Operation: One percent

Chapter 24

Margaret 

Ace practically force-fed me with soup, so I don't become dehydrated. Tension slithered through the air, my hands shaking against my orders. All I could think about was getting those pills.

Leaning against the wall, arms crossed, he seemed to always look through the window. Is he keeping watch?

"How did you know where I live?"

Not turning to me, he responded.

"The visit card that I gave you. It contains a tracking chip, so if anyone is near me when I don't want them to be, I would know."

"Isn't that a gamble? What if I were to throw it out?"

He shifted sideways, giving me a response.

"I guess people think of my contact info as too important to do that. It hasn't happened yet."

He is either paranoid or cautious. I think he is smart. 

Even with faux candlelights that warmed up the room, the pressure was unrelenting, as I saw that they had another post-off tonight. That means, they changed their post-offs to weekly perhaps? Calmed with enough credits to cover the post off tonight, but what about the next time? I need to coddle him to let me go.

When he thought I wasn't looking, Ace ran his fingers through the top layers of his stylish undercut, the movement making the sleek strands fall back into their original place perfectly. I couldn't help but notice the flex of his bicep, stretching the fabric of his white blouse, an odd flutter in my chest reacting to the sight.

Suddenly, he turned his head and caught my gaze. I froze as he caught me staring, but a smirk played at the corner of his lips, stormy eyes sparkling with mischief. Ace closed the space between us, putting his hand in his pockets. He leaned in closer to me, his perfume in a seductive combination with the heat emanating from his body.

"You like what you see?"  

My throat dried up at the suggestive tone. 

"Because... I could swear that you were checking me out several times so far."

But I wasn't about to be a flustered damsel. 

"Interesting you should say that because I was about to ask the same thing." 

Pulling back, his eyes burned with desire.

"If you wanted to run your fingers through my hair, all you needed to do was ask. I wouldn't mind."

The iris of his eyes expanded, as he licked his lips. He reached out to caress the nape of my neck, goosebumps spreading through my skin like wildfire at the contact. 

Suddenly, I remembered that I have a tattoo there, and I snapped the spine of the spell between us.

"I think we are both having a case of cabin fever, don't you think?"

Noticing the sudden drop in temperature, he pulled back his hand, Adams's apple jumping as he swallowed. He didn't say anything to that, he only nodded, dejected. 

"Well, we will be here for a while, so might as well get to know each other a bit better."

"Alright, I will play your little game. But let's make it more fun and have a bet." Ace said.

"What kind of bet?"

"I will be able to call you out on any lie that you say. If you are successful I will let you go, but if I win, you will tell me how did you manage to keep your thoughts unposted."