‘Yes,’ he said softly. ‘I believe so. The ME will confirm it. Someone is trying to set us up.’
‘You could have – should have – told me all of this a week ago when it happened.’
‘Perhaps I should have,’ he conceded. ‘But I didn’t know why someone would take the head, what it would be used for, and his family are upset that he broke my order. They would suffer shame if it was widely known, so I didn’t want to involve the Connection.’
‘I’m not just the Connection, Robbie,’ I said, exasperated. ‘I’m your mate.’
He stilled. ‘That’s the first time you’ve acknowledged it out loud, Inspector.’
‘Well,’ I sighed, ‘it seems like today is the day for accepting bonds.’ I met his stormy eyes. ‘And I accept you, Robbie. There’s something between us, something unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before, and I don’t want to run from it. Don’t think I could if I tried.’
He stood and walked over before kneeling in front of me. He took my hand in his giant one, and if we hadn’t been fighting, it would have been romantic. ‘I’m sorry,’ he murmured. ‘I made a mistake, keeping it from you. I thought I was doing the right thing, rather than telling you and having to ask you to keep it off the record. I didn’t want to place you in a difficult position.’
My hand was so warm in his large one, and my skin tingled pleasantly from the touch. ‘I appreciate that, but I am a big girl. I get to make my own choices, but I need all the information to do so. I don’t need to know everything about your life, Robbie, but I need to know more. You come here, and you see me, but there’s still so much I don’t know about you.’
He studied me, still kneeling at my feet. ‘All my life,’ he said softly, ‘I have been different. Half ogre, half piper. Too human for one, too creature for the other. I hold my cards tightly to my chest because when I’ve shared them with others, they’ve been mocked.’
‘I won’t ever do that,’ I promised fiercely.
He smiled. ‘I know. I’ll try harder to share with you, but it’s difficult. It doesn’t come naturally to me.’
‘Nor does it to me. I accept that sometimes there might be confidential things you can’t share with me, and at times I may have the same issue with you, but all we can do is try our best not to block each other out. Be honest if there is something you can’t tell me, but don’t lie, don’t omit. And I’ll do the same. Can you do that for me?’
‘That, Inspector, I can do.’
‘Get up then, you big lug.’ I pulled him off the floor and tugged him onto the sofa next to me. ‘I think that was our first fight,’ I said, breaking the fragile silence that had formed.
He looked at me, but his eyes were still reserved, wary. He’d hurt me, and he knew it. ‘It wasn’t so bad.’
‘No, but now it’s time for us to kiss and make up.’
A slow smile drew across his face. ‘Actually, I think I like this fighting thing.’
I hit him lightly, a laugh escaping me. ‘I think I prefer the making-up part.’
He moved towards me, slow and certain, and I’d be lying if I said the anticipation of his touch wasn’t vibrating through me. Not as good as anactualvibrator, but close.
The air between us was charged and before I could say another word, he tumbled me back onto the sofa. I groaned as he used his weight to pin me down, just enough to make me feel utterly desired. Sexy. His mouth found mine in a kiss that stole what air I had left, all heat and apology and want tangled together.
His fingers skimmed up under my shirt, towards my lace-covered breasts.
Then he froze like a gargoyle in the sun.
His hand trembled against my side. His gaze, which had been molten a moment ago, cooled into something else. Concern.
‘Stacy,’ he rasped, low and uncertain. ‘Your scars. I—’ He swallowed, eyes flicking down to where his hand rested, careful as if he’d just realised he might break me. ‘I don’t want to inadvertently remind you of anything.’
I cupped his cheek, forcing him to meet my eyes. I had demanded honesty from Robbie, the highs and the lows, and he deserved nothing less from me. But as it would for him, it would take time for me to reveal it all.
We had time, but I could still give him something. ‘I wasn’t raped. Wasn’t hurt that way.’
‘You were hurt in other ways.’ His voice was dark.
‘Do they bother you? The scars?’ I could still recall the way Sam had recoiled when he found them during a hot-and-heavy make-out session. ‘You wouldn’t be the first to—’
‘I could kill Radcliffe,’ he said conversationally, and I wasn’t sure whether it was a statement or an offer.
‘Please don’t,’ I said just in case.
