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As soon as his ruined brow touched mine, he stiffened in my hold. After a heartbeat of stony stillness, he recoiled from me as though I’d burned him. His strong arms released me, and he wrenched himself from my much weaker grasp as he surged to his feet.
I swayed, shaky in the wake of our intense kiss and his abrupt withdrawal. One big hand closed over my shoulder, steadying me for a moment. He jerked away almost immediately, reeling back and crossing his arms over his chest. I stared up at him, my jaw slack with shock.
He towered over me, a dark shadow. Every muscle in his massive body seemed to have locked up, and his face was twisted in a horrific scowl. He glowered at me, and white flames flickered over his black eyes.
“Max?” My voice was small, and he flinched at the sound of his name on my tongue.
“Go inside,” he bit out.
I blinked rapidly, struggling to get my brain to work in the aftermath of his decimating kiss. “But—”
“Now,” he snapped.
I wasn’t sure what I intended to protest, but the whip of his command jolted me to my feet. His jacket slid off my shoulders, and he caught if before it hit the ground. I fumbled for my keys in my clutch, and I braced one hand on my door to steady myself. Max didn’t offer me support this time.
My stomach dropped to the pavement, and I didn’t understand why. The giddiness that’d flooded me sparked into jitters, leaving my fingers trembling and my mind an addled mess. For some reason, my lungs tightened, and my eyes stung. The molten honey that’d pooled in my belly soured, making my insides squirm.
Max’s dark presence at my back teased over my skin like a physical touch, drawing a shudder from my chest. I couldn’t bear to look at him. My neck locked up tight, refusing to turn and face him. All the hot defiance that’d driven me to a frenzy cooled to an icy chill, and my flesh pebbled.
My key finally turned the lock, and I bolted into the sanctuary of my home. Automatically, I slid the deadbolt into place behind me before lurching forward. I moved through my foyer and into my living room as though drunk, stumbling slightly as I kicked off my high heels.
I glanced out the huge bay window, my eyes drawn as though by a magnet. My dark protector was gone. Max had melted into the shadows, disappearing into the night.
Chapter 14
Max
The woolen material of the ski mask stretched weirdly over my scar, teasing the live nerves at the edges of the damaged flesh. The constant contact with my sensory-deadened skin was a distracting, maddening reminder of how I hadn’t been able to feel Allie’s softness when she’d pressed her forehead to mine.
I’d been utterly consumed by the heat of our kiss, but that gut-wrenching reminder of my scar had poisoned the chemistry we shared. The mark of my shame reminded me of my duty.
Allie thought she could convince me to drop my vendetta against her father, but that would never happen.
I wanted her so fucking badly it set my teeth on edge, and I was a bastard for kissing her when I knew that I’d never allow her dad to escape my retribution.
I’ve seen you, Max. You’re not a monster. A shudder rolled through my body at the memory of her heated declaration, and for an insane moment, I wanted to believe it.
I’d protect Allie. I’d saved her life and watched over her. Tonight, I’d been stalking Fitzgerald’s fundraising event because three of my targets had been in attendance: Kelvin McCrae, Mikhail Ivanov, and Ron Fitzgerald himself.
But I’d witnessed that bastard, Nikolai, touching Allie, and I’d seen red. I couldn’t quite recall what’d happened in the minute it’d taken me to get to them, to shove the Russian scum away from her. All I’d known was that I had to keep his filthy hands off her.
If she hadn’t stopped me, I would’ve beaten his pretty face to a bloody pulp for daring to touch her.
I could still feel the warmth of her small hand at the center of my chest, that delicate touch halting me from advancing on my hated rival.
I flexed my fingers, struggling to let go of the tension that still lingered in my muscles. I’d craved to end him, but her quiet strength had restrained my worst impulses.
She was right: I would’ve been fucked if I’d snapped in public and attacked Nikolai Ivanov. In a way, Allie had saved me tonight, just as much as I’d saved her.
I shook my head to clear it, and the damn ski mask rubbed over my scar again. I barely managed to bite back a growl. If I made a sound now, I’d blow my whole plan to hell. I’d end up in jail or dead.
