The warmth behind my back moved to face me. A gun was tucked behind his suit jacket. “You hungry for something special?” He casually gestured to a menu sitting on the bar, like he hadn’t just said those words.
I couldn’t answer. I pushed his glass of whiskey toward him, and then grabbed for mine, taking a deep drink. His mouth came against mine a second later, and our tongues twirled, fire between them.
When we parted, he said, “Special reserve of whiskey just for me. The best in the fucking world.”
I licked my lips and then motioned to the seat next to mine. “I wanted to talk to you in private.”
He looked around and grinned.
I smiled, tucking a wayward curl behind my ear. “Not around everyone in the house.”
“That’s why we have a private room, darlin’.”
“Just sit, Kelly.” I nodded toward the seat again. This had to be done out in public, or maybe I wouldn’t be able to say all that needed to be said. In our “private” room, it was hard to keep my hands to myself. I wanted to jump his bones as soon as he walked into the house.
He nodded to the guy two seats from me, and after the guy nodded back, he took his beer and claimed a table by one of the windows. Kelly took the seat I’d offered after he did.
We faced each other.
I went to take another drink of my whiskey, but he stopped me with a hand. “Speak what’s on your mind.”
I nodded. Fixed the damn curl again. “I want to call a truce.”
He tilted his head a little. “With who, darlin’?”
It took me a second to cool my temper. Was my fight with him so insignificant that he didn’t even notice? “Unlike you, Kelly, I don’t have enemies banging on my door every day. A truce betweenus.” My hand waved between our bodies, and he caught it, placing a kiss on my ring finger.
“All right.” He nodded. “A truce. Between us.”
I watched his face for a moment. It showed nothing but a rugged handsomeness that few possessed and could pull off. “You have no idea what I’m talking about.” I realized that he never felt resistance from me, because compared to what he was up against on the streets, my temper was insignificant.
“To a degree.” He fixed his tie before he looked me in the eye. “I stole your heart without your consent, and you wanted to get even. Now you’re seeing this as something that has the potential to be real between us, and you wantusto give our marriage the respect it demands. The chance it deserves.”
For whatever fucking reason, his words stole the breath from my lungs. “Yes,” I barely got out. “You have the essence of it.”
He tapped the center of his heart with his middle finger once. “No heart.” He tapped his temple with the same finger once. “But I’m still aware of every fucking thing, darlin’.”
Setting his arms on each side of my chair, he pulled it forward like I weighed nothing and leaned in closer. His mouth was a kiss away, but instead, he ran his nose up my cheek and put his mouth close to my ear after my eyes had closed. “The truth of it is,” he breathed out, “some hearts have to be given. Not yours, fierce archer.Ithadto be stolen. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have given it willingly. Not to Stone. Not to me. Not to any man. It’s a fight to the death to earn your love. You’re the most expensive date I’ve ever had.”
“What about yours?” I whispered. “Your heart?”
“What’s inside?” He palmed the pendant he’d given me, the chain probably resting between his fingers. I could feel the pull of it as he slowly moved back.
It took me a minute to open my eyes, and when I did, his eyes were burning a dangerous green. I didn’t think there was a jealous bone in his body, but the color of his eyes were meant to claim and keep.His.
“I haven’t found it yet.” I entwined my hand with his, the chain coming between our fingers. “The key.”
“You haven’t looked hard enough.” He grinned at me, but it wasn’t playful; it was daring. “Prove me wrong.”
Oh, I think I already have, Kelly.
Using the chain, he pulled me even closer and set his lips against mine again. When we pulled away, I got the same dizziness that I did when I held my breath. Stars danced behind my eyes, and I grabbed onto the bar to keep myself grounded.
“I’ll take care of you, Keely Kelly,” he said. “I won’t let you fall again. No truce needed.”
I tried to pull away, but he wouldn’t let me. I had fallen so many times after my sister was killed, from holding my breath, that my Da put a helmet on my head to stop me from damaging my brain. I didn’t know how to live without my other half.
Looking at this man who purposely stole my heart, I didn’t think I could live without him, either. He had somehow stepped into that empty shadow and filled the void, stealing the guilt and the pain. It didn’t hurt as much when he was around.
