Page 20

“Just waiting for you, my queen.” I smile at her, pushing off from the wall I’ve been lounging against and uncrossing my arms.

She rolls her eyes at the title but if I’m not mistaken, her lips twitch ever so slightly. The thought of making her smile tugs at something in my belly and I can’t get it out of my head. I want to see her smile a full smile. I bet it’s stunning. Ineedto see it.

“I’m ready to leave,” she says.

“Then we shall leave.” I gesture for her to walk ahead of me, which she does. “Will you be needing me this evening?” I ask, following her to the exit.

“Why?” She is checking her phone as we reach the door that takes us to the parking lot.

Her bluntness and not answering my question irks me. “I have plans,” I say.

“Hot date?” She’s still staring at her phone, her heels clicking as we make our way to the shiny black sports car that isn’t the vehicle we arrived in this morning.

“Jealous,rainha?” I reach for the handle before she can get to it and open the door for her. Just like earlier, we end up nearly nose to nose and her jaw clenches.

“Of what?” she grinds out, seemingly not having heard what I called her. I don’t know why I called her that in my native tongue, but it fits.

“Of my hot date, of course.”

“Absolutely not.” She purses her lips. “Do you have to be so close?” Her eyes dip to where my chest is only an inch or two away from her breasts and I follow her gaze with a smirk.

“I’m meant to open your door for you, so I think you’ll find you’re the one standing so close to me.”

“I don’t need you to open my doors,” she snaps.

I tilt my head and narrow my eyes at her. “Does Stuart open doors for you?”

Her jaw chews around her frustration for a moment before she exhales sharply from her nose and answers. “Stuart has been working for me for a considerable amount of time.”

“So, he’s earnt therightto open door for you?” I ask in slightly exaggerated confusion.

“No, he—”

“You don’ttrustme to open doors for you?” I interrupt.

Her eyes widen, a flare of anger turning her pupils from aquamarine to a deep ocean blue. Moving half an inch forward, her face is level with mine and too close for comfort. “I don’t trust you with anything,detective.”

My own anger bubbles in my chest, I keep her eye contact and don’t back away as I ask her, “Then why did you hire me,rainha?”

“Because you obviously applied for the job for a reason, cop, and I want to keep you close. The closer you are, the better I can find out what you’re up to and destroy you for it.”

The curl of disgust in her lip and the blaze in her eyes has my skin rippling in goosebumps and not from fear. My mouth is dry, and my jeans are getting tighter around my groin. What can I say, strong feisty women with violent tendencies turn me on. I like to break them, have them begging on their knees, helpless and submissive. An image of Annika kneeling at my feet with tears streaking her makeup and her tits covered in blood like they still are from mutilating her enemies…it’s doing things to me.

“I’m here because I needed a job,rainha. I needed someone who will let me release my…urges. I needed you. I think you might need me too.”

She scoffs but her eyes dart to my lips as I run my tongue over them. I watch her throat work on a swallow and on instinct my face bows forward as if to kiss her before I realise what I’m doing and pull away at the last second. Her eyes are wide as she watches me retreat. Quickly looking away, she straightens her already straight jacket and slides into the car.

I shut the door and walk slowly round to the driver’s side to give myself enough time to slow down my racing heart.

8

ANNIKA

You don’ttrustme to open doors for you?No. I don’t trust this stupid fluttering feeling I get in my lower abdomen every time I can smell your citrussy soap. Obviously, I didn’t say that. Because honestly what even is this feeling? I’ve never felt it before. Well, that’s not exactly true. When I was a teenager, there was a guy who worked for my father who was younger than most of the staff I saw around the house but still at least ten years older than me. I was just a girl. A child. But he gave me belly flutters. Belly flutters that I didn’t understand then either. But one day my father caught me watching him as he worked out in the gym, and he sent me to my room. I never saw the guy again.

I am not attracted to detective Campos. That’s impossible. He is my enemy; one I’m keeping close for political reasons. One I will not be letting closer than is necessary. So, if it’s not attraction, whatisit? Loathing? Must be.

Javier drives me home silently. His lime scent filling the car and his biceps tense as he holds the steering wheel. I don’t think he shaved this morning as his stubble is thicker than yesterday and looks good over his jaw.No, stop that.