Page 25 of Control Freak

“From those assholes?”

I nodded jerkily. “Can they use my phone to track me? What if they show up here? What if they hurt you or your brothers? I have to leave. I think…I don’t know?—”

“Whoa, slow down,” Holden said. “Sit down and breathe, Shy.”

I dropped onto the foot of the bed, and Banshee left Holden to nuzzle up to me. She really was a sweet dog. I sank my hand into her fur and felt my rapid pulse slow almost immediately.

I met Holden’s gaze, the vivid blue of his irises like a beacon of light in the darkness. “I don’t want to bring trouble to you or your family.”

“I know,” Holden said seriously. “This isn’t a spy novel. I doubt they can track your phone.”

“Yeah.” I exhaled shakily. “You’re probably right. I’m being silly.”

“No. You’re reasonably worried about some criminals who are threatening you. To be safe, we can get you a new phone. They won’t be able to call and threaten you or track you. How does that sound?”

“Yeah. Good. I could do that.” I took a breath. “They, um, messaged me on the cam site too.”

“You didn’t answer them, did you?”

“No,” I said quickly. “I can block them. I’ve got a lot of control over who can talk to me.”

“Okay, good. Don’t communicate with them at all. It’ll only encourage them to keep harassing you.”

“I won’t.”

“I think it goes without saying that you shouldn’t tell any of your viewers where you are.”

I nodded. “Yeah. I don’t really tell my cam viewers much.”

“I knew the city you lived in,” Holden said. “I even knew which neighborhood and your favorite market where you shopped.”

“Yeah, but you were different. A real friend. I don’t get close to my other viewers that way.”

“Oh.” He cleared his throat. “Well, uh, good. You’re a real friend to me too, but I was never sure how you felt. If I was just another customer or?—”

“No. Not for a long time.” I winced. “I’m sorry I kept charging at all, but I was under a lot of pressure.”

“I know, Shy. I didn’t expect free services just because we were friends.”

“If I could have, I’d have happily given them to you,” I murmured.

My gaze dropped to his chest, roaming over his body with more interest now that I’d calmed a little. Aside from thescripted wordBelieveinked across his upper chest, he had some tattoos on his forearms. A large lotus flower blooming from what looked like a mud puddle on his right arm, surrounded by other types of flowers, some with sharp-looking thorns. On his left, fireflies glowed in a dark sky. On his inner wrist, an infinity loop with the wordsBroandCodewas legible.

But my greedy gaze was much more interested in the trail of dark hair leading into those boxer briefs.

Holden cleared his throat, and I jerked my gaze up. “Sorry, what?”

His lips quirked. “You’re making me feel kind of naked. Maybe I should get dressed, and then we can deal with your phone?”

I wasn’t shy by any means. I was a camboy, for fuck’s sake. But getting caught out drooling over Holden’s body, when we both knew our relationship couldn’t become physical, sent a wave of shame through me.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

“You didn’t, not really.” Holden shifted a little, and I noticed his cock was half-hard. Oh. Yeah. He did still have a very strong sex drive. “I’m just not used to anyone looking at me like that.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Really? Well, maybe you should walk around in your underwear more often, then.”

He laughed. “Or maybe not.”