Jethro’s hands clenched by his sides. “And you think a stupid kiss will prove—what will it prove?”
I narrowed my eyes. “That you’re not as cold as you think you are. That you do care—care enough to be affected by kissing your arch enemy.”
Jethro laughed, but it was laced with uncertainty and...was that fear? “I’m not kissing you to prove such a ridiculous point.”
I splayed my hands, mocking him. “You said you’d do anything I asked.”
He chuckled softly. “I said something worthwhile.”
“Kissing me isn’t worthwhile?”
His gaze latched onto mine. A second ticked past. Another.
Then he lost his icy shell. “What the fuck do you want from me, Nila?”
My heart stopped.
Nila.
He’d called meNila.
I’d won. I’d somehow made him say my name.
My heart winged just as surely as my core flickered with desire.
Say it again.
Let me hear the bliss of winning.
Jethro’s eyes widened, noticing his slip, then furious temper etched his face. He stormed forward, threading his fingers around my throat. The smooth edges of his control were now jagged with temper.
I backed up until the bed stopped my escape. Jethro followed, his fingers tightening around my neck. “Tell me, goddammit. What the fuck are you trying to do?”
My heart hurt at the indecipherable expression in his gaze. He hid himself so well. The brief flashes of truth I’d gleaned didn’t add up. I was fishing for something that didn’t exist.
It does exist. Keep pushing.
My eyes were heavy, body pulsing with rapidly building lust. “I just want....”
There was no point to this argument. It was over before it began.
“I need...”
To know you are capable of caring, just a little.
For you to want me, just a little.
For you to find something inside me that prevents you from killing me.
It was like wishing for Pegasus to fly in and whisk me away. I wouldn’t get anything I wished for. Whatever I felt for Jethro was misplaced, ill-advised, and false. I’d seen him hunt me. I’d seen his cold enjoyment of talking about taking my life. Everything else that I thought I’d seen had been a lie.
He breathed hard, his scent of woods and leather surrounding me.
My hands flew up to hold his, trying to pry his fingers off. “Just...forget it. Let me go. Forget I was stupid enough to say anything.”
Jethro dropped his hands, pacing away. “Forget it? You’re the one bringing it up. Time and time again, you bring it up. I’m fucking sick ofyou asking me to kiss you.” Dragging a hand through his hair, he added, “You’rethe one ruining the agreement between us.”
“What agreement?”
