The skin around his eyes crinkled and his brows drew down low.
“The one you tossed across the room because you made a sensible call.You were right, I had had enough.”She pressed her teeth into her lower lip.“I trust you, Spook.I always have.Nothing you’ve done or said has ever given me cause to question that.”
“Except sleeping with my mate.”
She glanced down at their knees.“That’s a different issue.One we’re probably not done talking about, but how about you don’t try and sidetrack me with it either?”
“Okay,” he agreed, half convincing her it hadn’t been done in a conscious effort to sway the conversation.
“Did I do something wrong?Was there a specific thing that set you off?”
That had him shaking his head again.“No.Never.It’s not you.It’s not anything you’ve ever done.Genuinely, Alle, it’s all me and the screwed up nonsense in my head.I do want you.Honest to God, I do.”
His words rang with the sort of emotional sincerity it was impossible to discount.She believed him insomuch as he believed what he was saying was the truth.That didn’t mean she was a hundred per cent convinced.There were plenty of doubts in her mind.If there’d been no issue regarding Xane, then that might be different, but honestly, it was difficult to blot out the fact that he hadn’t panicked over shagging Xane.
“What?”he asked, peering intently at her.
“Did you have a panic attack last night when you were with him?”
“Oh, Alle.”Spook pushed his hair back off his face.“That was different.Wholly different.You can’t, and shouldn’t, compare the two.”
How the hell was she supposed not to?“Answer the question, Spook.Did you panic when you were with him?”
He didn’t move a muscle.Instead he stared at her, as if even a twitch of his eyes might indicate an answer.
Alle cast the throw back off her legs and stood.
“Where are you—” he began, rising and following her as she headed across the room to the door.
“I think it’s better if I sleep in my own bed tonight.”
“Alle, no.No.”He caught up with her as she reached the door and slammed his palm against the wood, preventing her from leaving.“Don’t, please.”His hot breath tickled her ear.“Please stay.Please.”
She stared hard at the wood grain.He’d talked a lot tonight.Given her a great deal of himself.He was obviously anxious and emotional.Maybe she was expecting too much.Slowly, she turned around.There wasn’t a whole lot of space between them, and he still had his hand braced against the door to the left of her head.With his other hand, he caught the fiery strands of her hair.
“Please stay.Let’s try this again, eh?”
She couldn’t quite bring herself to look at him.She’d fracture if she did.After earlier, she thought she was done crying, but tears were gathering, ready to spill.How could he be with Xane and not her?Whatever the reasons, it would still emotionally skewer her.
“Give me a second chance, please, Alle.”
“A chance to do what?”
“Make it happen.”
She blinked, but it was already too late.One traitorous drop escaped and rolled heavy down her cheek.Spook caught it with his thumb, which only prompted a second to follow.This time, he kissed the salt track, then both of her eyelids.
“I do want you, you precious, precious woman.I don’t want the insanity that’s been the last few days to devour what we have.Xane is a friend, but it’s you who is precious to me.Alle, I admit my recent actions might not make it seem that way, but it’s the truth.I love you, Allegra Hutton.I very much want to make love to you.Very, very much.So, I’m rather hoping you’ll stay and let me prove that.”
“You’ve just had a panic attack, I don’t think—”
He cut her off, driving his mouth down upon hers, and devouring her with a multitude of desperate kisses, the sort that made her fingers curl against his bare flesh, and left her body alight and aching with need.Of course she wanted this.Of course she didn’t really want to go, but where would it lead?If they got as far as almost again, she didn’t think she could take the wound to her heart if he panicked again.
“Give me your hand, Alle.I want you to feel how much I want you.”He cupped his hand over the back of hers, guiding her to touch him.“See how much you turn me on?Feel that?”He was hard against her palm as she curled her fingers around him.“That’s all for you.Every bit of it.That’s what you do to me.You make me want what I haven’t wanted.No one has tempted me in a decade.No one, and believe me, plenty have tried.”
“Except Xane.”
“No one,” he repeated.“It wasn’t a seduction, Alle.It was chaos and rage.Pain relief not passion.We’ll always have a bond, but I meant what I said about not wanting a relationship with him.He’s too much a slave to his emotions.”
