𝐂𝐑𝐘𝐁𝐀𝐁𝐘 | mitch rapp

26. one step behind

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

ONE STEP BEHIND.

When Angeline's eyes flickered open, the last place she expected to be was on top of somebody's chest. She could hear a steady heartbeat beneath her, feeling the slow rise and fall of the person's body. For a split second, she had no recollection of the day before, and then everything suddenly came flooding back all at once.

Angeline had slept with Mitch. She'd had a nightmare. Mitch had comforted her.

She would have thought he'd have brushed her off of him, but hours later, she was still there. Angeline swallowed, her brain a mess of different thoughts as she contemplated getting up now. Mitch was awfully comfortable for a six foot assassin with slight anger issues.

However, the thought of him waking up and finding her still on top of him had her cringing, so the brunette hauled herself away. Surprisingly, Mitch didn't stir, his hazel eyes remaining shut as he lay on his back. Angeline stared at him for a few seconds before she moved into the bathroom, looking in the mirror.

Zimmerman's handprints were bruised to her skin, but across her collarbones and towards the bottom of her neck were bruises left by Mitch's mouth. Her fingers reached up and she brushed over them, wondering for a few seconds if it would ever happen again between them. She couldn't lie and say she didn't want it to happen, because she did.

Angeline could see herself getting well and truly addicted to Mitch.

But those butterflies that had filled her stomach when he'd helped her clean up after... Angeline didn't like them very much at all. The thought of falling for Mitch was terrifying. It would be setting herself up for heartbreak and loneliness. Mitch had a career and a busy life and he was a little bit older than her. She still had to go to college and pursue her own life.  They were two completely different people. It would never in a billion years work.

She grabbed her toothbrush and began to brush her teeth. Today was most likely going to be more driving around, much to her dismay. She thought surely that they would be near the safe house by now, but Mitch never told her where they were or where they were going. It was frustrating, but she understood why he was doing it.

Her mind went back to the conversation that they'd been having before they had gotten distracted by each other yesterday. Angeline didn't see why she couldn't give the codes to Mitch. She believed he was just being stubborn; that he knew he would get her to the safe house in one piece so she could give the codes herself. Yet Angeline thought it was ridiculous for him to be so sure of himself when everything was so unpredictable right now.

Anything could happen to her, and then the only people who knew the codes would be her father. And that was very, very dangerous.

"We need to talk," Angeline said as soon as she reentered the room, finding Mitch sat up and running a hand through his thick hair.

Mitch glanced across at her, his jaw clenching a little. "You're right. What happened between us... It cannot go past anymore than just sex. You have to swear to me that you don't feel anything for me, Angeline."

Angeline wasn't expecting him to say that. She had meant that they needed to talk about her telling him the codes, not about their new relationship - whatever it was. Her heart tugged a little bit and she felt taken aback.

Rather than expressing it, she released a dry chuckle. "How cocky of you to think that, Mitch." She raised a brow. "I agree. No feelings, just sex. It won't be a problem for me... Will it be one for you?"