Under His Skin (For His Pleasure, Book 20) (11 page)

Kennedy ran her hand over his muscular,
smooth chest.
 
“I loved that,” she
told him.

“I did too,” he said.
 
He stroked her cheek and looked into her
eyes again.
 
“I wish I could be the
man you deserve.”

“You are the man I deserve, and you’re
the man I want.”

He looked away.
 
“I have to go,” he said, suddenly
withdrawing, pulling physically away and sitting up on the edge of the bed.

“What?
 
Why?” Fear encircled her heart as if it
had been perched and waiting.

“Because,” he said, “I have a meeting.”

Kennedy was wondering if he was joking,
or if she’d somehow fallen into a parallel universe.
 
She looked out the window and saw it was
pitch black.
 
“Easton, I don’t know
what the hell you’re talking about right now.”

He stood up, still completely nude.
 
“My brother spoke to Jimmy DeLuca and he
agreed to a sit down.
 
I have to go
now.”

Kennedy swallowed.
 
“Please, please, please don’t do
this.
 
Are you joking?
 
I hope you’re just joking right now.”

“I’ll be back soon,” he said.
 
“Try and get some sleep.”

“Easton—“

“It shouldn’t be long.
 
If I’m not back by dawn, it means
something’s probably gone wrong.”

“Stop it, you’re scaring me now.”

“If I don’t come back, here’s what you
do.
 
You go all the way to the other
end of the hall to my bedroom.
 
In
the large walk-in closet, I’ve installed a wall safe with a code.”

Kennedy could hardly breathe as Easton
walked around the bed and leaned in to whisper in her ear the numbers for the
code.
 

“I know those numbers,” she said, her
mind whirling.

Easton straightened and looked down at
her.
 
“That’s the date I first met
you,” he said.

“Please don’t go!
 
Or let me come with you.”

“No, I can’t risk it.
 
You stay here.
 
If I’m not back by seven, take the money
from the safe and use it to go far away from here and make a new life for
yourself.
 
Use it however you want,
but make sure you get out of this city and away from people like Jimmy
DeLuca.
 
Okay?”

“No.
 
I can’t do that,” she said, her voice breaking.

Easton started out of the room.
 
“Remember this night together,” he told
her.
 
“I know I will.”
 
And then he left the room.

Kennedy wanted to go after him, talk him
out of this madness, but she already knew it was pointless.
 
She was paralyzed by fear and dread.

A few minutes later, she heard his
footsteps going down the stairs and then she looked out her window and saw
Easton leaving the house.
 
He was
wearing a suit, looking as if he was going to a typical day at the office.

As she saw him get in his car and drive
away, Kennedy had the terrible sense that this was the last time she would see
Easton Rather alive.

THE END OF FOR HIS PLEASURE, BOOK 20

Stay tuned for book 21 in the For His
Pleasure series, coming soon.
 

Meanwhile, check out Kelly’s new hit
series,
The
Debt (Club Alpha)
, available now!