Страница 112 из 349
I fight the need to lecture her again. I ignore the rampant pulse demanding I go to her and purge all the bullshit clogging my veins.
I need to stay away. And I want to be close.
The opposing forces are pulling me apart.
It doesn’t take long for her to come inside on her own, dragging the blanket behind her. Wordlessly, she demands all my attention even though I don’t look at her. It’s enough that I feel her through every beat of my pulse.
I anticipate every softly padded footstep as she approaches. I hear the delicate scrape of the blanket against the furniture as she draws near.
“I’m sorry I scared you.” She stops beside me, within arm’s reach.
I keep chewing, keep venting my frustration on the food I’m decimating between my teeth. It’s not safe to talk. Not yet. There’s still too much adrenaline eating up my marrow.
She drops the blanket to the floor and scoots onto the chair beside me, the smooth skin of her legs eating up my peripheral vision.
“When I came here with my family, I was never allowed outside,” she speaks softly. “When I was little, we were given excuses—either the lawn had been sprayed with weed chemicals or a wild animal had been seen in the neighborhood. As we got older, the excuses stopped, but the rule of staying inside always remained. We were told it wasn’t safe, no matter how many armed men guarded the property.”
She sucks in a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “When I woke up this afternoon, the house felt different. For the first time since my mother died, this place didn’t seem like a prison. And when I came into the living room and found it flowing with warmth and sunlight, I couldn’t resist breaking my father’s rules. I think I actually needed to break them to prove to myself I’m not living in his gilded cage anymore.”
She’s not helping to lower my pulse. I don’t care what story she has or how many rules she wants to break.
I shove the last piece of lasagna in my mouth and push from the seat, dumping the dirty plate in the sink.
“You’re going to ignore me now?”
I clutch the counter and bite back a snarl. “You accused me of being an asshole. I’m keeping my mouth shut to stop you from flinging the same insult again.”
“You were being an asshole.”
“And I’ll continue to be if we keep talking about this bullshit. There’s a fucking reason you weren’t allowed outside, Keira.”
“I know… Like I said, I’m sorry.”
“You need to be more careful until we know who the enemy is.” I turn to face her, one hand still clutching the kitchen counter. “Mistakes like that could get us both killed.”
She winces, and the pained expression deals me another generous hand of guilt.
“I’m not trying to be an asshole,” I grate. “I’m—”
“I don’t have a problem with your honesty. It’s how similar you sound to my father.”
My muscles tense, every inch of me growing rigid. “I’ll never be anything like him, or anyone else in your family, for that matter. The only thing we have in common is our need to keep you safe.”
She nods, her eyes turning somber.
I want to go to her. To touch. To soothe. But that won’t achieve a thing, not when my anger will turn to lust and we’ll be fucking in the space of a heartbeat. “Who were you talking to on the phone?”
Her lips fall into a flat line, then seconds later she’s beaming me a deceptive smile. “Friends. I wanted them to know I’m okay.”
Anxiety and distraction—that’s the story her features give. Lies and deceit. Fucking hell. For once, I wish I could believe her.
“Friends?” I approach, moving to stand beside her chair. “I bet they were happy to hear from you.”
She nods. “Yeah, they were.”
I hold out a hand. “Can I have a look at the phone?”
“Why?” Her brows knit tight. “It’s almost out of battery.”
“I won’t take long.” I keep my hand outstretched, waiting, scrutinizing.
She doesn’t move, deliberately masking her expression, removing all sense of emotion to leave me staring at a blank slate. I have to remind myself she has every right not to trust me, but fuck, sometime soon I hope this tiresome game will end.
“Who were you really talking with?”
Her jaw tightens and she inches forward, about to slide from the chair.
“You weren’t talking to friends, were you?” I growl.
More adrenaline floods my veins as I wonder what trouble is headed our way.
She’s smarter than this.
I could’ve sworn she was.
She scowls. “You’re being an asshole again.”
“An asshole who fucking cares about you.” I return her look of defiance. “You still don’t get it. I’m here for you. No one but you. Why is it so hard to tell me the fucking truth?”
“Because trust doesn’t come easily.” She raises her voice. “I’m trying, Sebastian. I shared the story about my childhood, didn’t I? I’m letting you in as fast as I can, but it takes time.”
“We don’t have time if you’re using a traceable phone.”
“It’s not traceable.” She scoots off the chair, her feet landing on the tile beside mine, bringing us chest to chest. “I may have done a few stupid things, but I’m not completely dense.”
I keep my hands at my sides, instead of where they want to be—on her arms. I’m so fucking angry, but all I can see are those eyes. That mouth. The tongue that glides out to moisten her lower lip.
She tilts her face toward mine, the temptation getting closer.
“Did you tell anyone where we are?” I inch forward, her breath faintly brushing my skin.
“No.”
My hips press into hers, my hardening cock pulsing between us. “Did you say anything that could risk your safety?”
She swallows and shakes her head. “No.”
Damn it to hell. I’ve never been more caught up in a woman like this before. I’ve never been this intrigued. This enslaved.
I want her.
I need her.
I have to fucking have her.
“You should get out of here before I do something we both regret.”
Her breath hitches, and those intense blue eyes flare. “Again, no.”