. I’ll look into it.”

With a sigh, I lay back on my pillow watching the curtains at the window moving slowly in the breeze.

“So, tell me, how are things in paradise?” she asked.

My belly rolled, and I swallowed. Was I ready to tell Iris everything? Hot hand washing and all?

I opened my mouth to speak, but somebody else got in first. “Wait for me. I want to hear it all.”

The voice was quieter, but easily recognisable.

“Esmé?” I asked. “Is that you?” I hadn’t spoken to her since her Rome gallery opening.

“It is,” said Iris. “Es has taken a break from conquering theart world and come to visit. You’re on speaker, so keep it clean, please.”

I chuckled, and my heart glowed. The three of us had formed such a bond over the last eighteen months. Like the Power Puff Girls, these women always had my back.

“Okay, hang on,” said Esmé.

The unmistakable sound of liquid being poured filtered through the phone. “Is that wine?”