He returned to the cottage in the early afternoon; he had walked the exterior of the lake for hours. There was a note on the front porch when he got back.
He picked it up, none to happily and snapped it open. As expected her father was refusing to pay the bribe.
It was a bit chilly outside today so he was not suprised to see her in front of the fireplace when he got back. She kept her back to him as if he had never entered the cottage. He knew she noticed him though when her back went straight as a board.
He kicked off his nice leather shoes and took them to the room. He'd been dressed in the same clothes since last night. He had never felt so tired, so worn. He went to the bath and ran the water, not bothering to warm it up.
He stripped quickly and and sat in the bath scrubbing the grime of last night from his body with a small bar of soap.
When he was done he turned off the water and pulled the hatch to the boddom of the tub. It would drain to the rocks outside.
He wrapped a towel around his boddom half and stepped into the room only to freeze when he saw her standing there.
The look on her face said this was going to be another heated conversation.
"You had a bad childhood!? Really that's all you have to say for yourself? I showed you my bad childhood." Her voice was rising in pitch and her cheeks were tinted an interesting shade of pink.
"I am shackled under the pretense that you care about me, I am no longer interested in your stupid one man seduction show, and go get a job like a normal person!"
He chuckled and her eyes flared as she drew nearer.
"What about this is funny?!"
"One man seduction show huh?"
He closed the gap between them and her face went white as she suddenly remembered that he was naked beneath the towel her wore. He backed her into the wall and smirked, "It was never my plan to seduce you." He ran a finger down her cheek and she shivered in delight before angry heat burned in her cheeks.
She put her hands on his bare chest and pushed him away. He stepped away smoothly. "Then what was it? Why am I here Edward?! Whatever your stupid name is. For once tell me the truth."
She crossed her arms and her breasts were pushed up. He turned away from her and collected a loose fitting outfit from his clothes rack.
"I had an assighnment to kidnap you and randsom you, but I got a little side tracked. Your the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. How could I not?" He turned with an arm full of clothing and a charming smile and her breath caught.
She shook her head, "Randsom me? My father is broke."
"Not as broke as you think he is. His business is booming. He's been dealing a drug on the black market. He even has a secret warehouse in the silver city. Sounds to me like Marcin is a greedy man, and a liar, among other things." His face grew dark as he pictured the scars that lined her back.
Her mouth was still open. Her plumb pretty little mouth distracted him for a moment before somthing occured to him.
"If you thought your father was so broke why go to that fancy little tea house on Rose Street and 3rd every week?"
Her brows lifted and she gaped at him.
"I wasnt.. I... You were spying on me?!"
"You bet I was sweetheart. It was a part of the job." His voice rose and she glared at him.
"Your unbelievable." she ground out.
He turned and walked to the bed tossing his clothes there. He pulled a long sleeved dark grey sweater over his head and it hugged him nicely showing off the body he had on display moments ago. Then he dropped his towel with no shame.
She felt her eyes go wide and she stared for a second as he began to pull on black sweats before she spun around with a hand over her eyes. Her face was burning hotly.
If she thought his ass looked good in his waiter's uniform she was suprised to find that it looked much better bare. She flushed again and shook her head.
"You are so arrogant." She whispered coldly.
She came up behind her and whispered, "Your turn sweetheart."
She ran from the room and went back to the fireplace. She put more wood on the fire and busied herself with igniting the new peices. She whispered to herself furiously as she went. "Pompous ass...If I had a coin for every time he...Naked infront of whomever he pleases..." He stood in the threshold of the room watching her bemusedly.
She turned to him and started shouting again,
"This place is too small. Go somewhere else."
He chuckled,"You want me to leave?"He placed a hand on his chest and he noticed her do a once over on him.
"What, you don't want to leave anymore?"
"Oh no no no! I'm just smart enough to know that," she counted on her fingers getting feisty, he grinned, "Your bigger than me, Stronger than me, and I know you aren't going to release me."
"Okay, I'll see about getting more jobs during the day."
Her answer was quick and sharp. "No."
He raised his brows at her, "No? Okay so you dont want me around, but you don't want me to leave?"
"Nope, I didnt say that. I said I dont want you to work."
He sighed "I have to work Nadine."
"No you don't! Just do somthing else, your better than being your father's ganster. He didnt even give you a name, so dont give him your time."
"Nadine I have to go to work this isn't up for discussion." He said sternly.
"Why not?!" Tears formed in her eyes and somthing in his chest pulled at him. He didnt feel like seeing her cry twice in one day. So before he knew it he conceded.
"Shhhh, it's okay. Alright I wont go back to work. At least not for a while." He shared a small smile that was a little uncertain.
"Okay." She smiled for a very brief moment.
"Okay."
She opened her mouth to say somthing that was interrupted by a knock on the door.
He walked across the short hardwood room and cracked the door a knife in his hand. Where'd he even hide a knife at, Nadine thought.
It was Carver a gloomy expression on his face.
"Hey Scar, the big boss sent me back here with your next job. He says it has to be done by tonight."
He smiled amused, and took the envelope.
Perfect timing.