His eyebrows went up. ‘Even krakens?’
She shrugged again. Slowly the laughter died.
Valenti had to mentally shake his head to remember the point he’d been trying to make a few minutes ago. The point conclusively trounced by her explanation, another corner of his chest replaced by a sensation eerily close to surprise. And respect. ‘So a few people benefit from what you do. Doesn’t take away the fact that it’s not worth putting yourself in danger.’
‘I didn’t put myself in danger. Don’t you get it? Social media isn’t responsible. Freaks aren’t just limited to online. They operate in real life too. Besides, this isn’t my first—’ She grimaced, cursing under her breath, but it was too late.
Shock and cold fury swept through him. ‘Go on, don’t hold back from telling me this psycho isn’t the first person to hassle you,’ he said, teeth gritted.
Her lashes swept down. A second later, he was cupping her chin, raising her gaze to the deep scrutiny of his. ‘Answer me, Lotte.’
‘There was a guy…at university.’
The coarse curse that left him turned the air black.
Her pert nose wrinkled. ‘You’re about to lose it again, aren’t you?’
‘Is the sky outside blue?’
She licked her lips, and he felt as if she’d licked every erogenous zone on his body, which was damn inconvenient when he was livid enough to start world-ending blazes. ‘Who was he?’
‘It doesn’t—’
‘It matters. And if you know what’s good for you, you’ll quit stalling and give me the information I’m asking for. Starting with his name.’ He barely took a breath before he snapped. ‘Now, Lotte.’
‘Hans Wilden,’ she volunteered with an equal snap.
He rose to his feet slowly. Against his will. Because he wanted to keep exploring her warm silky skin. Reassure himself she was okay. Because far from the calm, unremarkable morning he’d been hoping for after last night’s turbulence, all they seemed to have achieved was more upheaval.
Starting with that tumble she’d nearly taken.
A residual shiver shook through him, the moment when she’d careened towards that rocky decline replaying starkly through his brain.
But he bunched that traitorous hand, marched into his office and returned with his satellite phone. His call was answered on the first ring. ‘Yes, sir?’
‘Hans Wilden. Recent graduate of Reykland University. Age?’ he asked her.
‘Same as me. I think.’
‘Find out everything you can about him. And more importantly, find out where he is at this exact moment and keep him under surveillance until I say otherwise.’
‘Yes, sir.’
He swung away from her, stalked to the window.
For a full minute he stared unseeing out at the half-frozen landscape. His thoughts ran helter-skelter, and yet he knew the exact moment she approached and stopped behind him. His skin jumped with the need to snatch her close, plaster that svelte, alluring,forbiddenbody to his.
‘At the risk of repeating myself yet again, my job is to keep you safe. Yours is to help me achieve that goal. Which part of that do you not understand?’
‘The part where you tell me whether it’s guilt driving you. Or something else.’
The words were whispered. But they roared through him like a two-ton cannon.
Myriad expressions flitted over his face after her stark demand.
Lotte held her breath,willedhim to speak his truth, and end this torture once and for all. But apparently, the fact-seeking was at an end. By royal decree.
Because, without answering or glancing her way, Valenti left the living room.
