Body Box: Adult Paranormal Romance (Supernatural Thriller) (Dark Suspense) (The Smoke & Fire Series Book 2)

by Michele Wesley

  Kevin handed him one of his clean, white wifebeaters.

  “Put that on. I’ll get the needle and thread ready.”

  Kris accepted the shirt.

  “Can I use your bathroom?”

  Kevin pointed.

  “Yeah, that way.”

  Kris headed towards the bathroom, staring oddly at the shirt he'd been given.

  Chapter 8

  Surprise!

  Kevin was hard at work on his laptop when Kris exited the bathroom.

  “Are you ready to sew me up?”

  Thrown off by the change in Kris’s voice, Kevin’s hand automatically reached for his weapon as he spun around.

  Shocked, he pointed his weapon at—

  Who in the hell was this?

  The voice came from a creamy caramel-skin, model-slim woman. She could only raise one hand, since the other gripped the waistband of a pair of oversized jeans that threatened to slide down her small frame, if she let go.

  Kevin was at a loss. He peek around the woman for Kris.

  “Who in the hell are you, and how in the hell did you get in here?”

  Despite him aiming his gun in her direction, the woman suppressed a smile.

  “Kevin, it’s me, Kris. It occurred to me when I headed to the bathroom that I should have told you I was good with disguises. It’s my specialty and one of the reasons Top recruited me.”

  Kevin wasn’t convinced, so Kris used a male voice and it only freaked him out more and made him reluctant to lower his weapon. After a minute of just staring, Kevin aimed his weapon down; but he didn’t put it away. He slinked towards the woman that claimed to be Kris.

  She stood motionless, to let him determine whether or not she was the enemy.

  Kevin didn't stare, he gawked, his mouth slightly agape.

  Had his eyes betrayed him?

  A moment ago, he was sure Kris was a young man. It wasn't possible to replace the woman he stared at, with the little guy he’d been hanging with.

  He, she, or whatever the hell it was, had taken out the cornrows and long wavy dark hair hung over her shoulders. Even her skin appeared darker than it was before. What was before a light caramel complexion was now slightly darker, but light enough that he couldn't discern her race. She appeared to be a mixture of several. There was no mistaking one fact, Kris was now a woman.

  Kevin circled her three times, his gaze sweeping her from head to her feet. The only sound came from his shuffling feet and the hum of heating unit in the background.

  Kevin slowed his words.

  “I don’t scare easily, but you scared the shit out of me. I have questions.”

  Kris smiled.

  “Shoot. Well, maybe that’s not the right word, considering you drew your gun on me. Ask your questions, and I’ll answer as best I can.”

  “Are you a girl or a boy? How in the hell did you change your skin? Your face? I have seen disguises but nothing like that—this. You had the face of a teen boy, a different person. My senses rarely fail me. I am sure you were a different person.”

  Kevin continued to circle Kris as he waited for answers.

  “I’m a girl. This is truly me. Like I mentioned before, I’m sort of what others consider a master at disguises. It’s easier for me to pretend to be a man, since I have done so for many years and have done it in over ninety percent of my assignments.”

  Kevin tilted his head so his gaze could sweep her from a different angle. He gripped both her arms at her shoulders and squeezed. Kris stood still and let him inspect her. He patted her down as if she were a suspect.

  She was slender but definitely all woman. Her features were elegant, soft, and delicate enough for him to understand her need to disguise herself as a man. She couldn't have been taller than five-two, but she stood on a sturdy frame that radiated strength. Her adorable eyes never stopped smiling despite her facial expression.

  Kris was such a beautiful woman, Kevin found it difficult to understand how she’d transformed into a man. She’d not only smelled like a man, but her mannerisms and body language had never faltered.

  “So, is this your natural skin? Face? Body? The you…that can’t be changed?”

  She inclined her head.

  “I can tell that you aren’t one to be fooled easily; but this is me, all naturally me. There aren’t many people who have seen me without my disguise. Since you’re a fellow agent, I was hoping to get stitched up without making a trip to the hospital. The hospitals ask too many questions and need too much paperwork.”

  Kevin’s gaze continued to rake her body.

  “I apologize for staring, but you made such a convincing guy; it’s hard to believe that…he was—is—you.”

  Kris bit her lip to hide a smile before she headed towards the sink.

  “I have worked with a few agents, numerous times; and each time, they believe it’s the first.”

  Kevin inclined his head.

  “It explains why you’re not worried that I messed up your little gang indoctrination. You can regroup and transform yourself into another guy.”

  It was astonishing. She’d found a way to embody the opposite gender.

  How?

  Kevin watched as she used the coffeemaker to boil water.

  She glanced back.

  “Believe it or not, I have screwed up more than a few assignments and then recovered them myself. Can’t make the same mistake twice, right?”

  He studied her every move as she sterilized the needle and thread. He averted his eyes when she glanced at the mirror and caught him staring.

  Her face twisted in amusement.

  “I don’t blame you for staring. You, and only a few others, know my true identity.”

  Kevin inclined his head and watched, in fascination, as she dragged a chair to the vanity so she could sit. The fact that his acute senses hadn’t sensed the fact that she was a female was amazing. Was he losing his edge?

  He could literally sniff out almost anything; but when Kris was a man, all he sensed was a man. What was more perplexing was her trusting him with her identity.

  The more he stared, the more he started to appreciate her better as a woman.

  As a woman, Kris was gorgeous. The greenish-brown of her sparkling eyes complimented her soft and delicate features. Her wearing his shirt didn’t help his admiring eyes. She was slender for his taste, but her beauty was undeniable.

  He eased into her personal space, to get a better look at the wound.

  She slid her hand inside the shoulder of the sleeve and slid it down, revealing a large gash on the back of her shoulder. She’d been right about needing stitches; the gash was deep and jagged. The shirt was a loose fit on her, so his gaze swept a large portion of her back.

  “You have no other scars? Is this your first injury?”

  His hand automatically skimmed across her skin, making her jump.

  “I’ve had many scars, been stabbed and shot, but my scars heal clean.”

  His forehead creased. He’d never known for gunshots or stabs wounds to heal cleanly. He carried wounds he’d take to his grave.

  His hand hovered over the gash that opened her shoulder. The wound resembled a lightning strike.

  “Well, this cut will definitely leave a scar.”

  When she lifted the shirt to fully expose her back to him, the large shirt combined with the mirror, gave him a glimpse of her perfect round breasts. She adjusted the shirt, quickly, and settled it over her chest. Her cheeks flashed a reddish tint. Clearly, she hadn’t intended to flash him.

  Kevin cleared his throat.

  “How’s your pain tolerance?”

  Her mirrored reflection displayed an uncomfortable smile.

  “I was about to take a beating to gain headway on my assignment. Need I say more?”

  “No,” he answered, still reeling over her transformation.

  He reached into the first-aid kit for the peroxide. He placed a towel under the wound before pouring the liquid. The peroxide sizzled and
bubbled, eating away anything that didn’t belong. He was sure the liquid stung, but Kris didn’t move. She closed one eye, gritted her teeth and endured the sting.

  He picked up the needle and prepared to begin his task.

  Her hands sat out in front of her, propped on the counter as she leaned to give him more exposure to her back. Their eyes met and locked with each glance he shot at her in the mirror. When he shoved the point of the needle through the start of the gash opening, a small frown twisted her face, but she didn’t flinch or cry out.

  Since the needle wasn’t curved, he pinched her skin together and held it in place before each stitch. He ensured the needle punched through both halves of her flesh, before he pulled and tightened the thread that looped through her skin.

  After his third pass, he met her gaze in the mirror, again.

  “You do have a high pain tolerance.”

  Her smile made his gaze linger for a moment.

  “Can you tell this isn’t my first rodeo?”

  He looped the thread through her skin, once more, and tied off the end.

  “I’m nearly finished,” he announced.

  He didn’t have a pair of scissors, so he used his teeth to cut the thread and, inadvertently, caressed her bare skin with his lips. The sensation of his lips brushing her warm, soft skin caused him to pause. It wasn’t until she inched her shoulder up that he jerked his head back and apologized.

  What in the hell is wrong with me?

  ***

  Usually turned off by intimacy, Kris found she’d enjoyed Kevin’s lips on her.

  Hmmm?

  She didn’t speak on their unspoken connection, but she’d noticed it the moment she’d glanced into his face, earlier. His tall medium frame was covered by perfectly tanned glowing skin.

  Pushing away thoughts of his sexy features, she picked up the hand mirror and glanced at his handiwork.

  “Ever considered becoming a doctor?”

  He flashed perfect white teeth.

  “No. But I might consider it, if my current career doesn’t work out.”

  When she reached to pull his shirt back over her head, he stopped her.

  “Wait. I have to cover your wound.”

  He applied the antibiotic ointment she’d pulled from the first-aid kit.

  As he covered the wound with gauze and taped it in place, Kris sensed he liked touching her. His touches were gentle. The delicate placement of his hands left the areas he brushed tingling at the surface. She’d had much worse injuries patched up in half the time. She was getting extra attention and, surprisingly, she enjoyed it.

  Once he’d completed his task, he backed away and turned, to allow her privacy. He turned back when she was finished.

  “Let me check your face and those lacerations on your neck.”

  Her mind said no, but her mouth said, “Okay.”

  The few lacerations and scratches on her face and neck weren’t a concern, until he mentioned them. He let his fingers flutter over her cheek, before he gripped her jaw and tilted her head to observe her neck.

  “It may sting a bit, but I'll clean these wounds.”

  She’d gotten caught in the delicious gaze of his gorgeous amber-brown eyes and missed his statement. “Hah? Okay.”

  What in the hell is wrong with me?

  He cleaned her superficial scrapes with alcohol-soaked swabs. The sting his fingers left on her skin dominated the bite of the alcohol. She closed her eyes to the sensation of his fingers sliding along her cheek. The pulse point in her neck caught fire, as it kept pace with her thundering heartbeat.

  Even with her eyes closed, she sensed him staring. When her eyes flickered open, she found his face inches away from hers. As her face rested in his palm, his thumb stroked the tender skin under her bruised eye. His gaze remained on her lips. She blinked and swallowed the insane impulse she had to kiss him.

  He raised his eyes, deliberately slow to meet hers. When their gazes met and locked, her body spun backwards on its axis. She searched his eyes and fought to understand the surge of emotions that stirred between them. She didn’t even know this man; yet this single moment, this distinct event she shared with him had changed everything she thought she knew about men.

  Her eyes roved, left to right, probing his possessive gaze. Whatever force sizzled between them entered through her eyes and seeped into her mind before claiming her body.

  Kevin’s eyes were devastating all on their own; but when he licked his sexy lips, she had to take a breath or risk suffocating. Instincts that were new to her, insisted she lean in and kiss him; but her mind kept her from making such an insane move. His actions, however innocent they were, had her leg bouncing against the chair. Her fists were clutched so tight, her nails dug into her palms. She couldn’t turn away, nor could she speak.

  His words released her from the mesmerizing hold he’d placed on her.

  “Doesn’t look so bad. You're still beautiful.”

  His flirting words left her breathless and unable to respond.

  The smile on his face likely meant he knew exactly how much he’d unhinged her.

  Chapter 9

  Lemonade and Cheesecake

  After their magnetic connection, Kevin turned away from Kris and busied himself. He gathered and put away the medical supplies and discarded the used gauze. He’d never had a woman affect him like this. Kris had no idea how badly she'd made him want to kiss her, touch her, and taste her. This was a first, especially for him, especially this soon. He didn’t know anything about this woman. Hell, she'd looked just like a teen boy, moments ago.

  He glanced back over his shoulder and smiled at her, but his mind reminded him of how dangerous this woman was. She was the kind of woman you didn’t walk away from. She was the kind that got into your blood and invaded your mind before she figured out how to possess your body.

  In the few seconds he’d stared into her eyes, he found more there than he bargained for and experienced emotions foreign to him. It had taken everything in him, everything, for him not to kiss her lush rosy lips. He imagined her lips sliding against his, between his, all over his.

  How could this be?

  He’d literally just met her and hadn’t missed the fact that she seemed as affected as he was by their connection.

  After he was certain he’d reclaimed control, Kevin turned back to Kris.

  “Where are you staying?”

  “I have a room about thirty minutes away from here. I took a cab here and have been hanging out in the alleys, playing a role to gather information.”

  He understood her work logic. What he didn’t understand was why he couldn’t stop staring at her.

  More at ease with him now, she pranced around his room like they were longtime acquaintances.

  His gaze followed as she walked towards his bed, thumbing through the menus she’d found. She admitted she hadn’t eaten anything substantial since she started her case. This being a roach motel, there was no room service. Instead, there was a stack of takeout menus that sat on the cigarette-burned bedside table.

  She glanced up from the menus.

  “I’m going to place an order, do you want anything?”

  He liked her easygoing spirit.

  “I’ll take whatever you’re having.”

  She eyed him with a paused glare. “I have a big appetite.”

  “You say that like you may order an entire menu. How about, I take a little of whatever you’re having? I’m not that hungry.”

  He was grateful she’d pulled her long-sleeved shirt over his wifebeater. Without a bra, she wasn’t helping his blood pressure.

  Another of her beautiful smiles reached him, making him smile for no reason at all.

  The motel phone had a short in the cord, so she fished around in her jeans for her cell. He watched inquisitively as she ordered two club sandwiches, a fried shrimp platter, fish and chips, a slice of pecan pie, a slice of cheese cake, and two large lemonades.

  Kevin questioned where s
he would put all that food.

  She swiped her phone off and smiled at his surprised glare.

  “I have a big appetite, and I don’t cook; so when I have a chance to eat, I overindulge.”

  He smiled and attempted to shake off the affect she had on him.

  She’d decided to order food.

  Did it mean she'd planned to stick around?

  Not that he planned to put her out. He enjoyed her company. Since she was a fellow agent, it meant he could share with her things he couldn’t tell others.

  Kevin had no idea what had gotten into him. As an agent, he was breaking some major rules in the agent handbook. He turned back to her.

  “You don’t have to leave, if you don’t want to. Not that you can’t handle yourself; but it gets pretty crazy out there at night, even for people like us. This room is huge, and I don’t mind sleeping on the couch.”

  The room wasn’t huge, at all. The couch he spoke of was a rickety and worn loveseat not nearly long enough to hold his six-foot-two length. Kris stared around the space likely thinking the obvious.

  “I don’t want to invade your space, especially not while you’re on an active case. So, I’ll get out of your hair, after I eat.”

  He shrugged.

  “The offer is open, if you’d like to stay.”

  ***

  After the food arrived, they sat at the wobbly table, ate, and shared a few agent war stories. He wasn’t surprised she’d worked in some of the same agent circles as he had. Top was one of the most discreet organizations he knew of. It was safe to assume no one really knew this agent, since they most likely only knew her as a man. Her disguise had been that good.

  She lifted her pecan pie, offering him a bite.

  “You want some?”

  He accepted her offer by sticking his fork into her pie. His actions with her were natural, almost an automatic reflex.

  Why did if feel like they’d known each other for years?

  He found it refreshing and comforting, interacting and talking to someone who seemed to understand him.

  Kevin had never laughed so hard in his life, watching Kris express to him, in exaggerated movements, the ways of men. She’d also shared some of the ways she’d learned to pull off being a man.