Page 17 of Speak No Claim

“Ah!” I ignored his remark. “You speak Spanish too?”

He ordered in a voice I didn’t appreciate, “Hennessy, eyes on me. Before you fall.”

I hated the fact that my eyes obeyed.

“Stop watching the ground,” he asserted. “It’s not going anywhere. You keep looking at where you’ll fall instead of where you’re going.”

I stated the obvious, “I climbed up here by myself.”

“Yeah, well, most people don’t fall climbing up.”

“Huh, you chase people up trees often?”

He smiled, his teeth bright against the moonlight. “Only when they run from me.”

My pulse quickened. He continued to watch me: my every movement, every shift of my weight, every inch of my body. I felt like I was going to fall for a whole other reason with his sole attention on me.

“That branch won’t hold you,” he insisted.

I sighed through my nose. “I know.”

“Then show me you do.” His words were clipped and controlled, like he was forcing each one through gritted teeth.

Once I stepped onto the ladder, he stopped moving, causing me to glance over my shoulder. “What are you doing?”

“I want you in front of me.”

Heat traveled down my neck. “No.”

In one sharp tone, he snapped, “Now!”

His demand struck every nerve in my body, as if he were ordering a dog that was expected to obey. I whipped around, fully intending to tell him exactly where he could shove his orders, except at the last second, my foot landed at the very edge of the rung and twisted.

I caught myself, but it didn’t matter. The old metal ladder gave way from the impact of my turn, lurching it sideways. It was only then I understood why he wanted me in front of him.

A scream lodged somewhere behind my ribs as gravity took over, propelling me backward. I never hit empty air. His arm hooked around my waist so fast I didn’t even see it coming.

I just felt it.

I just felt him.

With such force, he wrenched me against his hard, solid chest. The front of my body collided with his, the impact alone driving every ounce of my breath from my lungs like I’d fallen to my death.

The ladder exploded into noise as he fought to keep us upright, using our combined weight to keep it from tipping over. The rails rattled violently beneath us as his boots hammered against the sides, battling for position while his free hand shot upward, catching the rail before it could gather more speed.

His body folded around mine, completely shielding me, taking every slam of the metal on him instead of me. His body stayed wrapped around mine while his chest rose sharply beneath my cheek until finally, he exhaled, long and slow, allowing himself to breathe.

The rattle started to subside, but his arm was still locked around my waist. Not loosely or even accidentally, it was tightly secure. I wasn’t going anywhere unless he wanted me to. Neither of us said a word. I was the only one breathing heavily, almost like I’d run a mile.

My anxious gaze shifted upward, locking eyes with him. We’d connected stares before, but this one was much different because I could see his whole face. For the first time since he found me, the carefully controlled expression he’d worn all night was gone.

His jaw was clenched so hard, and his pupils were blown out. All I could see was black now, replacing the honey color. His hair had fallen across his forehead, a few strands catching in the damp night air.

He was close enough that I could see the hard lines of his face, the sharp cut of his defined jawline with dark stubble shadowing his chin and upper lip. A faint scar disappeared beneath the edge of his beard, but it only made him appear that much more intimidating.

There wasn’t a trace of softness anywhere in him. Every one of his features had been carved with precision. I hated to admit this, but Onyx Devereaux was devastatingly handsome in a rough, rugged, raw way.

My captivated stare lingered longer than it should have, long enough to notice the effect he was suddenly having on me. His arm remained firmly around my waist while his body curved protectively around mine as though he hadn’t yet convinced himself that the danger had fully passed.