A Ruthless Bargain by Zadie Fox

Author:Zadie Fox [Fox, Zadie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781951192235
Publisher: Zadie Fox Books
Published: 2023-08-06T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

I sniffed the air and tried to place the odor. It was that sweet, musky scent from the day before. Eau de Jax, my mind decided, and I smothered the hysterical laughter bubbling beneath the surface. Of course, I was nervous. I’d broken into the room of an alien. Who knew what could happen? I needed to speed things along.

The room was standard-issue motel. Mottled tan-brown worn carpet. Still life of fruit paintings on two of the walls. A midsize television on a scarred brown chest of drawers. Unmade bed, the comforter shoved to the bottom edge. I cocked my head to listen. Water flowing through possibly rusty pipes. The low murmur of voices in neighboring rooms. Even the sound of cars riding over the asphalt breached the thin insulation. That was good, though. I’d hear if someone was approaching.

Nothing personal anywhere visible. I’d start with the drawers. The top drawer slid open with a rumble. It contained basic black socks and underwear. I inserted my hand to move them around, confirming nothing was hidden below. My fingers rubbed along the cotton fabric. As my fingers touched the cloth, an ache built. I shifted my stance, trying to use the movement of my legs to relieve the throbbing between them. The physical response to his intimates perplexed me. I’d really need to sit down when this was all over and explore these weird feelings about what had happened—kept happening—between me and Jax.

For now, though, my overarching need was for answers. With a shaky breath, I thought of being broke and homeless to kill the buzz. It did the trick, like a bucket of cold water had been poured over my head. I turned my attention to the second drawer. It contained t-shirts and workout shorts, also with nothing hidden beneath. The third drawer was unused. Hmm, not helpful.

I moved to the closet and slid open the mirrored door. Several dark suits hung inside, a mix of styles and striping. A pair of sneakers rested on the floor.

Noise from outside the room drew my attention. I froze. Footsteps. I turned my head to listen more closely. They didn’t pause at the door, but they sure had the effect of spurring me to work faster. Although, to be honest, a bit of disappointment surfaced. Did I want to be caught?

Back to my search. The bathroom at first seemed similarly unhelpful. Jax had scattered toiletries around the sink, but they were typical of anyone staying in a motel. Toothbrush and paste. Comb and hair gel. Razor kit. A glance in the combo bath-shower area confirmed soap, shampoo, and conditioner. Then I saw the giant box of baking powder next to the bathtub. Why would someone have that in their hotel bathroom? I ran through the list of what I knew of baking powder’s uses and no legitimate reason to have an economy-sized box came to mind. Its presence tantalized, but without anything else, it felt like a dead end and I needed to shift focus.

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