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“That’s such crap, Phoenix.”
When he swung around to face me, I thought for certain I was wrong about how he’d handle his anger. His face was red, his entire body shaking.
But I refused to back down.
“Tell me! I need to know. Who was she? Who was the one person who almost destroyed you? That’s the reason you can’t trust anyone. Isn’t it? That’s why you terrified of loving me.”
I inched even closer, tilting my chin. There was so much fury, yet I could see absolute love in his eyes.
“Let it go. Go to your room. We’ll deal with this later.”
“No. You’re not going to scare me, Phoenix. Not now. Not ever.” I thought for certain he was going to toss his glass against the wall. Instead, he slammed it onto his desk, shaking his head several times before dragging me toward him, holding me tightly against his chest.
“Goddamn it, my beauty. Don’t you know I can’t stand the thought of losing you? You could have died. They would have taken you from me. Hurt you. Killed you. All because of this fucking war. I won’t let that happen.”
I wrapped my arms around him, the heat and electricity we shared becoming a corrosive magnet. It was impossible to be away from each other but for so long. I was wild with need all over again, breathless in wonderment as thousands of prickles jetted across my skin. The myriad emotions coursing through me were stealing my voice.
“You’re mine. Mine. Do you hear me? Mine.” He pulled away, cupping both sides of my face.
As he lowered his head, his hot breath skipping across my face, tears formed in my eyes. “I’m not going anywhere.”
He crushed his mouth over mine, immediately thrusting his tongue inside. I was crazed from need, longing to feel his naked body pressed against mine. His fingers dug into my skin as he explored my mouth, drinking from me as if needing my lifeforce. Then he rolled one hand down my back, sliding his arm under my bottom. As he lifted me into the air, vibrant stars rushed across my field of vision.
I tangled my fingers in his hair, his scent filling every cell. Nothing was as powerful as the way he was holding me, the kiss becoming a brutal roar of longing that surpassed everything else around us.
The war that had started.
The worry he’d been betrayed.
The fear of losing people he cared about.
Nothing else mattered.
I tasted arousal on his lips, the taste of bourbon almost as musky as the fragrance of the man. When he finally pulled away, he fingered my hair, taking his time to gently slide several strands behind my ear.
“You’re angry with me,” I said, wishing he would just make the statement and get it out of the way.
“I’m not angry. You disappointed me, Whitney. I thought I’d been very clear about the rules.”
“You were. I just—”
“You wanted to surprise me with a gift,” he interrupted. “But you don’t understand what’s at stake here or the lengths my enemy will go to eliminate everything good in my life. The fact he gleaned private information is like a knife stuck in my gut.”
“Maybe it really is coincidental.”
Laughing, he rubbed his eyes. “I think you know better.”
“Maybe, but you can’t go accusing everyone in your employ. Next, you’ll be accusing me. But you’re right. I don’t completely understand or accept these rules, Phoenix. I’ve never been through anything like this in my life. I was never mugged, never chased down by boogeymen, and I certainly haven’t been in a train explosion before meeting you.”
He almost chuckled under his breath as he shifted his gaze back and forth. There was something entirely different about the way he was searching for answers in my eyes. Maybe he was trying to determine if I’d eventually betray him.
Or maybe he was looking for salvation.
“It’s not always this entertaining, Whitney. There are quiet periods.”
Huffing, I shook my head. “Entertaining? I’d hate to see what you called a real war.” When I placed my fingers against his cheek, he raked his gaze down the length of me.
“This is a war, not just one of power but also of intelligence. You can’t disobey the rules, Whitney. That allows the weaknesses to be shown. That’s why you’re going to be punished. As I told you, there are consequences to every action.”
