The first aid kit slammed to the floor, spewing its gauze and bandages to all corners of the room.
“What the hell are you doing in here?” I stormed forward, ready to slam the door in her face. She couldn’t be here. Not with my appearance or condition.
“Oh, my God. I found you.”
I grabbed the doorknob. “Go back to your room, Ms. Weaver.”
“No, wait!” She darted inside before I could block her. Dashing to my bed, she ran around the large mattress, placing it between us and brandishing her weapons. “I’ve been looking for hours. I’ve tried every room on the ground floor. I almost gave up when I found a secret door in the parlour.”
She’d been running around all night?Alone?Shit, didn’t she know how dangerous that was?
Daniel wouldn’t hesitate. My father wouldn’t, either.
“You’re a reckless, naïve little girl.” Slamming the door, I stalked toward her. “Do you haveanyidea what might’ve happened if you’d been seen?”
Her eyes skittered around my space, taking in the soaring high ceilings, old-fashioned priceless toys and artifacts, and Chinese woven carpets. “I have an idea.” She raised her chin. “But it was a risk I was prepared to take. After all, what else could I do?”
Tossing the candlestick onto the bed, she rolled her wrist from the weight. “You avoid me for days after telling me something cryptic about black diamonds and absorbing light. You tell me to stop feeling around you. You shut me out all while swallowing a drug you never took before. All of that brings me to one conclusion, Mr. Hawk.”
“Oh? And what conclusion is that?”
So, she did understand my half-assed attempt to make her understand.
Why couldn’t I just come out and tell her?
Why did I have to continue to hide?
“A conclusion that needs testing.” She sighed softly, “I have a theory, you see. And if I’m right...well, it means things are going to change between you and me.”
My heart tap-danced a crazy step.
You have no idea how much I want that.
“That will never happen.”
“You don’t even know my theory.”
“I know enough to ask you to leave.”
Before you destroy your own life and get me fucking killed in the process.
Having her here, in my space, with no fog to protect me, I tasted everything she felt like fine wine, expensive truffles, rich desserts. Anger, desire, fear...and most of all, love. Beneath her temper, she glowed with it. Vibrated with it.
It was all I could do to remain standing and not buckle under the waves ofunconditional acceptance.
I groaned, “Nila, you have to leave.”
“No. Not until I find out what you are.”
I shivered, forgetting my bodily aches and pains and suffering emotional ones instead. She was breaking me—smashing the rules Cut had fashioned. If she could be so strong, why couldn’t I?
Couldn’t I indulge for just one night?
“You don’t understand.” I moved forward. “You can’t be here.”
“Tell me, then.” Placing the dirk on my bedside table, she dropped her hands. In a single move, she went from warrior to sacrifice, inviting me to take her. “Makeme understand, Jethro.”
My head swam. I needed time to decide if I was stupid enough to put us both in danger. If I was going to give into her, it could only be for one night.
