Cole was standing directly in front of her, all six foot three of devastating, raw, dominant male. She opened her mouth, ready to lay into him until he told her what she wanted to hear, but before she could get a sound out of her lips, Cole spoke. “I’msorry.”
Cole didn’t drop his head; he stood proud and unashamed. Dear God, she still wanted him as badly asever.
“I know you,” she said forcefully, “this isn’t you. Tell me what’s going on. Why can’t I leave? What’s the realreason?”
He looked her straight in the eye and said, “Because if you leave, Luis will kill you, and that’s something that I won’t allow tohappen.”
Tomi stood there shocked, not really sure how to react. That was one of the last things she’d expected him to say. “Kill me? He told me he didn’t want to kill me before theauction.”
“I’m talking about after the auction,” Cole saidquietly.
She dropped her brow, trying to recall the hazy moments from last night. She remembered standing on stage, so scared she could barely stand. And then she remembered being in the room with Luis and Cole and those other men. She even remembered how cold hard concrete had dug into her aching knees. But she couldn’t remember anything afterthat.
“What are you talkingabout?”
“You were drugged. I didn’t want it to happen, but there was nothing I could do to stop it. We needed to get you out of there. And when Adam and I left with you, someone came after us. They were trying to kill us, and they nearly did kill Adam. He’s not here, because he’s in ahospital.”
Tomi’s legs turned to rubber. She managed to get to the bed and collapsed on the edge. “I think you need to explain. I don’t understand any ofthis.”
Cole blew out a rough sigh and walked into the room, but instead of sitting on the mattress next to her, he paced in front of her. The steps were quick for such a small area. “Tomi, I didn’t go to that auction intending to buy anyone. But I couldn’t walk away and let some other man hurt you. I would sooner have put a gun to my own head. It’s as simple as that. I think you were promised to someoneelse.”
“The Frenchman,” Tomi breezed out. Her fear reappeared, stretched out and then snapped her in the chest like a rubber band.Carrie.
“Exactly. Luis let us pay for you and leave, but someone came after our limo and nearly killed us. I don’t know who it was, Luis or the Frenchman, but if either of them wants you dead, they’ll find a way to killyou.”
Tomi was putting the picture together as she spoke. “And you’re trying to keep me here to protectme.”
Cole stopped pacing right in front of her. “Yes.”
“Where’s Luis?” She could barely get the words past her numblips.
“Don’t know. He disappeared after theauction.”
“Why not tell me the truth from the very beginning?” Surely, he knew she would have willingly listened tohim.
Cole shoved his hands into the pockets of his pants. “I don’t know. I guess I didn’t want to scareyou.”
Tomi shot to her feet, staring at him incredulously. “You thought you would make me feel better by lying tome?”
Cole held up his hands. “I was just trying to protect you. I’m not really sure what I’m doing here, Tomi. It’s not like I do this kind of thing everyday.”
Of course he did. Cole Fury was a Navy SEAL for crying out loud. “You bid $3 million on me. I don’t know much about the military, but I know they don’t pay that kind ofcash.”
“I inherited it. My mom’s sister in Mexico—you met her once, I think it was in high school—she was very wealthy. She passed away last year and left all of her money to me and Clint and Carter and Case, since she didn’t have any otherfamily.”
Tomi stared at him dumbfounded. She didn’t remember hearing about his aunt dying. Selena had been such a sweet, wonderful woman. “Oh, Cole, I’m sosorry.”
His frown attested to how painful the memory was for him. “It’s okay. Anyway, I went with my friend, Adam. We heard it was a legit auction—as in willing slaves looking for new masters. Adam’s into that kind of shit. His sub left him unexpectedly, and he was looking for someone new to comfort him. And then I sawyou.”
Cole looked up then, trapping her with his gaze. “And you changedeverything.”
He went to his knees on the hardwood floor, captured her hands in his and squeezed. “Tomi, I need some time to figure out how to protect you. That’s why I need you to stay here.” He paused and then said, “That’s a lie. It’s only part of the reason. I also want you to stay here because I want you so much ithurts.”
Once again, she was helpless to stand against him. Everything he’d just said had melted her defenses like a hair dryer to a hunk of ice. He wasn’t a villain, not that she’d ever thought he could be. He was trying to protect her. Just like he’d done when they wereteenagers.
She pushed her fingers through his short, military-style black hair. He’d worn his locks longer and curly when they were younger. But his eyes were just as she remembered, black and full of turbulent emotion, and they pierced her soul. Maybe this was what they both needed. Lord knew all the men she’d been with since him had been an attempt to forget him. None of the men she’d found had been as naturally dominant as Cole. None of them had fulfilledher.
And now that the real thing was kneeling before her, she could clearly seewhy.
