“Percy.” She laughs.
“I fail to see why that’s funny.”
“It’s not. Forgive me, I’m slap-happy from today. I can call for a ride. It’s fine, and without having to pull my suitcase up the hill, the walk will be nice.”
“Where are you going? I can drive you if you don’t want Percy to take you.”
“I asked the chef in the kitchen. He said there’s a walk-in clinic. I’ve never fainted like that before. I feel fine now. I figure I should have them look at me.”
I laugh. “You don’t need to do that. You’re fine.”
“Chief of security and a doctor too. That’s impressive.”
“I’m not a doctor. But you’ll be fine.”
“How could you possibly know that?” Her hands are back on her hips, and her eyes are hooded. Oh, she’s a clever one.
I stand. “I can guarantee that it won’t happen again.”
“And I’m just supposed to believe you?” She steps forward into my circle of personal space. And like a magnet, I inch forward. I don’t get close to people. I don’t pull women into my lap. I don’t have the urge to spoon women. I fuck them into bliss and leave. I don’t fantasize about kissing them or running my fingers through their hair. I don’t longto feel the softness of them again. Her chin tilts up, her eyes locked onto mine.
“Yes,” I say.
“Well, you’ve already read whatever new garbage Jeff sent me this morning and the rest of today, I suppose. So you know I’m not inclined to trust men because they say I’m supposed to. While I’m an art historian, there’s a scientist in my soul. I like proof.”
With her blue eyes staring into mine, it’s like she’s peering into my heart-stone. “Fine, I did it.”
“You drugged me?”
“No, I probed you.”
Her eyes flare wide. “You did what?”
“Wrong word, sorry, no. I didn’t touch you other than to bring you upstairs.” I leave off the hair petting. “The messages were annoying. And you had signed the waiver to allow your phone to be searched already. I took your passcode from your head.”
“You did what now? Somehow, and I don’t say this lightly, I think I would rather you probed me.”
“I will notprobeyou without your consent. And you would have no doubt about what I had done. No, I took the code from your mind. But you have a strong protective layer for a human.”
“Thank you, I think? I should go.” She doesn’t step away, though.
She thinks I’m crazy. I don’t know why it’s taken me this long to figure out the look on her face isn’t bewilderment but empathy. She doesn’t believe me and thinks I’m some poor deluded fool. I tap down the swirling in my gut. I fucking hate not being believed. Almost as much as I hate empathy. I don’t need empathy. I fucking hate empathy. “Your sister’s name is Wren. Her birthday is in two weeks.She’ll be thirty. You’re not happy you’re going to miss her party. But she’s thinking of trying to get a trip to Switzerland soon.” I’m not sure what that last part was about. Raine’s defenses pushed me out of her head before they overwhelmed her senses and dropped her to the floor.
“You’re the chief of security. She’s my emergency contact person before my mom. And a quick Internet search could have given you her birthday. And if you unlocked my phone, you could have read all of my texts where we talk about her trading flights around so she can come visit me while I’m here.” Her lips purse and her hip pops out to the side.
I close my eyes and try to remember a few more things that flicked through before she shut down. “The sheets on your bed before you left were dark maroon. And it was a bunk bed. You were annoyed that someone didn’t strip their bed, and you had to do it one more time. You thought about not doing it to serve them right, but then decided being petty on your last day wasn’t a good idea. You might need to come back if this job sucks blue balls. I was in your head, and it caused you to pass out.”
“You were in my head.” Her index finger points at my bare chest. “How? I mean, can I learn how to do that?”
“No.” Out of anything she could have said, that’s the last thing I would have ever thought she would. “It’s not something a human can learn how to do. But I promise I won’t do it to you again. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“I’m glad you don’t want to hurt me. What am I thinking right now?”
“No, Raine. I won’t do it. Not ever again. I promise you.” Fuck. I never promise anyone anything. Promises connect you to people. Promises lead to lies. I fucking hate promises.
15
RAINE
