A horrible, horrible thought.
She’d known her feelings for him were growing, and two people who worked in close proximity were bound to begin to bond together in a psychic sense. And they were both sorcerers. This couldn’t have been her doing, could it?
But if so, then the damage would have been healed with her proximity.
Unless maybe… maybe the rift was an emotional one. And maybe that wasn’t healed at all, despite the fact they were working together again.
He looked away. “It’s nothing to be concerned about.”
“It’s not me, is it?” she whispered in horror.
Blue eyes locked upon her and her heart plummeted when she saw the flicker of doubt there, swiftly smothered by a careless shrug. “I’ll deal with it. Now…. Let’s go talk to the priest and?—”
“Sterling!” This was just like him—to ignore any unresolved weaknesses within him. “If we’re dealing with something dangerous then we cannot afford to have you wading into battle with a gaping psychic wound. It’s virtually an invitation for a psychic entity to take a bite of you! You need to deal with this.”
“I have been trying to deal with it,” he snapped, “but you’ve made it quite clear you have no intention of talking about the issue.”
She drew back as if slapped.
The kiss.
He was referring to the kiss.
“You kissed me and then you bolted out of my life like a rabbit,” he said, advancing upon her. “And don’t give me that codswallop about having had enough of my life and the danger within it, when you’re standing there with a bloody venatori pin in your lapel. We both know you ran because of what happened between us.”
Gauntlet thrown.
“I didn’t run. I was… I was….”
Anger flared in his eyes. “I thought we were friends. I thought?—”
“What?”
“That we were becoming more than friends.” He took a step toward her, his shadow looming. “I’m aware that you find me attractive?—”
She gasped.
“You stare, Edwina. I swear you make me climb the ladder in the library at least once a day, and I’m fairly certain it’s not because you want a book from the highest shelf. I can practically feel your gaze on my ass.”
Oh, gods. He’d realized that?
Why couldn’t she have learned a spell to tear the earth apart so it could swallow her whole?
Sterling clearly saw the flush of heat through her cheeks, because his entire demeanor changed. Gone was the handsome charmer. Gone was the rascal, the wastrel. Instead, there was a predatory intensity she’d only ever seen when he was on the hunt.
“You do,” he growled. “You want me. Admit it. You wanted to kiss me. And then you bloody tucked tail and ran.”
Anger got the better of her. It was different for her. Why couldn’t he see that? “Fine. Yes, I’m attracted to you. Any woman with eyes is attracted to you. But you and I are never meant to be, and I know that. I had a moment of sheer stupidity. I was emotional. I was overwrought. The library was still burning. And I’m sorry that I took that out on you. I’m sorry that?—”
“Don’t you dare tell me that you’re sorry that you kissed me,” he snapped. “Don’t you dare.”
Edwina’s chest rose and fell. What did he want of her?
Did he want to humiliate her further?
“Tell me the truth. Did you enjoy it?” And then he hesitated. “You kissed me first.”
And then she’d fled, and practically thrown her resignation letter in his lap the following day.
