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TEN
Tempest’s surprisingdefense tightened Rook’s chest. Her eyes burned with the sincerity of her words and his lips twitched. No one defended him. Not as a child in need and not as the adult man he was today. He’d long put that time behind him.
He held up his hand and flexed his fingers. Claws extruded from the tips. “I can’t fully shift into my cat but I did get claws. Despite these, I never felt I fit in and lost contact with that part of my family.”
Tempest touched his knuckles but avoided the deadly claws. “How did you end up as the heir to the Callims?”
He closed his eyes and breathed deeply.Fuck. He’d been so caught in the moment, he’d given her the truth of his past and not Roarke Callim’s. Adjusting his background on the fly, he lied. “They took me in when I was still young after she passed away and raised me as their own because they couldn’t have children. Formalized it legally and that’s my story.”
“You got a happy ending at least,” Tempest said, softly. “My story’s still being written.”
What an odd thing to say. He tipped his chin down, but she ducked her head and lay back on his chest. Needing to settle the disquiet the conversation caused, he placed his hand, claws retracted, back in her hair and played with the strands. Like silk, it slid through his fingers, curls tangling and sliding free on each stroke.
Without warning, a rumbling purr rolled forth from his chest. Rook froze. He hadn’t purred since he was a child. He could feel the stretch of muscles on Tempest’s face. Then she laughed. “You purred! Due to being Argoran, I assume. It also explains the growls.”
His heart tumbled in his chest. Partly because of her laugh and partly because he was losing focus. This was a mission. It wasn’t an opportunity for him to weaken and go soft over a woman.
“Tell me what parts of your story have been written so far.”
It came out a brusque command but fortunately Tempest didn’t take note or chose to ignore it. “There once was a girl who lost her family. She found a friend who became her new family.”
He stilled at the dry recital. Was she telling him the truth? Was he about to learn the reasons behind Tempest’s actions?
“One day, an evil man killed her friend. Now, he and those like him must pay.”
It wasn’t a declaration of guilt but it was enough for them to start filling in more connections.
“Maybe I should start at the beginning, like you,” she mused. “I had a loving family. My mom and dad were great. We lived in a close knit community. A fire broke out and my parents died. Neighbors took me in and though I was drowning in grief, I didn’t have to worry about where to go.
“I’d be taken care of by the colony members, but...a freak weather storm came through. We were in the midst of mourning and rebuilding from the fire. In an instant, I lost everything. My people wiped out.” Tempest sighed. “Like you, I’m alone in the world without family or loved ones.”
He wasn’t alone. He had Ghost Unit. While not exactly his friends, he trusted the team with his life.
Tempest smoothed a hand down his chest and he twitched beneath the whisper soft touch. Suddenly, she asked, “Have you ever been in love?”
“No.” It was an emotion he didn’t understand. Love had been the cause of his mother’s untimely death.
“Me either. I think about it though. I wonder what it would be like to be wanted with an all consuming passion. To be loved in that type of way must be incredible. One time, I saw a couple at a café sharing a hot drink.
“They smiled into each other’s eyes and when they left, they held hands. The server said they came every day. Had been together for forty years. What must it feel like to have someone care about you like that?”
Her musings struck a chord within him. She touched a secret craving he’d kept buried deep. Whether he acknowledged it or not, there had been a time when Rook would have given anything to be loved by someone.Anyone. He cupped her jaw and gently tipped her face up. “I’m sure it’s beautiful.”
With her, it would have to be. Some man would capture her heart and be the recipient of her laughter and all that love she hungered for. Jealousy bit and sunk its razor sharp teeth into his chest. Rook didn’t want to think about another man having what he’d barely scratched the surface of.
Her lips twisted. “But not for me, eh? Loner woman who seeks to sex share with random men every year. That’s not how you find deep love like that couple had.”
He stared into her somber gaze, feeling his heart thud with every moment he lay next to her, planning her downfall. “Or maybe it is.”
Why did he have the feeling he’d meant those words? In this moment, this slice of time, he wasn’t sure if he still played a role.
***
Seraphina couldn’tbelieve she’d shared her deepest feelings. With a stranger she’d met a few hours ago. Lying in the bed beside him, she analyzed the emotions spiraling inside her. The sex sharing had been better than her times with previous lovers but that wasn’t it. Not strictly at any rate.
This was more than physical and it unnerved her. She couldn’t afford to lose focus or get drawn into anything resembling a relationship when her life was in flux. Thinking about her plans and how close she was to the end created a subtle bubble of tension. Roarke continued to watch her and uneasy with her internal thought and the attention, she rolled to her side.
“Don’t go.” Roarke caught her wrist, stopping her from getting out of the bed. “Stay.”
She glanced back at him over her shoulder. Staying wasn’t an option. Part of not allowing herself to get attached meant leaving and not spending the night with the men she chose. “I can’t.”
He caressed her wrist, thumb gently brushing over her pulse which leaped in response. His lips curved up and he tugged on her arm. “Only a little while. Let me hold you.”
Temptation pulled at her senses. She could spare a few minutes. She lay back in the bed and he immediately wrapped an arm around her waist and huddled behind her. Pushing back the warnings in her head, she settled and absorbed the warmth of his embrace and the rare sensation of security.
“Only a little while,” she whispered to him.
