No! He yanked away and retreated to the other end of the elevator. Breathing hard, he fought to get himself under control.
“Reynner?”
He held out a hand to stop her approach. Shook his head. Blood pounded in his head, urging him to finish what he started, to take her here in the elevator.
No—no! She was good. Decent. She deserved better than him.
Gods, he had to save her from himself.
“Eve, I can’t....” He turned away, his fists balled so tight, so he wouldn’t tear a hole in their metal cage. “I can’t give you what you want, Eve. I’m not whole. I’m a fucking mess—damaged. I’d just hurt you.”
“Stop it!” She moved in front of him, her chest heaving. Her beautiful eyes flashed emerald fire. Passion. Anger. He tried not to look at her mouth, lush from his kisses.
“I don’t know the facts, but I do know you can’t help what happened to you....” She reached out to touch him but dropped her hand at the last minute. “I know there won’t be a happily-ever-after for me. I made peace with that a long time ago. But I’d hoped—” She broke off, inhaled a shaky breath.
He shouldn’t ask. But her answer became imperative. A lifeline. How much more twisted could he get? His mouth opened, the questions fell out. “What Eve? What did you hope for?”
Her lips trembled. She struggled with the words. “A moment—a moment of your time for me alone—to know I mean something to you.”
At her soft words, a deep ache and an intense longing seeped through him. Gods, he wanted her. Wanted to be inside her, wrapped around her and the beautiful dream she offered.
But everything was too fucked up, his life so screwed. And he had no one to blame but himself.
To stop from doing something insane, like promise her all sorts of things he could never hope to fulfill—not when his life would never be is own—he stabbed the button for the ground floor. Then he picked up her cell. The glass sported even more cracks. His own gut ripping open, he said, “I’m sorry, Eve. I didn’t mean for this to happen.”
A long moment of silence passed before she spoke. Like the life in her had died. “Yes. I’m very sure you didn’t.”
And a heart he thought he no longer possessed shuddered in pain.
Chapter 16
Back at Exilum, and after speaking with Lucan, Reynner headed for the living room. As he entered, Eve glanced his way. Nothing showed on her face when she saw him. She turned back to stare through the window at the cascading waterfalls. He had to steel himself from walking over.
They’d arrived a few hours ago, and she still hadn’t spoken a word to him since that moment in the elevator.
He wasn’t good for her, didn’t she get that?
You can’t trust them. The whispers continued to torment him.
But one thing he understood about himself, if she’d gone on that date, he would have hurt the artist. He had to get her away from there, and the safest place from all the shit messing with his head was Exilum.
Footsteps sounded, and Lucan entered. Eve warily eyed the lead box he carried. Reynner couldn’t blame her for her apprehension. He certainly didn’t care for the way the parchment affected her.
Aerén, following Lucan, smiled at Eve and dropped onto the couch. Reynner realized one other person had joined them.
Northaen. The change in the male took Reynner by surprise. His once striking features though gaunt were harsh, as if hewn in granite. He appeared older and was a shell of the man Reynner once knew. His dark brown hair was longer now, and pulled back in a ponytail.
Losing his mate to the wars on their realm had taken its toll. Programmed only for vengeance, he’d become one of the most lethal warlords in Empyrea.
Northaen glanced at him and nodded. His pale green eyes shifting to Eve, he stopped. Reynner saw the first sign of life enter them.
Eve looked nothing like North’s mate, who’d been a statuesque blonde, but something about her had caught the warrior’s attention. Uncurling his clenched fist, Reynner crossed to her and introduced them. “Eve, this is Northaen of Kalasder. North, Eve Leighton.”
“Hello.” She slipped her hands into her jeans pockets. Reynner could feel her uneasiness. Since a handshake wasn’t their way of greeting, he shouldn’t worry, but still.
North bowed. “For what you do, you have my sword and eternal gratitude.”
A smidgen of relief crawled through Reynner. This had everything to do with putting Empyrea on its feet and ending the wars, not a sudden revival of sexual needs.
