He eyed her skeptically.
As he approached, she realized just how tall and buff he was, his shoulders and biceps straining against the fabric of his shirt. She couldn’t help but stare at the gun now that it was within arm’s length. It unnerved her. Xavier took the jar and twisted it open with ease, then set it on the counter. He didn’t move away.
When she looked up to gauge his expression, he pulled the gun from its holster. She gasped. “This scares you?” he asked. He released the clip and checked the chamber, then handed it to her. “Take it.”
Alesha shook her head. “No, I can’t.”
“It’s unloaded. You won’t conquer your fears unless you face them.” He reached down and grabbed her wrist, pressing the gun into her palm. It was cold and heavy against her skin. She wrapped her fingers around the handle, still afraid eve
n though it was rendered harmless. She wondered if Xavier was afraid of anything. “Good girl. There you go.”
He moved behind her until her back was pressed to his body. Xavier reached around her sides, enveloping her, bringing her arms straight out in front of her. Every move was slow and deliberate. Her body thrummed, her cheeks heating. He bent over enough so that his face was next to hers. She even felt a brief brush of his stubble on her skin.
“Just like that,” he whispered close to her ear. “Look through the sights and aim at your target. Never hesitate. Take a breath and pull.” He placed his finger over hers and pulled the trigger. The gun made a sharp click, and she jumped. “It’s okay, I’ve got you.”
She wanted to melt into his arms. The heat of his body warmed her bare skin, but she still broke out into gooseflesh. “I think it’s safer in your hands,” she said, returning the pistol to him.
He grabbed the clip and then returned the gun to his holster as if he’d done it a thousand times. “You’re a natural, Alesha. I’ll have to give you lessons.”
Her name sounded perfect on his lips. “That sounds like fun.” No, it didn’t. Guns terrified her, but she wanted another chance to be close to Xavier. A one on one lesson sounded intimate, even though she was certain he was just being a nice guy.
“You’re jumpy. I just want you to know you never have to worry while living here. No one will ever hurt you.”
It was an odd thing to say, but she liked the confidence in his voice. He made her feel safe. Alesha hoped she hadn’t crossed any boundaries. Maybe the lesson was a bad idea. The last thing she needed was for things to get awkward between them and for her to lose her job as a result.
“I’m very happy working here,” she said for good measure.
“The place has never been cleaner.”
Disappointment assaulted her. She was just the damn maid, and she had to remember that. He was any woman’s wet dream. Alesha tucked her fantasies back into her imagination where they belonged.
Chapter Two
The last thing Xavier should be doing was showing his very sexy housekeeper how to hold a gun. That was a big mistake on his part. What he also didn’t like was the look of disappointment in her eyes when he said the house had never been cleaner. What did he miss?
How could a compliment make her react that way?
He was trying to be nice, not something he usually bothered with.
Until she came along, his home had been a shithole.
Honestly, he didn’t like picking up after himself, and because he had plenty of money, when he was done with clothes, he tossed them. There was no time in his life for dirty laundry, cleaning dishes, or worrying about hydro and electric bills.
That shit, as sexist as it would sound, was woman’s work.
He had more important things to do.
“Will you get back in your fucking head?” Viper said. “I want to make it home to my wife and kid. You’re making so much noise the birds are getting distracted.”
They were flat out on a roof. The building beneath them was abandoned but would give them a perfect vantage point.
Their target?
One of the heads of a ring specializing in trafficking women.
Boss had a real beef when it came to trafficked women and children, so when the price was right, he was more than happy to make the kill. There were a lot of things Xavier knew about Boss and respected him for. If only the bastard would hand over everything he knew about his sister.
What he didn’t get was Boss’s conflicting interests when it came to women. He had women who worked at Killer of Kings.