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“Just listen to me,” he says, his fingers tightening on my wrists. “The drug someone gave you is the same one that was found in Kristen Hall’s bloodstream, as well as the one that caused my mother’s death. They’re not individual cases like I originally thought. All of these events are connected.”
My eyes dart to his as fear turns my blood to ice. I search his face for any signs of ambivalence, but there are none. When I open my mouth to respond with a weak denial, nothing comes out. Tears well up and spill down my temples.
Hayden makes a low, anguished sound before releasing one of my wrists to wipe away my tears. The show of tenderness only causes them to flow all the more. I squeeze my eyes shut against the swell of emotions threatening to drown me.
“This drug came from somewhere,” he says, “and I won’t stop until I uncover the creator, the manufacturer, and the distributors. All of this could be the key to closing these cases, or it could lead nowhere. Either way, I’ll find out. I promise they won’t get away with it.”
Despite his aggressive tone, he grazes the inside of my wrist with gentle strokes of his thumb. I hold back a wince. Hayden’s touch soothes my wounds even as he inflicts new ones with his nearness.
“Shh, Callie. It’s all right.”
He leans down to kiss my damp skin. The contact nearly undoes me. I stiffen at the feel of his lips, squeezing my eyes shut. The uncharacteristic show of affection warms my heart. Traitorous piece of shit.
“Don’t worry,” he whispers, his breath skimming my mouth. He places a kiss on my eyelids, one, then the other. “We’ll get through this.”
I let out a shaky exhale, comforted by his strength and confidence despite everything he’s done. The pain isn’t gone and my worries extend beyond this new information, but there’s too much unresolved between us for me to think clearly.
“I need to leave,” I say, finally gathering the courage to look at him.
He shakes his head.
“What do you want?”
“So many things, but I’ll start with a promise from you.”
I frown. “What do you mean?”
“I want you to promise not to run away. I know you think I’m—”
“You don’t know anything,” I say, my voice rising in volume. “I trusted you, and you lied to me, Hayden.”
“To keep you alive!” His shout echoes in the bedroom, startling me into silence. “Don’t you get it? If I lose you, Callie, I won’t fucking survive it.”
His outburst hangs in the air between us, raw and full of anguish. I stare up at him, watching the torment illuminate his eyes, turning them into gems. He drags a hand over his face and blows out a harsh breath.
“You’re right,” he says. “I don’t know a damn thing anymore, not when it comes to you.”
“Hayden, I…”
He slides his hand through my hair to grip the nape of my neck. With a firm jerk, he tilts my head back, forcing me to meet his gaze. “You’re not leaving this bed until you agree to let me keep you safe,” he says. “You can hate me, but you’ll give me what I want.”
I press my lips together, unwilling to commit to anything without thinking it through. Not running means having to be near him every day, and, to an extent, trusting him not to hurt me further. That’s a significant promise to make.
And risk to take.
Hayden releases my wrists to caress my hip. My thoughts slip away like grains of sand in an ocean wave. I blink several times to regain my focus while he looks down at me, his eyes glinting with determination and desire.
Persuasion through seduction.
Is there anything deadlier?
I want to arch into his touch, to melt into him until I forget his deception and there’s nothing between us except pleasure. It takes every ounce of willpower I have to stay still, but that doesn’t stop my body from reacting to him. Heat ignites wherever his fingers graze my skin. My breathing hitches, and my breasts get heavy, my nipples hardening, begging for his mouth.
His need for my submission is written all over his face, in every bit of tension lining his body. He shifts above me to dip his hand between my thighs. My breath leaves me in a rush at the feel of his thumb brushing my clit through my panties.
He lowers his head to nip at my earlobe before running his tongue along the shell of my ear. “I’ll wait as long as it takes.”
I place my hands on his chest, and the muscles underneath twitch at my touch. He’s just as affected by me as I am by him. This isn’t a revelation, but it does empower me.
