Are you a romantic at heart?
Fancy a little thrill and sometimes suspense with your romance?
Well, come on into my world.... I bet you'll like what you see.
He'd already figured that out, but her saying it was like hammering the last nail to a coffin. He'd been swindled. Though only anger and embarrassment danced on his nerves, Nathan found himself laughing; deep bellyful chuckles that filled the large room. His laughter rose to his throat but sounded more pained than amused.
I've been ripped off.
Even Shakira was startled by his chuckles and anxiety clouded over her eyes. When his mirth died down, she asked, "Are you okay?"
"What the fuck do you think?" His tone was deliberate but the thick thread of tension lacing it was obvious even to his own ears. "You ripped me off!"
"No, don't drag me into this," Shakira quickly defended as she stood. "This is all Eve. I'm just as much a victim as you. While I was stuck in prison, my mother sold my house under me."
"You're an ex-con?" The accusation in his tone sliced through the air. No wonder. Evidently he wasn't their first victim.
"Uh...uh...not exactly!" Shakira stuttered and threw him a wide-eyed nervous look which only raised Nathan's hackles further. He didn't believe for a second that she wasn't part of her mother's con and wasn't fooled by those doe eyes – beautiful women made the best criminals.
He wasn't born yesterday.
He knew how these things worked. Her mother had probably pegged him for an easy fleece and he'd fallen for it like a fool. He hadn't seen it coming. He'd always thought that stupid and greedy people were the only ones who got scammed yet here he was, ripped-off by a woman old enough to be his mother. Embarrassment clouded his anger at the thought.
Eve was probably crowing with triumph and rubbing her hands together in anticipation of her ex-con daughter shaking him down even further. But now that he knew what the game he was on his toes. Twelve grand was nothing in the grand scheme of his bank account but he'd worked too damn hard for each and every one of his pennies.
This mother/daughter team had picked the wrong man to mess with.
Taking a deep breath and drawing his features into a picture of equanimity, he suggested, "Why don't you try calling her?"
Shakira shook her head. "She won't pick it up. Probably in Mexico by now."
How convenient!
She took a few steps forward, coming close to him until they were almost toe-to-toe. Even in heels, the top of her head barely reached his nose. Looking up at him with an earnest expression, she said, "I'm sorry about Eve."
Nathan wasn't fooled. He knew Shakira was putting on an act for his benefit. Putting on his own show of frustration, he raked his fingers through his hair, "I can't believe she scammed me. She was so nice."
"That's Eve. You could be standing right here and she'd still find a way to steal the towel off your waist." To make her point, her eyes trailed his body to his towel. As if there was some sort of magnetic pull attached to the white terry-clothe, her eyes stayed there.
And she bit her lower lip.
There was just something about that subtle nip of her teeth against her lush lip that immediately sent his blood racing southwards. For a moment he even forgot that she was a scammer and his senses focused on her gaze trained on his waist. As if it had a mind of its own, his cock burgeoned in awareness.
"Um, you should probably put something on." Her soft words broke the heavy silence as her eyes shifted back up his body to meet his. The desire in them was evident. In that moment Nathan came up with his plan.
The way to a woman's heart was through her pussy and he was going to screw every one of Shakira's secrets out of her. He'd make her fall so deep in love with him that she'd have no qualms spilling Eve's whereabouts and their plan. Her desire would be her downfall. His eyes skimmed her body lingering over the swell of her breasts and the swell of her thighs. He was going to enjoy manipulating every inch of her body for his revenge.
Nathan smiled as he brought his eyes back up to meet Shakira's. "Why don't you have a seat?"
