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“Can we have this talk inside? I’m about to turn into a popsicle,” Daphne suggests.
“I’m about to redden your ass is what is about to happen.” Daphne stiffens in his hold. Tiernan looks angry but also deeply … interested.
I think Daphne may have finally bitten off more than she can chew.
Charles keys in the code to shut the gate before grabbing my wrist—instead of holding my hand—as he pulls me back toward the lodge.
He’s clearly pissed. As for me, I’m just sad and hurt, and I don’t know if this is something we can come back from.
12
CHARLES
She knows the code. She could’ve left at any time. Here I was thinking I had her on lock-down and completely safe, but that’s not the case at all. If I can’t protect her, then what am I even doing? I don’t deserve her if I can’t keep her safe.
“Come on. You’re freezing already.” I take her back to my room and set her on the bed, then wrap my blanket tightly around her.
“What are you—” Her chin wobbles, and I realize there are tears in her eyes.
“What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” I kneel in front of her and look up. “What’s wrong, pretty eyes?”
“Why did you seem so…mad? Are you angry because I knew the code?”
“No.” I blink, surprised she thought I was mad.
“You just grabbed me and dragged me back in here like you were livid, so I—"
“No.” I press my palm to her cheek. “Mad at you? Not a chance.”
“Then what’s going on?”
I can’t bear for her to be upset like this, especially when I’m the reason. Goddammit, I’m screwing everything up right at the start. I take a deep breath to ground myself.
“I was just scared,” I admit.
Her eyebrows shoot up. “You?”
“Yes.” I smile despite myself. “Is it so hard to believe?”
She nods slowly. “Absolutely.”
I scoot closer and pull her into my arms. “I admit fear has never meant much to me. But now that you’re here, everything’s different. I have this—” I don’t even know how to explain it without sounding like some sort of caveman. “Need to protect you. And maybe it’s over the top, but it scared me when I realized you could’ve opened the gate to anyone. Or even opened it to … leave.” God, it hurts to even think of her walking away from me.
“That’s why you were mad? You were scared I’d leave?” She sighs and runs her fingers through my hair. “I thought you, I don’t know, noticed how weird it is that I can remember the code after seeing it just once.”
I slide my hands beneath her and grip her ass through the blanket. “That is weird. But a good kind of weird. Photographic memory?”
“Yes. You’ve heard of it?” When she seems relieved, I can finally breathe again.
“Just in passing. Some of the guys in my line of work have the same talent, among others, and they use it to full advantage.”
“Yeah? How’s that?”
“Same way you did, pretty eyes. They get one look at a code or a secret message, and then they have it forever. It’s powerful.” I ease her back onto the bed and open my blanket like she’s a gift. Because she is.
“You ran out of here without telling me anything.” I lower my lips to her throat and nip her with my teeth. “Just left. Could’ve been running into a trap or an enemy of mine.” I grip her wrists and pin them to the bed. “Promise me you’ll never do that again.”
She moves her hips against me, her legs opening to welcome me closer. “Promise to never run from you?”
