Free Endgame by Mia Downing

what just happened, but he had a feeling that the coach had just challenged the referee in a rules violation battle. He wasn’t sure who was which or who had won. Not yet. But he bet his money on the ginger with the gun.
    “Okay, Aaron. Apologize.” Jake sighed, because obviously, he just lost the battle, hands down.
    Aaron cleared his throat and recited the lines he had practiced, in the dark, over his raging hard-on. “I’m sorry for being an asshole. I’m sorry you had to leave Tia and come here, to clean up my mess. I will be agreeable and try to make this job as easy as possible so you can go home quickly.” He glanced at Charlotte. She didn’t look satisfied. Not yet.
    Fuck if he liked to improvise, but here it went. “I’m sorry for being judgmental and I promise to think before I speak.”
    That seemed to make her happy, because she gave a small nod and put her gun away.
    Jake’s brows flew up. “You two kids had quite the chat last night I’m guessing. Instead of going to sleep.”
    Aaron shrugged. “Keep your imagination in your pants. No rosaries were said.”
    Charlotte glowered. Aaron broke out into a cold sweat and ignored her gun.
    Jake laughed. “Apology accepted. What’s on the agenda for today?”
    “Nothing until next week. I’m supposed to be on vacation. But you might want to talk to my agent about all of this and about Charlotte. She’ll love the girlfriend angle, since she’s always trying to get me to drum up tabloid chatter.”
    “I’ll have Chase call. I have to get an itinerary, anyway. If he gets everything from your agent, it will be more complete,” Jake said.
    “You mean it will be less work, slacker,” Charlotte chided.
    Jake finished up cooking and glanced at the clock. “I have work to do. I’ll return in a bit.” He took off the apron, kissed Charlotte’s pale cheek and left.
    The silence in the kitchen fell at a speed that would break very silent sound barriers. Aaron frowned, because that didn’t sound quite right. But what did when his cock still throbbed, wanting him to apologize so she’d blow him? He was ready to try that, despite his fear. More importantly, the good man in him wanted him to apologize, because he had been an asshole. Hardcore, as Jake and Charlotte liked to say. And that was wrong.
    “I’m sorry, Charlotte. Really sorry for being an asshole.”
    She cocked her head. “Are you? Or is that the raging stiffy in your pants giving tongue?”
    How his stiffy wanted her tongue. On him. Badly. “I was wrong to be angry. I was judgmental. You were right.”
    She nodded and studied his face for what seemed an eternity, her eyes sharp, not missing a thing.
    “I didn’t think you were a whore, though. I was…nervous.”
    “Okay.” She cocked her head. “Did you touch yourself last night, love?”
    “No.”
    She arched a brow.
    “No…Ma’am?”
    She nodded. “And what did you think about all night long.” He hesitated, and she cocked her head. “The truth, Aaron. I’ll know if you lie.”
    Did he even dare go there? But she said the truth… “I thought about killing you.”
    She laughed, a genuine, pretty, feminine sound that touched deep in his chest in a weird way. “Very honest. As Jake would say, the line starts over there. Do your worst.”
    Though she didn’t ask for more, he wanted to share for some reason. Maybe it would put him in her good graces. “I also thought about your baggage and your husband.”
    “If you were smart, you wouldn’t snoop in my baggage.” So much for good graces. Danger Girl seemed to step up to the plate with stiff shoulders and glittering violet eyes.
    It made him nervous again, and that damned impulsive tongue of his didn’t know when to keep still. “Did he leave you? Divorce you? Tell me.”
    She sucked in a breath. He wouldn’t have thought violet would be a fiery color. Man, did those eyes burn into his, over his skin, making him wish for a fire extinguisher. “Aaron, do you know what