Her gaze darts up and her brow creases. “You’re bleeding!”
She steps forward and touches my brow. I jerk as her slender fingers touch a sore spot on my head. Tugging her hand away, I find the cut on my forehead. It’s still bleeding but I don’t think I’ve done any major damage.
“Don’t worry about it.”
“You should get it seen to.”
Lifting my fingers away, I study them. “Nah, it’s not that bad.” I press the sleeve of my black shirt to my head and dab away what I can. “How’s it look?”
Her lips twist. “Like you’ve been in a fight.” Those green eyes twinkle with amusement.
I almost forgot the fight. What the hell has made me so reckless? I’ve probably just screwed up any chance of getting close to her. “Yeah, about that…”
“It’s okay. I’m sorry I shouted. I’m just not used to anyone acting on my behalf, you know?”
Why does that sadden me? Jess might seem tough but she needs someone to look after her. Maybe that’s an old fashioned notion but that’s how my mother raised me. You look after the women in your life.
But Jess isn’t in my life, I remind myself. And she’s more than capable of looking after herself. Con woman, remember?
“I shouldn’t have let my temper get the better of me. But you still shouldn’t have to put up with shit like that.”
“It’s okay, it doesn’t happen often.” Jess places a hand on my arm, probably trying to placate me.
Unfortunately the sight of that guy grabbing her isn’t going to be soothed away by one small touch, no matter how much I like her hands on me. And that she’s admitting it’s happened before makes me stiffen. What can I do about it though? Stand guard every time she goes to work? I don’t have any rights over this women and I definitely don’t want any.
“Are you likely to lose your job ‘cause of me?”
She shakes her head and lets slip a soft smile. “I doubt it.”
“Have you got your phone?”
“Yeah, why?” She pulls out a cheap mobile phone, hardly the sort of thing I’d expect someone with thousands tucked away to own.
I snatch it, ignoring her sound of objection and put my number in her contacts before handing it back. “If there’s any trouble, give me a call.” She goes to protest and I hold up a hand. “Please?”
“Fine.”
“If they threaten your job, I’ll explain it was all me, okay?” And I might end up one step closer to infiltrating her life and finding the money.
“It’s fine, really.” She glances over her shoulder at the pub doors. “But I do have to get back or I will lose my job.”
“Will you call me anyway?” I ask, hating how desperate I sound. But I need an opening again. I’ve messed up my plan completely. How else am I going to get back into her life?
“I don’t think so. I’m sorry. I just can’t right now… it’s not you—”
“It’s me,” I finish for her. “Yeah, yeah I get it. Just remember to call if you need anything.”
Jess nods and eyes me for a moment while chewing her bottom lip. “See you, Hunter.”
“Bye, princess.”
I watch the sexy sway of her ass as she turns and head back into the pub. The sound of her saying my name rolls through my head over and over and I bite back a groan. To think I’d been holding that ass moments go. Damn, what a fucking mess I am. I am totally screwing up this job. I only hope she calls. Otherwise I’m back to sifting through paperwork and following leads that are going nowhere.
She’s a hard girl to pin down. No wonder the client needs help. There’s no way the cops would expend much time trying to track down his money. She has no Facebook, no email account, nothing about her online—which is fucking strange in this day and age. No way of finding out what’s going on in her personal life, which—after three weeks of following her—seems non-existent. Either she’s very clever or I’ve been too distracted. Mounting bills and a cute ass tends to do that to a man,
I scrape a hand through my hair and grimace at the stickiness there. Tonight did not go the way I planned at all. I hadn’t even intended to kiss her. I was going to take it slow. Try not to seem like a jerk. Not seduce her or get into a fight over her like—what was it she said?—a jilted lover. But that’s how I feel now. My heart hurts a though it’s been a little trampled. I shake my head and shove my hands in my pockets. I need to get home and get my head straight, figure out exactly how I’m going to discover her secrets and get paid.
Chapter Two
Jess
A thump at my door drags me from my sleep. I roll and glance at the clock on my bedside table. Eight a.m.