“For God’s sake,” he muttered. “I am neither sweet or kind, and no one has ever said or thought so. I’m not a good man, Evangeline. I won’t lie to you. You seem to have a misguided opinion of me. You are far too trusting. It’s a good way to get yourself hurt or killed.” He shook his head. “No, I’m not a good man at all, butyouhave nothing to fear from me. I swear it on my life. Even if you weren’t Drake’s woman, you would have my unconditional protection, which is why I want me to be the second person you call if you can’t reach Drake and you’re in trouble or need help.”
“And you’re wrong, Silas,” she said stubbornly. “I don’t know what kind of bullshit you’ve been subjected to or who made you feel like you were somehow less, but whoever it was is a worthless piece of shit and if I ever find out who made you feel this way about yourself I’ll kick their ass and then I’ll have Zander finish the job since he’d probably enjoy that kind of thing.”
Silas looked shocked and bewildered, a host of what could only be called “what the fuck” expressions, but then to her surprise he threwback his head and laughed. A full-throated, genuine laugh of amusement, something she hadn’t imagined him capable of. She stared in wonder at how his laughter, such a beautiful sound, completely transformed him from a quiet, polished, restrained, well-mannered man with more shadows in his eyes than true color to someone who looked years younger. The lines and grooves on his face and forehead simply disappeared and his eyes sparkled with genuine laughter. All she could do was stare in fascination, unable to look away from the breathtaking transformation occurring right in front of her.
“You are a priceless treasure, Evangeline,” he said, his eyes still gleaming with amusement. “And I pity the fool who ever tries to mess with someone you care about. You may look like a kitten and an innocent angel, but underneath you’re a ferocious lioness with deadly teeth and claws.”
Still chuckling, he reached for her phone. “Give me the names and numbers of the contacts you want me to enter before you start planning assault and God only knows what else and then Drake and I will have to bail you out of jail.”
She grinned, absurdly pleased with herself for being able to draw Silas out of his shell. And, well, she hadn’t lied. She liked Silas. There was something about him that reminded her of Drake. And she strongly suspected that Silas had endured a very hard life dating back to his childhood, and her heart ached for the boy he’d once been. Affection, someone standing up for him, someone liking him seemed such alien concepts to him, as though he’d never experienced any of it. And that pissed her off.
She gave him her parents’ names and number first and then provided him with Steph’s, Lana’s and Nikki’s cell numbers as well as the landline number in their apartment.
“That all?” Silas asked when she fell silent.
She nodded, a little self-conscious. “I don’t know many people in thecity, and Steph, Lana and Nikki are my only friends. I didn’t exactly have much time to get out and meet people or make other friends because I worked as many hours as I could.”
She wished she’d just kept her big mouth shut because the smile was gone from both Silas’s eyes and his mouth. His lips tightened and he looked pissed.
But to her surprise, he didn’t voice his obvious displeasure and instead reached across the island and took both her hands in his, squeezing them gently.
“Well, now you have us. All of us. Warts and all. You belong to Drake, yes, but you also now belong to us all. Drake is the closest thing to a brother I’ve ever had, as are the others. And because you are his woman, our loyalty, protection and friendship now extend to you as well. You have friends now, Evangeline. Don’t ever think otherwise. Which is why I expect you to call on me if you have need of anything. If there is ever something I can do for you, it would upset me greatly if you didn’t feel as though you could reach out to me.”
“Donotmake me cry,” she said with mock ferocity. “Me crying isnota pretty sight. Some women have perfected the art of a tear or two and a delicate, feminine sniffle. I’m an ugly crier. My face gets all red, my eyes swell up and my nose runs like a faucet.Trustme, you do not want to see that.”
Silas didn’t respond to her attempt at lighthearted humor in kind. His expression grew somber, and sadness chased across his eyes, gone almost before she even registered it.
“I would hate for you to ever have reason to cry,” he said in a pained voice. “You deserve to be happy, Evangeline. And I hope to hell Drake moves heaven and earth to make you so. Because if he doesn’t, he’s a damn fool.”
It was late in the evening, and even though Drake had clearly told her he didn’t know when he’d be home, she hadn’t expected him to be this late. At nine, she curled up on the couch, completely nude, because she wanted to wait up for him, no matter how late he came home, and though he hadn’t given her any instructions on how to be when he arrived or even that she was to wait up on him, she wanted him to come home to her. For him to know he mattered, that his needs mattered and that she wanted to please him. Wanted to see the warm approval in his eyes that she’d grown to crave so much that at times it frightened her.
She wasn’t aware of what time she drifted off, only that when she sleepily opened her eyes, Drake was standing in front of the couch, his gaze burning over her naked skin.
She immediately smiled, though she was still blinking away the vestiges of sleep from her eyes, and his face softened as he leaned down to kiss her long and so very sweet.
“You didn’t have to wait up on me, Angel, but I’m very glad you did.”
“I would never not wait up on you, Drake,” she said in a serious voice. “I wanted you to come home and for the first thing that you saw to be me, waiting for you. I’m only sorry I fell asleep.”
He put a finger to her lips. “Shh, my darling. It’s nearly eleven. There is no need to apologize for falling asleep. I didn’t call this time because I worried I would wake you.”
She pushed herself upward instead of remaining sprawled indelicately on the couch.
“How was your day? It sounded as though you were busy and you look tired, Drake. You don’t get enough rest.”
He smiled. “My angel worries about me and wants to take care of me. No one has ever taken care of me, orwantedto, for that matter.”
His smile was faint, followed by a brief shadow of pain and... need. No matter that this man enjoyed taking care of her, it was obvious that he too needed that same care, whether or not he would ever admit to something he’d likely construe as a shortcoming in himself.
He would just have to get over it because she had no intention of taking without reciprocating in any way she could. His happiness had become important to her, and she couldn’t even pinpoint when it had become so. But just as he pampered her, cherished her and lavished his loving care upon her, she would return the favor in full measure.
She frowned. “You have someonenowwho wants to andwilltake care of you in every way I can. I want to make you happy, Drake, and not just because I cede power to you and submit to you. I intend to make you feel as loved as you make me feel.”
He looked shaken by her straightforward statement, as if he had never come across such a situation before and wasn’t at all certain how to react. But his eyes said it all. They glowed with warm pleasure and contentment. He looked at her like she was the most precious thing in the world—hisworld.
He extended his hand to help her from the couch and pulled her up and against him so she was molded to his body. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her lingeringly, taking his time and tasting every inch of her mouth, inside and out.
“I have something for you,” he said in a husky, passion-laced voice.
