A Debt Owed

Chapter 4

Room service arrived quickly. I opted for a no fuss meal, simple and filling. Club sandwiches, fries and a fresh pot of hot coffee. I thought it was time to ease off from the vodka. He didn’t seem to complain about the menu and surprisingly the midnight dinner was pleasant, accompanied by generic conversation. For a moment it was as if no one was chasing us trying to kill us.

I nursed the cup of coffee in my hands savouring the warmth and the welcomed taste of its liquid contents, only just realising the rain had started to fall again outside.

“I suppose if we’re going to be spending more time together we’ll have to have some kind of truce.” My eyes went to him sitting across from me.

He was silent for a very long time. “Agreed. Killing you doesn’t benefit me.”

“Hey it doesn’t do me a Hell of a lot of good either. Besides if you’re dead I don’t get my money.”

Kirill took a slow sip of coffee, either deep in thought or on purpose to make me sweat waiting for an answer. His gaze then transfixed on me as he carefully placed his cup down. “How about I help protect you from whoever is out there and you help me with a little job I have to do. The job you interrupted me from completing tonight.”

I opened my mouth to reply but he spoke cutting me off.

“No questions asked.”

What could I do or say he wasn’t giving me much of a choice. If I wanted the money I had to run with it. “Fine and I’ll protect you if they’re after you instead of me.”

He put his head to one side, another long pause before offering his hand to me. “Deal Madison, deal.”

I stared at that hand, that strong hand with those perfectly formed fingers and assuring palm, and hesitated. This was going to be the first time we voluntarily touch, could I risk it? My hand moved slower than I thought and trembled slightly as my fingers tingled from the apprehension of his touch. I mentally shook my head; this was getting ridiculous he was jus a stack of money to me. Nothing more and nothing less.

“Sure. It’s a deal.”

Our fingertips met, everything was slowing down to a snail’s pace, and they slid along one another’s with the merest of touches. Those long fingers leaving a trail of pins-and-needles before wrapping themselves around my entire hand. I must have stopped breathing somewhere along the way because there was a sudden tightness in my chest as I felt the warmth of his skin, every now and then finding the roughness of calluses there. No doubt the result of handling a gun on a regular basis.

His hand locked around mine, my own fingers barely stretching across his palm, as he firmly held me in place. I had never thought my hands to be tiny until now, seeing it encased in his. Gee some things you easily forget when you rarely have a man in your complicated life. Before I had enough time to settle into the comfort of having him this close he withdrew his hand, the handshake came to an abrupt end. I placed my open palm face down on the table to steady it, I was breathing again. He seemed unphazed by it all and I silently cursed myself for reacting the way I did to his touch.

He stood and started clearing the plates away. “It’s late better get some sleep; we have a busy day tomorrow.”

“Sounds good to me. I’ll just get cleaned up a little first.” I fled from the table into the bathroom as if it was the last sanctuary on the planet.

I slammed the door shut and ripped my jumper off, I had too, and suddenly everything around me was closing in causing me to overheat. I leaned against the door, the wood was cool but my skin was on fire. I filled the wash basin with water plunging my face into it hoping its coldness would help clear my mind. I had to stay focussed enough for me to survive this. None of this was going according to plan, too many unforseen variables; I was going to have to constantly think on my feet which was going to be exhausting.

I blindly reached for the nearest towel to dry off; putting it to my face I was suddenly engulfed with the scent of his cologne. I had grabbed the very towel he had used hours earlier. I froze as the faint smell of sandalwood and musk along with one that was all him, all male, took over. The barricades I had rebuilt to regain control were crumbling. All I wanted was to wrap that towel around me and drink the scent in, his scent. Obsessive but true and so unlike me. Normally I would never have let any man affect me this way, well not after spending only a couple of hours with them. I glanced up studying myself in the mirror, I looked like Hell. The events of the day had taken their toll. My dark eyes looked tired, my complexion was far paler than normal and the short hair didn’t help any. If it weren’t for the ample swell of breasts I would definitely pass as a boy. Usually I wouldn’t have minded since most people naturally associated computer hacking with the male gender, it made hiding so much easier. But tonight right at that moment I wished to be more feminine.

I quickly finished tidying myself up and gripping the door handle I sucked in a couple of deep breaths before exiting. I was greeted by a dimly lit room since all the lights were turned off except for the floor lamp next to the couch by the window, where Kirill stood. Gone were the evening dress clothes and shoes as he finished the make shift bed on the couch, dressed in a simple t-shirt and track pants. Looking less and less like an assassin by the minute.

“You can have the bed.” He padded towards me on those bare feet, “Madison did you hear me, are you alright?”

I blankly stared up at him oblivious to the fact that I had stopped in the middle of the room or even how long he had been talking to me.

“What? Yes I’m fine.” My gaze travelled to the bed, one corner had already been turned down.

He nodded on his way to the main door, no doubt to recheck the locks and implement a secondary security measure of his own in case anyone decided to break in. I sat on the edge of the bed slipping off my shoes and socks, feeling slightly weird about sleeping in this stranger’s bed, fatigue soon ploughed that thought to the back of my mind. I started to empty my jeans pockets stacking the contents on the nightstand; a collection of coins, empty lolly wrappers and a set of car keys. Damn I suddenly wondered if my car was still there, across from the restaurant, and intact along with my luggage bag in the back.

So caught up in my thoughts I failed to realise I was under the covers or that he had returned. I watched him try to get comfortable on the couch, his feet facing me, and stifled a smile. It was a good thing it was a three seater, anything smaller and his legs were going to hang over the edge.

“Are you settled?” He lifted his head to look at me, I replied with a yes, and then he reached to turn of the light. “Sleep well Madison.”

“You too.” I turned to put my back to him, silly perhaps in my line of work but I didn’t want to be reminded of how close he actually was to me.

I buried myself deeper in the covers, they were toasty warm, the pillow and sheets smelt of him. Great how was I supposed to get to sleep now?