Frostbite Read Free Page A

the bathroom, hair damp and body rolled into a hotel towel. Her hair was back to black now. A change from the honey blond worn by her to please the little prince no doubt. Then she dropped the towel for dramatic effect, never one for modesty. Body was still as I remembered it. Bangin’. Pussy probably as good as always.
    That not-so-secret weapon of hers.
    But under me she’d gained other weapons for her arsenal.
    Under me.
    Seeing that look in her eyes, hearing that sexy little sucking sound she makes through her teeth when she cums.
    Hard not to go there considering our history.
    “Need me to tell you?” I replied, taking my own path. A question for a question as I stepped aside and went toward the bathroom. Pretending to be unfazed by her.
    “No. But a girl can never get too much reassurance,” Sophia said as I gazed at her reflection in the mirror. Saw her wink.
    “I’m glad ... you’re okay,” I offered. I really was glad she was okay. Once upon a time I wanted to kill her myself. Almost did. But that was another time. When we were on different sides in a game in which I was unaware I was a participant.
    “Don’t see you expressing your relief.”
    “I got you out, right? Should be enough,” I shot back, knowing how Sophia expressed herself. She was kinda like a guy in terms of sex. Sometimes she just wanted it. Other times it was to serve as a distraction or relieve stress. And probably nothing more stressful than being someone’s captive for who knows how long. But sex also could be a way of apologizing.
    Yet Sophia never apologized for anything.
    Couldn’t start thinking that way about her.
    That she was suddenly caring and considerate.
    And worthy of me reciprocating.
    Thinking like that cost me before.
    Almost my life.
    “Fuck it. Want to play the game? Fine,” she spat as she stormed over to the shopping bags gathered atop her bed. “And where have you been anyway? That wasn’t the first time I’d tried getting a message out to you.”
    “On jobs,” I replied. “Thought I wasn’t needed anyway. And what kind of luck do you have? A fucking harem?”
    “Long story,” she replied, avoiding the topic yet again. I could somewhat fill in the blanks, but wanted her to come clean.
    A lesson for both of us.
    “What happened back in London after I left you?” I inquired.
    “You mean after I left you? ” Sophia corrected me. My mouth clenched, but I quickly relented. Had taught her too much about reading micro expressions, the tiny facial tics that most people were unaware they had. But that told a whole world of information.
    “Let’s agree that we had our differences,” I said.
    “Sure did. You wanted to skulk around in the shadows. Like a fuckin’ Phantom of the Opera,” she ridiculed.
    “And you wanted to be the center of attention. All bright and shiny like the sun. A big ball of hot gas,” I shot back. “Not like I taught you. See where it got you.”
    “A lot of money. Pounds, euros, lira, dollars. That’s where it got me,” she mused while removing the clothes from the bags and holding them up for inspection. I wished that she would hurry and put something on.
    But she didn’t.
    Just kept switching her weight from leg to leg in a rhythmic case of nerves.
    “Come clean. What did you do?” I asked.
    “Nothing,” she said as she held up a blouse that obscured her breasts for the barest of moments. Then she turned her back to me to dig through more clothes.
    “Bullshit,” I said as I admired her silhouette.
    “Okay,” she said with a false sigh, having strung me along enough to her satisfaction. “The prince’s wife. She was worried he was getting too serious with one of his many women. I was supposed get inside and do some digging. Play around. Figure out which one and let her take care of the rest. Involuntary severance.”
    “And?”
    “Motherfucker became too sweet on me for her. Bitch had a change of heart. Broke our agreement then snitched me out. Of course, he