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“I get word that an individual I have issues with, someone that hasn’t been seen in Nowhere in decades, is headinghere, on the one day you decide you want to check this particular place out? If you’re looking to convince me you’re not a spy, this isn’t the way.”
I kept my face soft and relaxed, while the possibility of Gram being his enemy niggled away at my brain and, worse, roiled around my gut. The one lesson I’d learned was that pretty much anything could be true. But she was the one who’d made my reservation with Kaden. It didn’t add up. But I couldn’t deny the timing seemed suspect.
He inched closer. “My greatest desire at this very moment is to drag you out of here and torture the truth out of you. But I won’t.”
“And why is that?” I asked, not even slightly alarmed. His gaze kept flickering to my lips, and every time it did, I stopped breathing. The fury I’d felt seemed to be mingling with something hotter.
“If I did, it would look like there’s a rift between us, one wide enough to invite all sorts of vultures to swoop down into my business and start nosing around. I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt that you’re not betraying me and continue to protect you. But mark my words, you’re treading a dangerous path.”
“I hate to break it to you, but I don’t need protection at the moment. I’m doing quite fine.” The only thing I might need protection from was getting involved with him. Letting him kiss me. Worse, my bridging the gap and kissinghim.
“Glance over my left shoulder to the thing staring from the shadows, eyeing you up like you’re an appetizer.”
I broke my gaze from him and did as he suggested. All I could see were yellow eyes glimmering in a dark shadow. Or was that shadow part of the thing I was looking at? A shiver shot down my spine. “What—”
“We don’t ask. And if we do know, we don’t repeat. Some things are better left unsaid. He seems to have zeroed in on you. You sure you want to walk out of here alone?”
I glanced back at the corner, my skin crawling as the thing met my gaze with a greediness in its eyes. I looked away from it, waiting to hear what Kaden was going to want.
“Good choice. Now, you are going to drape your arms around my neck and curve into me like death is right behind you and I’m the only one who can save you. And if you can convince everyone in this room that you’re so into me, you wouldn’t possibly betray me, I will get you out of here in one piece.”
“I’ll play your game,” I said, giving him a flirty smile, falling into the act. “But what about your girlfriend? You think this is a good idea?”
“Antoinette isn’t your problem.”
She wasn’t? Did he realize I was stuck in Nowhere all the time because of Antoinette? Obviously not. Or he didn’t want to know.
I gave him a look like the only thing I wanted was to kiss him and draped an arm around his neck. Faking it came a little too easily.
He dropped his hand to the curve of my waist and dipped his mouth toward my ear, like a lover whispering secrets.
“In a few minutes, after everyone’s gotten a good look, we’ll make our way to the door.”
He pressed me close enough that I could feel his body all along mine. I was finding that the longer we stayed like this, the less I cared who was paying attention. Our bodies sizzled everywhere they touched.
We had to leave, and now. I had enough problems. He wasn’t getting added to the list. I was about to tell him I was ready to get out of there when he beat me to it.
“I’m going to lead the way out of here now.”
Shit. Gram. With everything going on, my reason for being here had been obliterated from my mind for a few seconds.
He threaded his hand through my hair. “Is there a problem?”
Was there? His eyes were on my lips, and it didn’t seem as if it was because he was waiting for my answer.
“No. We should get going,” I said. For his sake and mine. This farce had to end before it became more real than I could handle. Gram would understand that sometimes you had to change up your plans. If she was here somewhere, she’d been watching and didn’t want to approach. She’d get me another message. That was better than what would happen if we kept playing pretend.
Or was it pretend?
With a hand on the small of my back, Kaden steered me out the door.
He hadn’t specified whether we were going to his place or the outpost. As we continued to walk, it became clear it was his place.
His hand stayed glued to me until we were in his house, door closed. I walked toward the fireplace, and he stayed on the other side of the room, as if neither of us trusted being close together and alone.
“Why did you go to Nowhere tonight?” He gripped the chair in front of him, his knuckles white as his fingers pierced the fabric.
“I told you. I wanted to get a better sense of the area, what goes on there. Whatever it is you think I am, I’m not a spy,” I said, trying to force him to see that truth, which was the only one that mattered. He didn’t need to know anything else.
