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Silence filled the vehicle. There was only the powerful hum of the motor, the sound of the gears shifting.
“Does there have to be a reason why?” he finally asked, his voice dark, dangerous. “Don’t deny you enjoyed it. You were screaming for more, Jaci. ”
“That’s not the point. There’s always a reason why. ” With Cam and Chase, there was no other option. Everything they did had a reason. They were controlled, determined, exacting. They wouldn’t do something so dark as sharing their lovers without a reason.
“And how do you figure there has to be a reason why?”
“Because, from the time I was sixteen until I turned twenty-one, you and Chase made certain I was protected. One way or the other. You pulled me out of parties, the bad-asses in town stayed well away from me, and no matter what I did, I was aware one of you had been there before me. You were possessive, Cam. If you didn’t care who touched me, then you wouldn’t have been. ”
“I’m still possessive of you. ” He surprised her with the statement. “I’d want to kill any man I didn’t choose to touch you. ”
Her lips parted in shock. Jaci could do nothing but stare at him in disbelief as they made the turn into Squire Point.
“You did not say what I just thought you said. ”
He was silent for long moments, his jaw clenched tight, his nostril
s flaring.
“I said it. ” The gears shifted smooth and easy, but she could feel the restraint in each move he made. It pulsed in the interior of the vehicle, surrounded them like a smothering blanket.
Jaci inhaled slowly, deeply. A fine thread of tension began to tighten through her body, race through her veins. Turning, she stared through the windshield once again, her hands clutching the purse in her lap tightly.
“You’re not serious,” she finally whispered, as they drew to a stop in the front of the Sinclair mansion.
“Look at me, Jaci. ”
She shook her head.
“Look at me, dammit. ” His voice throbbed with command.
She turned her head slowly, seeing his eyes, darker, brighter than before.
“When you were twenty-one, I wanted you until it was a fire in my gut. Waiting until you were old enough to understand what I wanted from you was hell. Seven years has only made that burn worse, and one night sharing it hasn’t eased the fire. You know what I want from you. You know what I need, Jaci. It’s your choice. But if you don’t want it, then stay the hell away from me. Stay far, far away from me. And make damned sure you stay away from Chase. ”
Her heart jumped to her throat.
“It’s an either/or?” She felt strangled by the knowledge.
“I can’t change who I am. ” His hand jerked out, cupped her neck, held her still. “And I can’t let you go now. Not on my own. ”
“I won’t change who I am. ”
“Then stay clear of me. Walk away when you see me coming. Turn and run if Chase comes your way. Listen to me. ” His voice turned hard, brutal, as her lips parted and anger fired inside her. “I can seduce you. You know I can. I know I can. If you don’t want the man I’ve become, then stay the hell fucking clear of me. ”
“Have the control not to come near me, then,” she snapped out, trying to jerk from his grip.
“Didn’t we figure out a long time ago that control doesn’t exist?” He pulled her to him, his lips almost touching hers, almost tasting her. “We both know there’s not a chance in hell of that. ”
8
Stay the hell away from him. Run if she saw him. Run if she saw Chase. She was supposed to take responsibility for all this? When the hell had that happened? Somewhere, somehow, Cam had come under the illusion that she was a wimp, and she wasn’t enjoying the consequences.
It was all the running she had done for the past seven years, she told herself. That little investigation he had done on her had evidently led him to believe she ran from her problems rather than deal with them. And hadn’t Chase accused her of it as well? She was tired of it.
Jaci stalked into the Sinclair mansion, casting Cam a glare as he sat in the car watching her, his gaze stroking her even across the distance.
“I hate men,” she muttered, before turning and coming face-to-face with a grinning Chase.
