“In here.” I checked that Max had left the room we were just in and gestured for Rys to go in first.
Rys made no move to go inside. “Interrogatingmenow?”
I raised an eyebrow. “Have you got something to hide?” I wanted to snatch the words back as soon as I said them.
His cool gaze turned glacial. “You’re the secret keeper. Not me.”
Some of my righteous anger drained away, as if he’d pulled the plug on it with that one sentence. I clung to the rest with both hands, because regardless of our past, I refused to let him treat me this way. “It won’t take long,” I said, ignoring his pointed barb and gesturing once again to the empty room.
He stared at me for a moment longer, expression so guarded I couldn’t get a read on him, other than I was pretty sure he’d like nothing better than to eat me. And not in the fun way.
Heat hit my cheeks as that thought brought back memories at the most inappropriate time. We’d both been young and inexperienced, but the chemistry between us had been explosive. I cleared my throat, concentrating on the tense set of his shoulders and the not-so-subtle air of anger he carried with him into the interview room.
I pulled the door closed behind us, but at the last moment left it open just a fraction.
Rys noticed and scoffed. “I’m not going to hurt you, for fuck’s sake.” He looked irritated at the idea that I was scared of him.
I wasn’t. He might be physically stronger than me with nature’s weapons at his disposal, but I was no stranger to combat with non-humans. I could hold my own. I eyed the wide expanse of his shoulders, the snug fit of his long-sleeved T-shirt where it hugged his muscular arms and chest.
Well, I could probably hold my own until help arrived.
Far from being a deterrent, my cheeks only got hotter as I imagined all that muscle pressed up against me. The animosity did nothing to dampen my attraction to him, as though my body had a mind of its own and didn’t give a fuck if Rys acted like he’d rather kill me than fuck me.
Hate sex was a thing, right?
The air in the room seemed heavy all of a sudden, hot in a way that had me tugging at the collar of my shirt. Had it always seemed this small?
“Talk,” Rys growled. “I haven’t got all day.”
My eyes shot to his, widening as I took in his appearance. If I didn’t know better, and I really fucking did, I’d say he looked as affected as I did. Except Rys’s flushed cheeks were probably due to rage rather than ill-advised lust.
I licked my lips, mouth dry, and searched for the bottle of water I’d brought in with me earlier. It sat on the far side of the table, and not giving a shit at Rys’s annoyed huff, I walked over and took a healthy drink. I needed those precious few seconds to get myself under control and say what I had to say. Then we could both get on with our days.
Carefully setting the bottle back on the table, I took a deep breath in, let it out slowly, and turned to face him.
Fuck, he was beautiful.
Angry and wild, but so fucking beautiful it took my breath away. The sharp cut of his jaw, covered with a day’s stubble, tense as he waited for me to speak.
“Look, I know we’ve had our differences in the past—”
Rys barked out a harsh laugh. “Differences? You’ve got to be kidding me.” His eyes blazed, nostrils flaring as he glared at me.
I sighed. Maybe this was a waste of both our time.
“I know you don’t like me.Hateme, probably. And you sure as fuck don’t trust me.”
“I don’t.” His voice was surprisingly soft, and for a moment he looked vulnerable and hurt, like the seventeen-year-old he’d been the last time I saw him.
My chest ached at the sight, a pain I’d not felt in years rising to the surface as though it had never gone. “I’m so fucking sorry.” I repeated the words I’d said over and over, and just like always, they fell on deaf ears. I sighed again, heavy with resignation. “I can’t change what happened between us, but this case is important. To both of us,” I added when he looked about to interrupt. “I don’t want to butt heads with you every step of the way, and I’m tired of you treating me like utter shit in front of everyone.”
He said nothing for what felt like ages, but I waited him out. I’d said my piece.
“Every time I see you, it’s like I’m back in that forest all over again.” His voice was soft, but the words cut deep. He shook his head as I went to speak. “I know it was a long time ago, and we’ve grown up, changed, but I—” He cut off abruptly and shook his head again, seemingly angry at himself this time.
It wasn’t until he stopped speaking that I realised we’d somehow moved closer to one another. Close enough that I felt his warm breath on my lips, caught the way his thick, black eyelashes lined deep brown eyes that bored into mine.
His gaze dipped to my mouth and my heart stopped. The world around us ceased to exist and I felt a pull in my chest that I thought I’d imagined ten years ago. He looked a second away from kissing me, and despite every barbed comment and hateful glare, I wanted him to. Wanted it more than I wanted my next breath, every nerve ending primed to feel his lips on mine.
