He uncrossed his arms and straightened once again. “I know you won’t be able to forgive me for what I did and that you’ll never forget that I was once Rhiannon’s…” he trailed off.
“Minion,” I supplied.
He huffed a laugh. “For lack of a better word, yes.” He swallowed. “But I won’t make the same mistakes twice. I made a piss poor choice when I fell in with Rhiannon.” His eyes lost focus, as he stared straight through me. “People were hurt and I could have prevented it. Instead I chose to focus on myself and pursue what I wanted. Even if everyone else could forgive me, I’ll never forgive myself.”
I understood exactly what he meant. I had similar demons. When my selfishness had put others at risk, when people had gotten hurt because of it, it had taken me a long time to move on. The Goddess blessed me with amazing power and gifts. I had a responsibility to use them wisely and to help others and I hadn’t always lived up to that responsibility.
“Anyway, even if she used magical means to hide her financials, there’s always a paper trail. It’s nearly impossible to hide everything when it comes to money.”
Considering him for a moment, I asked, “And do you intend to share the information when you get it?”
The vulnerable expression left Macgrath’s face. The smirk was back and I realized he used it as a mask. A way to keep others at arm’s length. “That depends.”
“On?”
“A lot of things,” he replied, getting to his feet.
I scowled at his non-answer. “Care to be more specific?”
“Not really.” His tone was bored and it was pissing me the hell off. He reached for the door handle.
With a wave of my hand, I sealed the door shut. “Well, I would prefer a little more information before I blindly take your word.”
Macgrath laughed and faced me, leaning his back against the door and crossing his arms over his chest. “And you think locking me in here will encourage me to talk? Because there’s a small flaw in your logic.”
I mirrored his pose, crossing my arms as well. “Please, enlighten me.”
There was definitely something wrong with me because I was enjoying this. The verbal fencing, the tension that simmered between us, I liked it. It was exciting and invigorating.
Macgrath pushed off the door, dropped his arms to his sides, and crossed the short distance between us. My muscles grew tight as he leaned over me and placed his hands on the arms of my chair. Our faces were only a foot apart, close enough that I could see the emerald of his irises and the sunburst of gold that surrounded his pupils, spiking into the green like the points of a star. He also smelled of leather and soap and another scent that I couldn’t place. Something earthier.
“If you think that locking me in this room with you will make me talk, you’re wrong. Being close to you, even trapped in a room with you, isn’t a punishment, Ava.” His gaze moved over my face, hesitating for a bit too long on my mouth. Then his lips quirked in a wicked half-smile. “It only gives me all sorts of interesting ideas.” He inhaled deeply and the amber in his irises glowed. He stared at me, his gaze probing and intense. “And I’d give anything to know what you’re thinking right now.”
Thinking? I couldn’t think. All I could do was feel. My body alternately throbbed and tingled, my fingertips itching with the need to touch him. Heat spread beneath my skin. I was quickly losing all semblance of control.
Then reason pierced the spell he’d woven around me. I was letting that stupid dream weaken my defenses. The Macgrath in that dream wasn’t the vampire standing before me. He was a fantasy, created by my subconscious. The real Macgrath, the one standing before me, was an enigma. His smiles weren’t as warm or genuine, and he carried darkness within him. He was dangerous and… thrilling in a different way.
Still, I couldn’t trust him. Not yet. Now that I knew we shared similar demons, I found myself more willing to give him a chance, but he had a long way to go before he’d prove himself trustworthy.
I lifted a hand and the wicked smile on his face faded, replaced by surprise and more than a little hunger. He sucked in a sharp breath when my fingers touched his chest. The heat radiated from him, through the soft cotton, and down my arm, but I remained focused on my plan.
“Ava,” he whispered, lowering his face until our mouths were the barest inch apart and our breath mingled.
I let a small spark of power flow through my arm and out my fingertips. Macgrath jumped back.
“Fuck me!”
I couldn’t help myself. I laughed. “Not today, vampire.”
He rubbed his chest with a hand then grinned. “But another day?”
I laughed again. “You can dream.”
The smile on his face dropped away. “I always dream of you.”
Taken aback, I did nothing to stop him when he left the room.
