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“Calista, wait.”
His voice and the use of my name have me walking faster. I grip the doorknob and wrench my arm back, only to jump at the loud noise reverberating in my ears. Hayden’s palms slam against the door, his hands flat on either side of my head. I freeze, my entire body stiffening with fear. And awareness.
The scent of him fills my nose.
The warmth of him seeps into my skin.
The feel of him pressed against my back has me longing for more.
This man is dangerous. For so many reasons.
I close my eyes and rest my forehead against the wood. The world falls away until it’s only me and Hayden. My panic and his presence.
My breaths are loud in my ears, and my lungs work hard to keep the air flowing despite my inability to pull in much oxygen. At the feel of Hayden gripping my shoulders, I finally suck in a much-needed breath. It clears the haze clouding my vision, and I blink up at the man after he spins me to face him. His lips are moving, but his words fail to register in my mind. I stand there as his voice drifts over me like a melody, a baritone sound fighting the darkness that’s ready to swallow me whole.
Hayden wraps one arm around my back and bends his legs in order to hook his other arm underneath my knees. From one second to the next, I’m in his arms. I stare up at him as he walks across the room to his desk and settles us in the chair with me on his lap. This proximity makes my fight to breathe that much harder.
He cups my cheek, placing his thumb under my jaw to hold up my head. “Look at me, Callie.”
I flick my gaze to his. The blue is like shards of ice, chilled with his worry for me.
“That’s it. Concentrate on me,” he says. “You are safe. Nothing will hurt you.”
His voice carries a confidence that rings true within me. It battles my need to hide from him. To conceal the filthy and damaged parts of me.
“I’ve got you, Callie. You’re safe with me. I’ll never let anything hurt you. Anyone who tries will suffer. Now, breathe in and out slowly through your mouth.”
When he runs his thumb over the seam of my lips, I inhale. The breath sweeps past his finger and into my lungs. Into my soul.
Time holds no meaning as Hayden reassures me again and again, guiding my breathing with words and gentle touches. Our surroundings slowly take shape and cement within my psyche. But his office is nothing more than a fleeting thought compared to the man holding me to his chest.
He is the only thing in my world right now.
Hayden’s heartbeats pound furiously against my ear, a stark contrast to the calm tone he uses to speak to me. I swallow to alleviate my dry throat and stare up at him, my vision clearer than a moment ago. His dark beauty stares back at me like Lucifer before he fell from grace.
“You’re safe,” Hayden says, sweeping his thumb over my cheek. “I’ve got you.”
I lift my arm to brush his jaw with my fingertips, ignoring their trembling. Is it with trepidation… or from the pleasure of touching him? “You don’t need to worry about me, Hayden. I’m fine.”
I force a smile. It wobbles on my face when he frowns at me, but I keep it there while continuing to caress him. My need to soothe him is almost as strong as my need to touch him. I bite the inside of my cheek to repress a sigh as I trail my fingers along the curve of his cheek, the length of his jaw, and the arch of his brows. One, then the other.
Hayden turns to ice, hard and unmoving against me. Yet he doesn’t stop me from exploring him. I bring my index finger to his chin, following the minor cleft there, then drag my fingertip along his nose and his bottom lip. It’s just as soft as I thought. Maybe even more so.
With regret, I let my hand fall away.
Only for Hayden to snatch it in his and bring it to his mouth.
“Don’t stop,” he whispers, his lips brushing my skin. “I need more.”
Chapter19
Hayden
Calista has awakenedsomething in me.
Something I thought dead and buried.
Fragments of my childhood rise like ghosts from their tombs, their ominous presence chilling my skin. I concentrate on Calista’s face when another tries to take its place. That of another woman.
