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“Stop being melodramatic. If I’d wanted you dead, I wouldn’t have spent time with you or saved your life.”
Her hard, cold stare drew another feeling of harsh arousal. I yanked the chair from the manager’s office into the kitchen but as soon as I moved closer, she tried to pull away. Her body swayed from the action, and she almost tripped over a stack of boxes.
“Whoa.” I kept her righted, pulling her gently toward the chair.
I allowed myself to see the beauty in her during another moment of lust, but as I took a long look at her pale face, makeup marred by the ugliness of what we’d just been through, I felt a different stir in my loins.
The bad man wanted nothing more than to protect his lady.
Only she wasn’t mine, even if I’d laid claim to her.
She sucked in a shattered breath, closing her eyes briefly. I knew it was the calm before the storm.
When she launched herself at me seconds later, I was prepared, easily grabbing her by the wrists.
“Who are you?” she demanded, the upturn of her nose forcing my balls to tighten.
“You already determined the answer yourself.”
“A killer.” She struggled in my hold, her long fingers flexing as if determined to scratch the hell out of me.
“Is that a question?”
“I doubt you’ll tell me the truth about anything. Why should you?”
I guided her toward the chair, determined to ease her down. She was stiff but allowed the action, her dress riding up when I did. That’s when I noticed a cut on her leg, the blood almost dried. “I was right. You’re hurt.”
“No. I’m just dandy.” When I lifted the edge of her dress, she yanked it from my hand. “Don’t you dare touch me.”
“I’m going to clean the wound, Whitney, which means I will need to touch you.”
She gritted her teeth, staring up at me with wide doe eyes. “God, I hate you.”
“You should.” I pulled away, cocking my head as a warning not to do anything stupid. I moved through the kitchen, finding a supply closet with clean rags. After giving her another quick glance, I grabbed one and took long strides toward the utility sink, running it under the water. Goddamn it. This was a trainwreck in several ways.
She was chewing on her inner lip, her hands fisted in anger and frustration. When I knelt in front of her, she jerked back as if I’d hit her.
For all the terrible things I’d done in my life, not once had I taken out my anger or my need for revenge on a woman. I wasn’t wired that way. I would do so if there was no other choice, but my mother had taught me to revere women. She’d been a strong force in my life. Maybe that was my only saving grace, keeping some of my humanity intact.
She winced when I pressed the cloth against the gash, never looking me in the eye as I wiped away dirt and grime. Only when I was close to finishing did she challenge me.
“Why bother doing that, Phoenix? Aren’t you going to lock me in a cage somewhere, forcing information out of me that I don’t have?”
I didn’t answer her at first. “Did you know who I was when we met on the train?”
A slight snort pushed from her pert lips, and she jerked the cloth from my hand. “No. I had no idea who you were.”
“Why were you on the train?”
She laughed, the sound bitter. “I already told you. I wanted time alone to think. Then you stormed into my life and for once I thought I could enjoy myself. A stupid train ride. Who knew I’d meet mayhem?”
Exhaling, I remained where I was. Her anxiety was palpable.
“I’ve spent my entire adult life responsibly. The girl who made straight A’s, the one who volunteered. The hard worker, keeping two jobs all through high school and college while taking care of my mother. Even after I started making money, I was always worried I’d be left homeless one day. That probably sounds crazy to a man born with a silver spoon in his mouth.”
“No, Whitney. That sounds rational and very responsible.”
“Maybe I decided to take the trip to finally experience life knowing it is too short. Maybe it was because my father died, a crazy moment of feeling guilt while needing to let go. Totally out of character for me. Not that it matters to you. My mother told me when I was very little my father was a liar and a cheat. I hadn’t wanted to believe it but after all the years of silence from him, I was forced to accept she was right. I don’t know you at all, Phoenix. And I don’t want to know anything about you. No lies. That’s all you do is lie. Right? To get what you want?”
