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“She did, but I sent her on her way.”
“I had hoped we had seen the last of them,” Morgan said wistfully. “She was asking specifically for Môr Haven.”
“She said as much. Though I told her, the Ellis’ were all gone. She seemed disappointed I was the only one here.”
“Well, hopefully, that’s her gone for good.”
“We can hope.”
“Let me know if she comes back,” he said, heading back toward his car.
I nodded. “I will.”
I watched him drive off, then chanced a look in the upper far corner window. The outline of her silhouette could just be made out. My blood burned hotter in my veins, yet the icy feel of her kiss left my lips cold. My body was in discord. The red dragon was awake, and he would not be denied.
ChapterFive
NAVY
My hands were sore from pounding on the window. The house might look old, but it had been modernized. Thick double-paned windows prevented any noise from getting in or out.
I sunk down to the floor and leaned my head against the wall.
I should have been terrified, but instead, I felt numb. The uneasy ball of anxiety I usually felt had been pushed down for the moment. It was a coping mechanism I had taught myself many years ago. To push the fear or pain away instead of dealing with it at the current moment. I was a pro at it now.
Damn, Rhys Hughes.
He could go to hell. Or maybe he came from hell. Whichever, it didn’t matter. The heat of his touch and kiss scorched my skin, leaving me with an uneasy feeling. Sex wasn’t a new thing for me, nor was it important. I used it as a tool to get things in life. A dinner out. A new car. A lead on a story. And every time, I felt nothing. No rush of emotions or, for that matter, satisfaction. Sex was just sex. But when Rhys kissed me, a shiver ran down my spine, and goosebumps erupted on my skin. The heat from his body blazed a path straight to my core, accompanied by the notion I should be very afraid. Whatever happened between us ignited something deep inside I didn’t know existed. And it was scarier than anything I could imagine.
It was twilight when he came to get me, and I now sat across the table from him, looking at my plate. The smell of basil and parmesan cheese hung in the air, floral and pungent. “What did DCS Davies say?”
“He was going to warn me that you were coming, but I told him you had already been and sent you on your way.”
“You have all these people fooled. Rich people always think they can control things with their money. It makes you bold.”
“That’s a broad generalization.”
“So, what did you do to become the wealthiest man in Wales?”
“Nothing. I was born into money,” he answered nonchalantly, twisting a forkful of spaghetti against his spoon like an expert.
“So, you don’t work.” The pasta was finished with a white wine and garlic sauce and cooked perfectly al dente. If it weren’t for the fact that I was being held against my will, I would have considered us on a casual dinner date. The atmosphere was ridiculously perfunctory.
“Why would I? I have everything I could possibly need or want.” He wiped his mouth on his cloth napkin.
“I don’t know, perhaps to be productive.” I took a sip of the dry wine, coughing from the astringent sensation it left. “Don’t you get bored?”
He laughed. “No, I don’t get bored. And I’m involved in certain projects.”
“Projects? Like kidnapping young girls.”
His eyes hardened. “I didn’t kidnap those girls.”
“But you’ve kidnapped me.”
“No, I’ve detained you. There’s a difference, and as soon as you tell me the truth, I will let you go.”
“I have told you the truth,” I said, setting down my fork. The pasta stuck in my raw throat in an uncomfortable lump, and I came to the realization this wasn’t casual, and he could still be the kidnapper.
