The CEO and the Girl From the Coffee Shop (15 page)

****

Damn, damn,
damn.

Tears blurred
Angelique's eyes as she sat, hidden at the back of a stinky
dumpster. How did life get this bad for her? Just six months ago
she had everything, a promising career as a journalist at a
prestigious newspaper, a nice home and was soon to be married to a
man she loved and admired, Nathan Winters. Then, in the blink of an
eye Nathan was dead and she was the one going to trial for his
murder.

Her breath
caught in her throat as she heard the sound of footsteps beside the
dumpster. Just as the footsteps began to move away, she heard a
squeak and felt something run across her exposed ankle. She yelped,
and covered her mouth to try and stifle the noise, but it was too
late. The owner of the footsteps started back in her direction.

The footsteps
came back to the dumpster, and the lid was flipped open to display
the bounty hunter glaring down at her. In other circumstances she
would have found him attractive, but as he stood staring down at
her trembling body, all she could thing about was that this was the
end of the line for her. She was going to trial and then to prison
for a crime she didn't commit.

"It's over
Angelique, come out." He extended his hand to her, but she cowered
away from him, inching away until her back hit the cold steel back
of the massive dumpster.

The
blonde-haired man huffed and his eyes narrowed at her. "You can't
be serious. You have no idea how pissed I'm going to be if I have
to come in there after you."

It may have
been over for her; she was caught, but she'd be damned if she was
going to make it easy on him. She cocked her head to the side and
gave him the same condescending smirk she'd given him when she'd
seen him slip on the vegetable oil she'd intentionally spilled on
the kitchen floor during her escape from the coffee shop. "Guess
you're going to have to earn that bounty and come and get me."

His features
darkened and anger flashed within his deep grey eyes. "Fine. Have
it your way." A deep, growl-like noise came from him as he pulled
himself up and into the dumpster.

Seeing one
final chance to escape, she scrambled to her feet and leapt over
the side as he jumped in. She tripped as she landed on the cement
ground of the alleyway, skinning the palms of her hands, but she
righted herself once more and lunged forward.

"For the love
of fuck, Angelique!" he shouted after her followed by a grunt and
thud as he jumped from the dumpster and continued his pursuit.

She had just
begun to regain a small sliver of hope when she felt an arm wrap
around her waist and an impact which felt like the force of a Mack
truck slamming into her back, sending her tumbling to the ground.
As Angelique landed, the wind was knocked from her as his weight
came crashing down onto her. She was still trying to regain her
breath when she felt his weight lift, and her wrists being grabbed
roughly and cuffed behind her back.

"We could have
just done this the easy way, Angelique and you could have saved me
a lot of aggravation. Now you have me in a bad mood."

Angelique
huffed. "Do you honestly think I care about your mood?"

"You should
since you're stuck with me for the next week. I can be a really
nice guy, Angelique, but I can just as easily be a major asshole.
Ball’s in your court."

Once her arms
were secure, Lincoln stood, grabbed her arm and pulled her roughly
to her feet. Still not wanting to admit defeat, even with her arms
secure behind her back, she tried to jerk her arm from his
grasp.

Grabbing her
around the waist he pulled her rear tight against him. The fight in
her was pretty much gone, but she couldn't resist bucking against
him a couple more times. She gasped and she froze against him as
she felt his cock begin to grow and press against her bottom.

"Oh-my-god,"
she gasped. "You're actually turned on by this? By chasing down a
defenceless woman?"

Lincoln
stepped back from her, grabbed her arm roughly and pulled her along
as they made their way back out of the alleyway. "You were
squirming that tight ass of yours against my dick as if you were a
damned stripper after a buck; what did you expect?" he defended,
refusing to meet her gaze, though as she watched his expression she
saw a flush beginning to redden his face. A slight grin touched her
lips as a plan began to formulate in her mind, not the best plan in
the world, admittedly, but one nonetheless.

She allowed
her eyes to wander up and down the length of him. He was at least
six foot. She guessed close to 6 foot 2, short-cut blonde hair and
stormy grey eyes. His shoulders and chest were thick and powerful.
He was attractive, no doubt about it, in a rugged sort of way. The
kind of guy she'd easily be able to fall for - under different
circumstances.