When it’s done, I’ll have a good girl to fuck.Oh, but he hoped.
Jaw locking, he lowered her until her feet touched the floor. When they touched, he glared at the oversized shoes. “We’re getting clothes for you.”
“I have clothes. I found a lot of items I can use upstairs. Thank you for letting me borrow this stuff.”
Her thank you seemed to grate in his ears. “No, we’re going to town. We’llbuyyou clothes that fit.”
“That’s really kind of you.”
Kind?
“But I don’t have any money, and I’d rather not be more of a burden to you than I already am.”
She hadn’t just said that. “Youaren’ta burden.”
Jacqueline pulled her hands away from his shoulders. “Well, sure I am. I burst into your life, you had to give me a place to stay, you had to feed me, and you even had to offer me some fake job as a model. I think I am pretty much the walking definition of a burden.”
He leaned toward her. Slapped one palm on the wood behind her head. “You’renot.I like having you here.” Sonofa—what the hell was wrong with him? He truly must have lost his mind. Why did he keep saying such crazy shit? His back teeth ground together. “The modeling job is real. You’ll keep being my muse. I have work that needs to be done. For the first time in longer than I can remember, I’m painting things of my own.”
Her lips were slightly swollen from his mouth. “What do you usually paint?”
Do not say it.“Things I shouldn’t.” No, that wasn’t guilt. He never felt guilt. But looking into her eyes…
She doesn’t see who I really am.
“I’d love to see your work, Remy. It was all covered up earlier, and you didn’t let me peek beneath the tarps.”
No, he hadn’t. “It’s not worth seeing.”
Disappointment swept over her features.
“When I’d done with my first painting of you, I’ll let you see it.”
“The first painting?” Surprise flashed on her face. “How many do you plan to create?”
“As many as I can. Until I’m no longer inspired.” But first… “We’re heading to town.” Because they needed to get out of the cabin. He needed to get his thoughts together. And he needed to start the investigation on Preston Guidry. Remy shoved away from the wall and turned from her.
“We’re going to town? Now? But I thought you didn’t want me to be spotted by the men Preston sent.”
“Yeah, that cat is out of the bag.”
“What?”
Remy glanced over his shoulder. “They know you’re here. No point hiding any longer. So we might as well get our asses to town and get you some clothes that fit.” They also needed to be ready for what was going to happen next. They couldn’t stay at the cabin forever. And Remy had always believed in not waiting around for the enemy to strike. He was more of a kick-them-in-the-dick-first kind of guy. “Before we head out, I need to make a few phone calls.”
“To the FBI?”
He should explain about his exact position—or lack thereof—with the FBI, and he would, later. When he could find a tactful way to tell her that he’d been forced to work with the Feds because he’d been given the choice to either use his talents to help them or get tossed into jail. Because,surprise, surprise, sweetness, he was a criminal. Or hehadbeen. “I’m going to contact the people who can help us.” This part was going tobe important. “Do you trust me?” He would probably have to convince her to—
“Yes.” Instant. Confident.
“Dammit, don’t.” He whirled back around to fully face her. “Stop being so trusting! You don’t know me! You didn’tknowPreston and look how that shit wound up for you!”
She sucked in a breath. “But you’re not him.”
No, plenty of folks would say he was one hell of a lot worse.
“You even told me I could talk to the head of the FBI, and he would back you up.”