‘Because you tried for years.’
‘Ah,’ Kade sighs, rolling his hips a little, ‘but I was, in yourgallanteighteenth century eyes, akidback then, wasn’t I?What about now, Bodyguard?Am I grown up enough for you yet?’
‘Stop it.’
‘Makeme stop.’
‘You’re in denial, I get it.Don’t you think it’s hard for me to accept you’ve been alive this whole time?That I failed you so much worse than her?’
Kade makes a face as he climbs off.
Mentioning the little girl kills his arousal instantly.
‘You’re pathetic and I’mnotin denial.You’ve been wrong about some stuff.’
‘And right about most of it.’
‘For all I know you’re doing someParanaturalhypnosis shit or whatever, planting subliminal—’
Lachlan breaks out of the leather straps as if pulling out of toy handcuffs.Kade steps back quickly, but it’s not fast enough because Lachlan gets him by the throat, pushes him into the door.
‘Youarehim,’ he tells Kade, dark eyes burning bright.‘Julian Sael Penhalyx.There issomuch you don’t know about yourself, so fucking much, and I’m maybe the only one who can bring it out of you, so I get you wanting to kill me, hurt me,humiliateme, even, but this is who you are, because I’d know you anywhere, Jules.Any skin, any world, any lifetime.Harkerhidyou from me, but there is nowhere I wouldn’t find you,’ he swears with such fervent intensity it’s like the words are burning themselves into Kade’s bones.‘You can pretend it doesn’t add up all you like, but I won’t be around in seven days’ time to explain shit when you finally accept it, so maybe…just maybe,’ he emphasises, squeezing his throat by pressing on the Apple with his thumb then stroking it, like even this small flare of violence must be apologised for, ‘…you could try facing reality, and let me give you what I can while I’m still here to give it.’
Lachlan lets go abruptly, then forces himself to step back and face away, shoulders tight with restraint.Kade doesn’t gasp, but he swallows thickly, rubs his neck.Nothing is said for a while.There’s no way to express the conflicted anger and strange hunger he feels without sounding stupid.
Kade gathers himself, nothing a few deep breaths andcounting ringscan’t fix.So long as he doesn’t wonder where it came from.‘OK.’
‘Good.’
‘You hungry?’Kade asks, glancing at the clock.
Lachlan looks back, wipes his eyes.‘Starved.’
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Lachlan absolutelydevourshis food.
It’s a very late lunch, but they eat all hours here.
‘So what was it like?Being their bodyguard?’
‘It was…’ Lachlan shakes his head, has four plates of food around him on the table, two are already empty.‘I don’t even know how to describe it.Surreal, maybe?So much happened.So much changed.’
‘How old was Mimi when you met her?’
‘Three.’
‘Had you ever been around kids before?’
‘Not really.My cousin, Margot, has kids, but I was overseas when they were born.I only met them before I took residence and signed the contract.I’d never really…’ Lachlan frowns slightly.‘Kids weren’t exactly my speciality.’
‘But the fox tattoo helped?’
‘Yeah, it did.’
‘So you were close with them?’
Lachlan grows a little more guarded.‘You could say that.’He clears his throat, digs deeper.‘She felt like my daughter.’
