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Authors: Kelly Ethan

Tags: #Erotic Romance Fiction

Mr. Muse (6 page)

BOOK: Mr. Muse
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Something important was rushing toward her like a head-on collision. She wasn’t sure who was more dangerous—Eric or whoever was trying to hurt her.

Chapter Five

 

 

 

“Can I get you anything, Missy?”

Hermes, God of sin, stared down at her. One eyebrow quirked in a sexy question. Truly, this man put most others to shame. Polite and hot at the same time. What woman would want more? Apparently, she did. “I’m fine, thanks. Just twiddling my thumbs and wondering why you’re still babysitting me?”

Damn Eric for dumping her as soon as they’d come back from the diner. Hermes had been lovely, chatting, making sure she wasn’t bored. But enough already… She was a grown woman. It’s not like she’d blow up the Casino. Although she’d heard of a new compound of explosives that might…

“Eric will be back soon. I know this is not the way you planned today, but you’ll be safe here and Eric feels obligated to make sure nothing hurts you.” Hermes smiled then glanced at the computer screen. “Will you be okay here for a while? I just have to sort out a supply problem.”

“Sure. Um, where’s the bathroom?”

“Just down the hall and to the left. Not far. I’ll be back in a few moments.” Hermes smiled then exited, closing the door softly behind him.

Missy sagged in relief. Finally, alone time. People had surrounded her constantly since this whole thing had started. She was used to being on her own. Having to make nice for long periods of time drained her.

She opened the door and stuck her head out. No one around. She headed to the bathroom then stepped inside and stared. The decor looked like someone had vomited gold everywhere. “Obviously less is not more.”

Peering into the mirror, she smoothed a hand over her face. She’d half-expected to have dark circles and puffy eyes, considering everything that had happened. She might put a box on her emotions and everything that had happened, but she’d thought her body would show the strain that she had refused to acknowledge. But looking in the mirror, it seemed her body had blithely decided to follow her brain and ignore her jinxed life. She looked fine. In fact, she glowed.

Her ex-husband had always controlled every minute of her life. From clothing and food even down to the damn car she drove. Their life together had been one long, controlled boring rut. Then there was Eric. All that action and drama that followed him made her feel alive. Suddenly she was in charge of her own life. She knew sometimes she came off bossy and fluffy headed. But truly everything that had happened made her feel like she was finally living a life, not jealous of her book characters. She was her own heroine. So far Eric didn’t mind her being top dog, but he seemed ready to step up and take charge if the situation needed it. At least she hoped he was. The door behind her rattled. “Occupied. Be out in a second.”

Missy washed and dried her hands. The door rattled again then shook. Wow, someone was desperate.

“Geez. Impatient much?” She unlocked the door and wrenched it open.

Two muscled hulks in poorly fitted suits glared at her. She sniffed as she walked past them. One of the men shifted into her path. She stepped around him, but the other man moved in close. She tried to sidestep again. It didn’t help. The men had wedged her in. “Ah, I’m all for togetherness, but I draw the line at complete strangers boxing me in outside bathrooms.”

Hulk number one grabbed her arm and yanked her to his side. The other guy spoke softly into a phone before checking to make sure the corridor was clear. Missy’s mouth dried as a shaft of fear shot through her. After the incident with the car, she had to wonder if these goons were here for her, not Eric.

“So I guess you didn’t need to use the bathroom. Are you after Eric’s potion? Because he won’t trade me for it. I barely know him.” Missy bit her lip. No need to wonder any longer if it was her or Eric they wanted. She tried to tug her arm away, but the man had a grip of steel. The skin would be bruised tomorrow—the least of her worries.

Ignoring her, they dragged her around the corner, past a suite of offices. She fought them, twisting and writhing in their hold. Belatedly, she opened her mouth to scream, but one of the men shoved his hand over it. The smell of rank sweat and salami wafted over her like a poisonous cloud of rot. Gagging, Missy pushed at his hand, her heart pounding so hard she almost felt on the point of passing out. They pulled her through a door marked Private and out into a loading dock. What had her self-defense instructor said before he’d banned her from classes? Never let them take you to a secondary position.

Missy flung her body around wildly then bit the thug’s hand. He dropped it away from her mouth with a curse. “Don’t I get to know the terms before you kidnap me?” Missy dug her heels in, letting her body go floppy and unresponsive.
Try and drag that, mister
.

Suddenly she was glad of those extra five pounds. Surely someone would notice a bunch of goons dragging a lady around?

“Terms?”

Goon number two rubbed his sweaty, balding head, waving his cohort to a stop while he considered Missy’s words.

“Yeah, the reason why you’re kidnapping me, so I can give a counter-offer twice what you were paid.”

“Twice?” Goon one loosened his hands around Missy’s arm.

“Yep, twice. I don’t care what the government is paying. I can double it. Or at least Eric’s family will. I’m sure they’ll protect his invention as much as the government wants it.” She slowly rotated her arm. His grip wasn’t as tight now and if she picked the right time she should be able to get free.

“Double?” Goon number two slid his hand into his pocket and eyed his partner.

Wahoo! Trouble in paradise
. Missy fought the urge to tense. She was ready if either guy made a move. Now to bait the trap. “Double is an awful lot of money for one guy. Not so much for two but for one, it could buy a lot.”

The guy holding Missy tensed and his fingers slid away from her arm as he turned toward his partner. “I like double, Pete. She’s right. You could buy a lot of stuff.”

Goon number two held up his hand. “Now, hang on, Mike. Think about stuff first before you do something you’ll regret.”

“Pete, I am thinking. About all the times you made me do the dirty stuff. About when you yell at me and call me names. I’m thinking all right.”

“What? I have a bad back. Your back is fine, so why shouldn’t you do the lifting? Bodies are heavy and I don’t have insurance like you do.” Mike sneered.

Missy backed away, inch by minute inch. These guys sounded like an old married couple, not crazed government killers.

“Why don’t we just step over here? Out of the way of any blood splatter if these guys decide to have a go at each other,” someone whispered in her ear.

Missy turned to find Hermes standing behind her. He grabbed her hand and tugged her over to an alcove, pushing her in first before sheltering her with his body.

Thank God, someone had finally noticed. Still, she could’ve handled it herself. “Was wondering when a hero would come running. Thanks for the assist.”

Hermes’ chest rumbled under her cheek. Nice to have warm muscle behind her—well, in front of her in this case—but it didn’t give her the same electric buzz that she got from Eric.

“Head of security notified me of the issue. But you seemed to have everything well in hand when I got here. Nice bit of double-crossing talk there. I’m impressed.”

Missy shrugged. “I’m divorced and I got the house. I’m good at fighting dirty.”

Loud shouts rose in front of them as the shoving started. Missy shifted around Hermes to see what was happening. Both men drew their weapons and waved them wildly. A loud shrieking, followed by muffled pops, made Missy duck back and press her face against Hermes. A strange gurgle rose up from both the kidnappers as they collapsed to the ground.

Hermes pushed Missy out of the alcove and rubbed his hands. “Well, that deals with that. I’ll get a cleanup crew in then we can get back to work before Eric returns.”

She stopped and stared at the men on the ground. Neither moved and an ever spreading puddle of red liquid oozed from goon number two. They’d shot each other. Over money. Missy shuddered and forced down the lump in her throat. Glassy eyes stared at each other. Eric and his potion had a lot to answer for. This was more than even her curious writer’s mind could take.

Hermes touched the small of her back and maneuvered Missy back up the corridor and into his office. “You okay there, Missy?” He sat back at his desk and leaned forward, gaze zoomed in on her face.

Nodding, Missy slumped into a chair and rubbed her chin. “Fine, got a shock when the Tweedledums jumped me outside the toilet, but I’m okay now.”

“Any idea what they wanted?”

“What? You aren’t sold on the idea they’re after Eric?” She soothed a hand over her arm. She still felt her kidnapper’s fingers pressing in.

Hermes shrugged and sat back. “I know Eric and Kyla have their theories, but I like to look at every angle.”

“They didn’t say much, but someone was paying them and they were greedy enough to want double.”

“Hmmm.” Hermes stared off into space and tapped his fingers on the desk. “Well, you’re safe now. I’ll nose around. And don’t worry about Eric. I’ll speak to him.”

Oh, God. Eric. In the whole mess, she’d forgotten about him. “Thanks. I’m not really in the mood for more shouting.”

“Let’s get you a laptop assigned so you can get some work done.” Hermes grabbed the phone and made a quick call. “It’ll be waiting in your room. How about you try and get some rest?”

She grimaced and stood, twisting her shaking fingers together. Work. Right. She’d just been kidnapped and now had to produce words on paper. Yeah, she’d get right on that. Meanwhile, she better think of what to tell Eric. Because otherwise she’d get yelled at again.

 

* * * *

 

“It wasn’t there.” Didn’t a writer’s life revolve around computers? Would Missy break down into hysterics? He peered at her, waiting for the first sign of female blubbering. Except she just grimaced, preoccupied with the casino’s laptop.

“What wasn’t there?”

“Your laptop was gone when I got there, that part of the house wasn’t even damaged.”

This time he got a reaction.

Missy shot up. “It’s gone? Shit, I had ideas for this book and the next few on it. Damn it. Who would have taken it?”

She paced in front of him and every time she turned, her skirt would tighten on the globes of her ass. “I don’t know who’d take it, but I didn’t sense anyone out of the ordinary.”

She snorted. “I don’t know anyone strange, except for you. But what if they aren’t after you but me? That’d explain the kidnap attempt and why you only sense ordinary people and none of the Gods First people?”

Right, the kidnap attempt. He’d left her here in the casino thinking there was no safer place, and two humans try to snatch her under their very noses. Hermes had explained the whole incident to him when he’d returned. Why the hell would they want to take Missy, unless she was bait to draw him out?

He shook his head. What Missy must have gone through and seen… He didn’t know how to handle it. He was a teacher, not a counselor. He was completely out of his comfort zone. Not to mention she was hardly fazed about anything that had happened—the attack or her house blowing up, even his naked invisible body rescuing her. Everything seemed to make her rub her hands in glee, not angst. His sister had more experience with writers than he did. Maybe this was normal?

He ran his hand through his hair, trying to pick the right words to make her feel secure. “Missy, no offense, but you write romances. Why on earth would anyone want to blow you up or run you over? A dark car and a bomb are the sort of things those drama queen Demi-God fanatics would think up. They have a beef with Olympus and the rest of the Gods. I’m sure you aren’t the target. I know you think you have all the answers, but I don’t agree. Just listen to me and stay here. You’ll be fine. You understand?”

“You said that last time, and someone tried to snatch me.”

“I know. It won’t happen again. Kyla and Hermes have upped patrols and security has drawn a net around the hotel. No one is getting in without the proper clearances.”

Missy gripped the side of the desk hard, keeping quiet, but Eric’s mood changed when she kept shaking her head stubbornly. Maybe he could distract her with the Muse business. He stalked toward her computer, curious to see what she’d been engrossed in earlier. She moved quickly in front of the screen.

“Ah, I don’t let anyone see a work in process. Why don’t you relax in the lounge room?”

He smiled wolfishly and gently moved her out the way. His eyes widened as he read the words ‘scarf’ and ‘tied to the bed’. The thought of Missy and scarves made his cock harden. “Well, you do come up with interesting ideas. But where’s the rest?”

He bit the inside of his mouth to stop laughing. He watched her move from foot to foot like a sheepish child. This woman had him on edge. One minute sexy siren, the next a modest child. Which woman was she?

“I have writer’s block. But don’t worry about it, the scene probably wouldn’t work anyway.”

Oh, it would work all right. Probably kill him, but it would work. A burst of heat settled low in his gut and the blood coursed through his veins. Oh, the possibilities were endless. He placed the laptop down and reached behind her. She gasped when his arm grazed hers. Her nipples puckered and he could clearly see the outline of them pushing against the fabric of her top.

His own body reacted, his cock growing even harder and tenting the front of his trousers. His throat dried and his hands trembled slightly as he unhooked the tiebacks from the drapes behind her.

“I don’t have scarves, but I do have these.” He held up the tiebacks. Her mouth gaped open and she backed up a step. He followed, herding her toward the bed.

“I think you have the wrong…”

When her legs bumped the edge of the mattress, he set his hand on her chest and gave a gentle push. She hit the sheets and he quickly joined her. Taking one hand, he wrapped the tieback around her wrists and fastened it to the bedpost. Then he did the same with her other hand, making sure she could easily escape if she really objected. “Shh, think of this as research,” he whispered.

BOOK: Mr. Muse
11.56Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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