AllFreeNovel
Share Us
When I was ready to wash off my plates, I heard firm footsteps and turned in time to see Ty coming toward me. I bumped into the island as he slowed, his steps becoming deliberate as he came closer. An intensity radiating from him sent a shiver through me and my heart skipped a beat as our eyes met.
“I’m sorry,” he said as his fingers cradled my bad wrist, tugging it up to his lips, where he brushed a kiss on my palm. “Thank you for accepting my apology.”
“You’re welcome,” I breathed and our eyes met again.
Hot cascades clashed with the chills zinging through me, every which way.
No, I should hate Tyler Michaelson.
Except, my heart had gone soft with sympathy. How could I hate him when I watched him struggle with a simple apology, when I recalled the ink-stained, boyish handwriting scrawled on the crinkled pages of diaries he’d saved?
Somehow, Ty now felt more human than anyone I’d ever known.
If there was anything I hated, it was that his dreams and his ability to lead a normal life had been snatched away from him by his father, by the Michaelson family. Pity stirred deep inside of me for the boy who had to learn how to survive, for the boy with a father nicknamed “the Rhino” who beat him into submission, and the boy who tried to protect his younger cousin from the rage of his uncle, nicknamed “the Reaper.”
I understood about shitty fathers taking away your choices. Ty’s had taken away his future, as my father had tried to do with mine.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Ty asked, his voice dipping to that note that made me press my thighs together.
A ghost of a smirk flitted over his face, and I wanted it back.
More than that, as it was every time I saw him, I wanted there to be no fucking space between us. I craved his mouth, his skin, and now, his dominance.
I wanted him.
And he wanted me.
Desire thrummed in the air between us and I knew I wasn’t imagining the heat in Ty’s eyes as he looked me over. His breathing became harsh, and he crowded in closer.
“I’m not letting you go,” he murmured. “Should I apologize for that?”
“Nah, I figured. Kidnapping and keeping me locked up kind of implies that,” I said. But my tone was far too light, almost teasing, and Ty seemed to fight a smile.
“It’s more than that,” Ty said. “You’re in too deep, Lia. Someone could use you against me. I can’t let that happen. I can’t let my enemies get near you.” He pressed a hand to my face and brushed his thumb over the seam of my lips. “They’ve been waiting for this chance for years. You have no idea.”
“So, I’m here for my own protection?” I asked, my voice high and breathless.
“Yeah,” Ty said, sounding distracted, and he leaned in close. “That a problem?”
“What if I say no?”
This close, I saw Ty's pupils dilate against the deep brown, and suddenly, he was kissing me. His lips traced over mine and his tongue teased. But he drew back after a few moments. Then helet out a dark chuckle. “You like to push my buttons, don’t you, Lia?”
“Yeah,” I said and bit my lip. “Is that okay? Isn’t that part of it — the pretend fight?”
A laugh rumbled in Ty’s chest, and his hands settled at my waist, his thumbs working slow circles on my hip bones. I tried not to get aroused from that touch alone, but it wasn’t working. Somehow, I’d tamped down on my frantic need yesterday and tried to play the logic card.
Today, that had all fallen apart.
I wanted to fall apart.
Gazing at Ty, I wished I could put into words those snatches of dreams that made me feel so close to him. I wanted to be close to him since the moment I laid eyes on him.
“I mean, we don’t even know each other,” I blurted out, and Ty’s hands fell away from me. “I don’t know what you want.”
Ty rubbed at his chest and seemed to be both fighting laughter and a frown. “Lia, I think I’ve made what I want pretty fucking obvious.”
“But why?” I asked. “I mean, you could have any woman — and is this just to fuck me for information?”
