“I worry talking about my life will give you nightmares.”
The way his tone stroked velvet caresses over her skin was a revelation in just how easily Diego could bring every nerve ending in her body to sizzling life. She hadn’t known she could ever react to a man physically the way she did to him.
“I want to know every detail of your life, Diego. If it’s something that causes nightmares, I want to share that with you. Hopefully, by telling me, it will lighten that burden in you.”
He caught at her chin, forcing her head up until she had no choice but to meet the full intensity of his dark gaze. She felt color rising beneath her skin. She hadn’t ever considered that she would flirt with a man or, in this case, be brazen enough to tell him the truth. Her truth. She was all but declaring her growing feelings for him.
“My sister was horrified that I had saved the rabbit. She was the only one I told. I showed her the little guy, and she backed away from it. She told me only the devil could have done such a thing and I had to get rid of it. She told me never to tell anyone I could do such a thing and not to do it again.”
Was there shame in his voice? The hard lines in his handsome features remained exactly the same. She was staring into his eyes, and she couldn’t see shame, but she still felt it in him. In his heart. In his soul. His own sister had said those things to him. An older sister. One he admired and thought of as practically the shining light in their home, yet his saintly sister copied his mother when it came down to it. She had all but destroyed her younger brother in that moment.
It was no wonder he never allowed anyone to know of his healing skills. He hadn’t told Rubin or his GhostWalker unit for what he believed was a very good reason.
“When they found out Rubin was able to heal, did they view it as coming from the devil too?”
She felt his instant rejection. His body stiffened, and his hands clamped down on her hard enough that if she fought him, she would bruise. He didn’t frighten her. Nothing about him did. She remained relaxed, leaning into him, sharing his personal space. It felt intimate and weirdly right.
“They never knew about Rubin. And if you knew him, you’d understand why no one could ever think that Rubin’s incredible talent comes from the devil.”
She caught the warning in his tone. She doubted if he even knew it was there. Instead of being put off, Leila liked him all the more for his intense loyalty to his brother. She wanted him to have that same allegiance directed toward her.
“What happened to the baby rabbit?” She dared to hope that he hadn’t destroyed it as his sister had instructed. “Did you kill it?”
For the first time, he looked uncomfortable, his gaze sliding away from hers. “I couldn’t do that. It was really tiny and helpless. I hid it, made a warm burrow for it and fed it myself. When I left the house, I’d carry it with me against my skin.” Faint color actually crept under his skin. He not only sounded embarrassed but looked it as well.
She hugged him tighter. “You’re so incredible, Diego. Truly wonderful. If I wasn’t already falling hard for you, that right there would have done it for me.”
His eyebrow shot up, and all trace of embarrassment disappeared. Once more, he looked the confident, commanding man she knew him to be. A trace of male amusement showed in hiseyes, setting off a series of spinning roller coasters in her stomach. She just managed to avoid pressing her hand over the spot in an effort to still the chaos.
“For being my warrior woman, you certainly have more compassion in you than is good for you. It’s a wonder you can function in the field.”
She was aware of the underlying serious question. “It’s different. The men I hunt aren’t innocent. They aren’t helpless. They have every chance to kill me.”
Leila felt him wince. His arms tightened into the steel bands around her again as if he could shield her from the assignments she carried out.
“The idea of you facing them alone without backup doesn’t sit well with me.”
“When you’re used to working within a team, that makes sense to you, Diego, but I’ve never worked with anyone else. I don’t ever depend on someone else. I know if I get into trouble, no one is coming. I have to figure out how to get in and out of wherever I’m going without a hitch. I also don’t have the responsibility of looking out for anyone else. It’s just me, and I can just worry about myself.”
She pushed back against his arms, signaling she was ready to get off his lap. She was all too aware of him and how vulnerable she’d made herself. He dropped his arms at that slight signal, and she slid off his thighs to stand in front of him, her hands on his shoulders to steady herself.
“Thank you, Diego. You have no idea how much I appreciate you.”
He turned his head and brushed a kiss along the back of her hand. “I’m not sure what I’ve done to deserve a thanks.”
“A million times you could have taken advantage of me or just misconstrued what I was doing, but you didn’t.”
His smile transformed his face, causing fireworks to detonate in the very center of her core. The sparkles radiated outward along every nerve ending and rushed through her bloodstream with little electrical sparks.
“Don’t think you’re out of the woods, sweetheart. I have every intention of taking advantage of you, just not until you’re one hundred percent.”
That should have made her happy, but she found herself wishing she was already one hundred percent or that he would put aside his gentlemanly behavior.
“Are we going to take bets with our little shooting match?”
She settled back in her chair and picked up the weapon of her choice, examining it carefully before loading it.
“That wouldn’t be exactly fair,” Diego pointed out.
