He considered if he should answer then hung his head. His chest rose and fell quickly, and I wondered if his heart was beating as fast as mine. “He’s most likely an investigator. If Plavko doesn’t catch him, those pictures go out and they’ll know we’re here.”
Dread slipped inside me. “They?”
“Your ex had some powerful friends, and they’re looking for us.”
I took a slow, deliberate breath to try to reduce the ache in my head, and I was too concerned with that to stop him. Ryan leaned in and captured my lips with his.
His kiss was desperate. It burned in an unsettling way, and there was so much intensity behind it, it gave me the feeling he’d been waiting a lifetime for this moment. When I tried to turn my head, he grasped my chin and prevented it.
His tongue was invasive, and I moaned with discomfort, which he must have misinterpreted as pleasure because he tried to deepen the kiss. Even though it was agonizing to move, I shifted my entire body away and was able to break free. I glared at him with disbelief, panting through the pain throbbing in my head.
“I’m sorry,” he said immediately, although he didn’t look sorry. “I couldn’t help myself. And I figured it’s better to ask forgiveness than permission.”
I pressed my lips together, leashing my irritation. He raised an eyebrow as he studied my face and considered something.
“Am I allowed to do that again?” he asked.
I wanted to say no, but the word wouldn’t form, and there was a voice in my head, whispering something I couldn’t make out. He waited expectantly for my answer, and I had no choice but to choke it out. “I... guess.”
His smile was devilish.
“Maybe,” I added between labored breaths, “warn me next time.”
“Where’s the fun in that?”
One breath at a time, my heart rate began to slow, and the pain lessened until I could focus. The ground felt more stable beneath my feet.
He could tell, because he straightened, glanced around the alley, and gave me another evaluating look. “Can you walk? We need to get out of here.”
Once we were seated in the car, his phone rang and he spoke in Croatian to whom I assumed was Plavko. He was more focused on the conversation than navigating the narrow streets, but he managed to get us out of the city in one piece.
“He smashed the camera, but the guy may have uploaded the pictures already.”
“What does that mean?” I wasn’t sure what level of fear I should be feeling.
“Hopefully nothing. Maybe they won’t be stupid enough to come here.”
I watched the distance between houses increase as we sped up the winding road to his home.
Our home,a voice reminded.
The nausea returned, and I sank down in the seat, miserable enough to think I might never be able to leave the house again.
I was desperate to distract myself. “Who’s Plavko?”
“Security. I hired him the day I came home from the hospital without you.” His grip tightened on the steering wheel like he hated the memory. “I know you don’t feel comfortable with him around, but it’s the only way I feel safe.”
Ryan trusted him; shouldn’t that be good enough for me? Why wasn’t it?
When we reached the house and the SUV was parked in the garage, I eased myself out of the passenger seat with his help.
“Do you want to lie down for a while?” he asked. “Your appointment with Dr. Vorbusch isn’t until three.”
I paused. “Who?”
“She’s your hypnotherapist.”
I glanced over my shoulder to glare at the Mercedes. How in the world would I survive another trip? “I don’t think I can?—”
