Her jaw dropped. “Of course not! How can you think that?” She swiveled away from him and crossed her arms.
Shit. She didn’t deserve that.Was he picking a fight with her to establish some distance?
“I’m sorry, Morgaine. I really am. You’ve been nothing but thoughtful and kind. I didn’t mean that.”
She twisted back to face him and sighed. “You’re an idiot if you think I need that stuff.”
He smiled. Then he reached out and stroked her cheek. “Yeah, I know. I might be an idiot once in a while, like any man. But let me ask you this, whatdoyou need?”
She turned into his hand and closed her eyes.Uh-oh. That soft smile indicated she was already having feelings for him.
“This,” she said.
“What do you mean?” Sly thought he knew what she meant but didn’t want to assume. If she asked for more than he could give, he’d have to tell her to slow down. But if he’d learned anything about women in his fifty-six years on earth, it was not to try to guess what they were feeling or thinking. Few men, if any, had them all figured out.
“Trust.”
Trust?Her answer puzzled him, but he wasn’t about to start an in-depth discussion about their relationship. He didn’t think they were “there” yet.
“I need to trust a person in order to venture out of the building with them. And I trustyou. That’s why I’m going with you to New York.”
“So, you’ve decided? You’re sure?”
“I think the sooner we go; the better. Gwyneth will keep an eye on the still and answer the business calls while we’re gone.”
“Is that what you call phone sex? Business calls?”
“Well, yeah. That’s what they are.”
He relaxed slightly. “Morgaine, I’ve been hesitating to confess what I think of that for a little while, but I should probably get this off my chest.”
She arched her eyebrows and leaned back as if to get a better look at his facial expression. “Okay. Share.”
He smiled, hoping to lighten the mood. “I know it’s none of my business, and we’ve only been sleeping together for a short time…” He paused. How should he say this?
“But?”
“But I’m not sure I want other guys talking to you like that.”
She waited, but he had no follow-up.
At last, she looked puzzled and asked, “Why? Or maybe I should say, ‘Why not?’”
Shit.He shouldn’t have begun this conversation until he understood it himself. Maybe he should change the subject? He chewed his lower lip until he noticed his fangs starting to protrude and tasted blood. “Ouch.”Fuck, it bothers me just to think about it.
“What’s the matter?”
“Oh, nothing. I just fanged myself.” He swiped his tongue over the spot that was beginning to bleed, and it stopped. “I’ll live. Pardon the irony.”
She chuckled. “Okay, so let’s get back to the other thing. Why do you have a problem with my business?”
Damn. Not enough of a distraction. Maybe I should have set myself on fire?“Can we forget I said anything?”
“No. At leastIcan’t. Look, whatever you want to say, it’s okay to say it. It might not change anything, but you can tell me what’s on your mind.”
Suddenly he had a crick in his neck. He rubbed the spot until it eased. “Fine. What if someone finds out where you live? You could be putting yourself in danger.”
“We’ve got that covered. That’s not what’s really bothering you, is it?”
