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The car comes to a stop, and he turns to look at me, one elbow on his seat, the other braced against the steering wheel. “Why would I know who that was? Do you think I hired someone to hurt you? Or that Fielder, or Ezra or Gideon did?”
I can feel his anger and hurt in the car with us, a living, breathing thing. “Hardin, you’ve done terrible things to me. You understand that, don’t you?” He nods, still staring at me. “Hiring someone to attack me doesn’t seem out of the realm of something that you would do.Anyof you.” I clarify, just so he knows I’m not singling him out. “In fact, it is something you did back at Seven Stars.” I’m referring, of course, to the attack in the woods where a man chased me with a knife. I hesitate before admitting, “but I don’t think this was you.”
He relaxes slightly. “Good, because this definitely wasn’t me—us. We’re more in the camp of trying to keep youalive.”
“What?” He just looks at me and pushes open his door. I blink and look around. We’re in front of my hotel. Hardin hands his keys to a valet. I push open the door and try to get out of the car, but as soon as I’m standing, I sway, leaning heavily against the side of the car to stay upright.
Hardin’s by my side in an instant, pulling me into his arms before sweeping me off my feet. My nose buries itself in his neck without my brain telling it to do that. “What’s your room number, love?” I tell him. “Get your key out.”
I don’t want to move my face away from him. I don’t want to open my eyes. But I force myself to, pulling my bag around until I can rifle through it, find my key card and hand it over to him.
“How did you do it?” I ask, as he steps into the elevator and I push the button for my floor.
“Do what?”
“You were ten feet away from me and that guy was pushed off of me. I felt the force of it.”
He tries to shrug a shoulder but fails because he still has me cradled against his chest. “Hardin, look at me.” His blue eyes slide away from me, stubbornly. I pinch his side. He winces and still avoids my gaze as the elevator doors open.
I let out a sound of annoyance, because we’re back to this. Back to me demanding answers from him, and him keeping his very sexy and full lips decidedly sealed. A moment later, he’s unlocking my door, carrying me over the threshold and setting me down carefully on my feet.
He doesn’t step away, though, lingering with his hands on my hips while his blue scan my face, drinking in the sight of me. “Fuck, I missed you, love.”
“I missed you too.” The words just slip out and dammit, I wish I could call them back because I shouldn’t have missed him. In no world does it that make sense that I miss any of the boys of Septem Stellae. But I really fucking do. Er,did,in his case.
He leans in and I think he might kiss me, but he stops. And that’s fine because I shouldn’t want to kiss him either. I shouldn’t want to feel his hands all over my body and his hips between my thighs, his cock-
Shut up, Rosalind. Get your mind out of the gutter.
I flush.
He clears his throat and takes a step back, looking around the room for the first time, taking in my suitcase open on the extra bed, clothes practically exploding from it. He saunters over to it and picks up a tiny, lacy pair of black underwear. His brow arches as he looks from them to me. “How can I convince you to let me see you in these?”
“Please, don’t fondle my panties.” I sigh. “Not unless I’m in them.”
Wait? What the fuck? Did I say that out loud?Maybe I hit my head harder than I thought.
Hardin grins at me, drops the fabric and stalks toward me. “Oh, love. I’m happy to fondle you and your panties any time you want.” He scans over me. “Well, any time but right now.” Hands on my shoulders, he gently turns me and swats my butt to get me to move toward the bathroom. “You need to warm up. Go take a shower.”
Three
I’m stepping out of the shower when I hear the inaudible murmur of Hardin’s voice through the door. I can’t hear any better when I press my ear against the wood of the door, so I crack it open just the tiniest bit and I’m finally able to make out his side of the conversation.
“You said this would stop if we got her to leave.” He runs a hand through his hair. “Someone fuckingattackedher, Harris. They followed her all the way across the world and tried to hurt her. The only reason we went along with you was because you said she’d be safe.”
I wrap a towel around me and step into the room. Hardin’s eyes sweep over me, taking in the piece of fabric covering me, and the anxiety that had vibrated from him melts into lust. I ignore it, even as my body clenches with need, and point to the phone. “That’s Fielder?” He nods and I hold out my hand. “Let me talk to him.”
He hands over his phone, without hesitating, his gaze firmly locked on me.
“Harris.”
“Sweeney?” Fielder’s voice sends another ripple through me. Sweet baby kittens, what is wrong with me?
Hardin’s still in his wet clothes. He hasn’t even taken his jacket off. He does so now, eyes fixed on me, draping the leather over the back of the single chair in the room. His shirt sticks to his skin, hugging each ripple of muscle.
“Yep.” My voice comes out slightly breathy, and Hardin cocks a brow at me.
“Are you okay?” he asks urgently.
