Page 46 of Pervade Montego Bay

“Where are you going?” I called up.

“None of your goddamn business.” He made it to the top and disappeared from view.

Uncertainty dripped from him as thick as the guilt. He blamed himself for Victoria’s death. I imagined something like that would haunt a man. James had seemingly lost his trust in life.

Maybe in order to save his own career he’d eventually end up sacrificing mine. Men had done far worse.

Heading up the stairs after him, I followed Ballad into the bedroom and then continued on toward the sound of a shower.

Great.

Ballad was wearing nothing but his fury. He’d stripped out of his clothes and was ready to walk into the spacious shower stall.

“Maybe I should have let you walk out of the house,” he snapped.

“Maybe I should have insisted.”Do not look below the waist.

He glared. “Let’s agree to get today over with and we’ll part ways tomorrow. I can have a car take you to the airport. I don’t need to know where the hell you go.”

“Why the change of plan?”

“This is—” He gestured toward me and it looked a lot like he was negotiating with himself. “An unconceived idea.”

Even though that hurt like hell, there was something seductive about the way he dragged his teeth over his bottom lip in contradiction. He was fighting his attraction to me.

Nowthatwas one hell of a surprise.

This revelation had me staring in fascination at his turmoil…his cock twitched, betraying him.

I quickly looked back to James to avoid embarrassing him. Perhaps it was fury that was an aphrodisiac for him. His dick seemed to confirm this as it curled up his abdomen.

His jaw tightened. “It’s best you leave.”

My fingers worked the buttons of my shirt and I shrugged out of it, tossing it on the floor. Next, I slipped out of my shoes and then pulled off my trousers and boxers until I was standing naked. I strolled by him and walked into his shower.

I reached for the unmarked chrome tap that I hoped would turn on the hot water. A burst of heat cascaded from the showerhead and soaked me.

Ballad loomed behind. “What are you doing?”

“Looking for the cold water.”

James stepped forward and turned on another tap. “The last thing I need is you getting burned.” The water cooled as it sprayed us in a more temperate downpour.

“You have a real problem,” he snapped.

“Your problem is you’re lonely.”

“And how would you know that?”

“James, on the submarine you wanted off it in the worst way. You once loved that life. It’s the sign of an unsettled mind.”

“How do you figure that?”

“Lately, you’ve had a hard time living with yourself.”

He stepped away. “I’ll be down the hall inyourguest bathroom.”

Ballad looked as powerful and commanding striding for the door as the first day I’d met him on the submarine.