Killing Me Softly, page 10
‘I’ll go on one condition.’
‘What’s that?’
‘You’ll come and have a bite to eat with me.’
She blinked, apparently caught off guard just as he was by the complete turnaround. ‘I . . . I can’t. I have some work I want to do downstairs. Maybe another time.’ She backed away.
‘You have to eat.’ He stepped closer, backing her into a corner, scenting her unease like a wolf would his prey; or his mate. His body felt magnetised, drawn to her even as she unsettled him.
For a moment, he thought she felt it too, would give in, but with a wrench of will she walked away, breaking the connection.
‘I’ll ask Bev to bring me something later,’ she muttered as she hurried out of the studio.
Daemon followed her, unable to calm the hunter inside that made him want to claim her for his own. ‘She and Karl are going to town tonight.’
‘What?’ She turned the desk on. ‘Oh, that’s right. Their anniversary. Billy will bring something down for me then.’
‘I suppose you’ll have a quiet comfy dinner together, just the two of you. How romantic.’
At his tone, she turned slowly to face him. ‘What is that supposed to mean?’
‘I noticed how close you were the other day.’
Her eyes narrowed. ‘I think you need to go outside and cool down before you say something you’ll regret.’ She spoke slowly, as if keeping a tight rein on her temper. But he didn’t want her to keep a tight rein on it. He wanted her to explode, just like he felt he was going to explode if he got no relief soon.
‘Believe me, I won’t regret this.’
His hands shot out, grabbing her arms and pulled her forward, her body slamming flush up against his. She looked up at him, as if to order him to let go. And if she’d done that, said the words, he would have obeyed, because despite the strange mood he was in and the unreasoning jealousy slamming through him, he would never force a woman into something she didn’t want.
But the words never made it out of her mouth.
Hot, intense, her gaze fluttered to his and held there, caught like a trapped bird. She began to tremble, leaned toward him.
That was all the invitation he needed.
His lips touched hers and she opened to him, stroking his tongue with hers as his hands ran a fevered path up and down her back, crushing her to his length. Heat and softness overwhelmed him. Fevered, he tasted her mouth, her skin. The texture of her hair, soft silk, ran through his fingers. Her fingers tightened on the muscles of his arms, stroking up his neck, through his hair, pulling him closer, back to her mouth, making him want more. So much more.
‘Lord, Alexia,’ his voice a breath of sound against her silken skin. ‘I want you. I’ve wanted you since I met you. I can’t explain it. Do you have any idea how much you turn me on?’
The shove to his chest had him stumbling back. Her hand was to her mouth, eyes huge, skin deathly pale. She trembled, but not with passion. One glance at her terrified eyes had him stepping towards her. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she looked through him. ‘Alexia? What is it?’
She flinched, then seeing him, mumbled, ‘I think I’m going to be sick.’ She turned and fled down the hallway and out the front door.
‘Alexia, wait!’
She didn’t stop. The door slammed shut in his face. He ran after her, but when he opened the door, he was blinded by the bright sunlight for a moment and couldn’t see which way she’d gone. Swearing, wishing for the wild tumble of dark clouds that usually crowded the sky rather than the startlingly bright sun shining across the craggy grey peaks in the west, he glanced down the path at the stables and seeing nothing, looked back up towards the manor house. Squinting, he saw her run past Craig, who stood on the path between the house and the studio. Craig called out to her, but she kept running, stumbled up the back steps and with a slam of the door, disappeared into the house. Daemon groaned as, face grim, Craig marched down the path toward him. He didn’t feel like putting up with the third degree.
‘I thought you were catching up with Billy and Cat,’ Daemon said as Craig reached him.
‘Cat’s having a sleep. What’s wrong with Lexi?’
Daemon ran his hand through his hair. ‘I kissed her,’ he murmured.
‘You what?’ Craig looked as if he’d just been smacked in the face.
‘It’s no big deal. She kissed me back. I didn’t force myself on her or anything.’
‘Shit, Dae!’ Craig rolled his eyes then turned to go. ‘I better go tell Billy.’
Daemon grabbed his arm. ‘What does this have to do with Billy?’ His jaw hardened. ‘I was right. There is something going on between them, isn’t there?’
‘What are you talking about?’ Craig looked incredulous.
Daemon ignored him, began to pace. ‘You know, if they’re engaged or something, she really shouldn’t be looking at me the way she does.’ He didn’t know why he felt so upset, so betrayed. She meant nothing to him. Daemon wished Craig would stop gaping at him.
‘Billy’s not in love with Lexi.’
Daemon stopped pacing. ‘Yeah, right. I’ve seen the way they are together.’
‘He’s not here for Lexi. He’s here for Cat.’
Daemon snorted. ‘I know he’s here for Cat. He’s her therapist.’
‘That’s right, but that’s not all.’ He shoved his hands in his pockets. ‘You’ve seen what Cat looks like, so you know something terrible happened, but don’t let on I told you this, okay? Billy and Lexi don’t like it talked about.’
Daemon nodded.
‘Cat was kidnapped and raped.’
‘Shit.’ Daemon halted mid-stride. ‘Who?’
Craig’s mouth twisted. ‘I’m already breaking a confidence by telling you this much, so don’t ask me for more. All you need to know is on the night she was kidnapped, she and Billy were supposed to go on a date. Billy was running late. By the time he got there, she was gone.’
‘Jesus!’
‘Yeah. He told me he loved her. I think he still does. That’s why I’m telling you this, so you know there’s nothing going on between Lexi and Billy.’
‘What if she never recovers?’ Daemon asked after a stunned pause.
Craig shrugged, opened his mouth to answer but his eyes narrowed instead. ‘Hang on a minute. If you thought they were together, then why’d you make a play for Lexi?’
‘I didn’t make a play for her. We were arguing. Then suddenly we were kissing.’ He looked up toward the main house, still confused as to how it had happened. All he knew was that after she’d run into his arms that other morning, burrowed against his chest, he’d wanted nothing more than to have her back there again. Which was insane.
Craig began to chuckle.
‘I don’t see what’s so funny.’
‘I think you need to work it out for yourself.’
Craig’s expression was so smug, Daemon felt like punching him. Instead, he curled his fingers at his side, turned and walked down the path to the Dower House. He punched in the code and opened the door, slamming it behind him. The thudding sound made him feel slightly better. Then as he stomped into the kitchen he began to laugh. His actions were that of a two-year-old, sulking over something he’d been told he couldn’t have. He never used to sulk. He must have learned from Darla. She could have won competitions with the excellence of her sulking.
Daemon realised with surprise that thinking about Darla didn’t hurt. He wondered what had changed.
Then the answer came to him. He no longer felt anything but indifference towards her. The realisation astounded him. It felt pretty bloody marvellous, actually.
What had he ever seen in her? After what he’d seen his father endure with his mother – what he himself had gone through – he should have known better. She and Darla were basically the same. Lying and manipulative. When Darla left he’d sworn he would never get involved with a woman who wasn’t open and honest with him. And yet, here he was again, falling for someone whose life was full of secrets.
The wayward thought brought him up short.
He hadn’t fallen for Alexia. It had just been a kiss. That was all. A kiss that hadn’t even ended well. He couldn’t get caught up in a kiss. A kiss was nothing.
She hadn’t acted like it was nothing.
The thought that she’d run from him in fear gnawed at him. Did that have something to do with what happened to Cat? If he’d frightened her, he needed to know why, needed to know she was okay, needed to apologise. They had to work together and he didn’t want to mess that up.
Why hadn’t he thought of that before he’d pulled her into his arms?
He sighed.
The kiss was his mistake. He had to deal with the consequences. And he’d better do it now before she had a chance to consider that breaking their contract was the way to go.
Lexi stared out the study window, watching the glorious colours of the setting sun against the lilac sky.
‘Lexi?’ It was Billy. She didn’t move. ‘Lexi?’
‘Isn’t the sky magnificent? I almost feel that if I opened this window I could breathe in the golden warmth. Wouldn’t that be a true balm for the troubled soul?’ She laughed, a hiccough of sound. She didn’t turn to look at him, just kept staring out the window, the golden glow outside casting the last warmth of the day upon her face. After a while she sighed and without turning, said, ‘What do you want, Billy?’
‘Craig told me what happened down at the studio.’
She bit her lip. ‘That was nothing. Just a little argument.’
Billy stepped further into the room. ‘That’s not what I’m talking about.’
‘What else is there?’
‘He told me that Dae kissed you.’
Her hands tightened on the windowsill. ‘That’s none of your business.’
‘Craig told me he saw you running up to the house crying.’
‘I said it’s none of your business.’
‘She’s right, Billy. So bugger off. Alexia and I need to talk.’
Lexi jumped and swung around to see Daemon standing just inside the door. ‘Has no-one ever heard of knocking?’
He ignored her sarcasm, taking a step inside the room.
‘I don’t want to talk to either of you. Please leave me alone.’
‘I’m not going until we talk about what happened.’ Daemon pushed past Billy and sat in the chair opposite hers.
‘I’m not going until he does.’ Billy grabbed the other chair and sat down.
‘Well, if you won’t go, I will.’ Lexi stepped from behind the desk. Both men stood up, barring her way. She threw her hands up in the air. ‘Oh, for Christ’s sake! What do you want from me?’
‘I want you to talk with me,’ Billy said, his eyes pleading. ‘I want you to tell me what’s wrong. And I especially want to know what Daemon did that made you cry so I can beat the shit out of him.’
Daemon sneered at Billy. ‘All I did was kiss her, mate. To date, my kisses have never made a woman cry.’
‘Then why did she cry?’
‘I’m standing right here!’ Lexi felt like a toy being wrestled over. Rubbing the pain now hammering away inside her forehead, she looked at Billy. ‘While I appreciate the fact that you care, I don’t need you to do the big brother thing. I wanted him to kiss me.’ The words were out of her mouth so fast there was no taking them back.
Billy blinked. ‘You wanted him to kiss you?’
‘You wanted me to kiss you?’
Blushing, Lexi turned back to the window. ‘At the time, yes. In the heat of the moment.’ She turned back and looked Daemon squarely in the eye. ‘It won’t happen again. It meant nothing.’
‘It didn’t feel like nothing to me.’
His voice, low and rough, sent a shiver through her. She had to clear her throat before she could speak. ‘Well, you were wrong. So, now we’ve all talked, you can go.’ She looked at Billy. ‘Both of you.’
Billy shook his head. ‘Lexi, you’re not making sense. Did you have a flashback?’
‘I don’t want to talk about it. Can you please go?’ She hated the sob in her voice. ‘Please, just go.’
Daemon didn’t follow Billy as he turned to leave. Instead, he walked to her, taking her hand, holding on even as she resisted. ‘What is it, Alexia? What did I do?’
She looked up at him, trying to blink back the tears.
‘It’s not you. Can’t you just believe that and go?’
‘No, I can’t. I did something that frightened you.’
She closed her eyes and turned her head away. ‘You didn’t frighten me. You just reminded me for a moment of . . . him.’
‘What are you talking about?’
She looked up with pleading eyes. ‘You just reminded me . . . You said . . . ’ Her voice broke and she swallowed heavily. Shaking her head she fought to find her composure. ‘Something you said reminded me of someone I knew long ago. Someone I wish I’d never met.’
‘What did he do?’
She tried to smile but failed miserably. ‘It doesn’t matter. I need to put it behind me. I’ve just been tense ever since I read the letter yesterday —’
‘What letter?’
Her gaze swung to Billy. She hadn’t realised he was still in the room.
‘What?’
‘I said what letter? Did someone send you a letter that upset you?’
She blanched. Was it too late to cover up? Mind racing, she looked from one man to the other. ‘I . . . I was just going through some old things and I found a letter from my parents.’
‘Oh shit, Lexi. No wonder you’re upset.’
She could see Daemon’s confusion but didn’t feel like elaborating. ‘Yeah, well, you know I shouldn’t let it get to me like that. They’ve been gone for a long time.’
‘You miss them.’
She looked away from Billy’s sympathetic gaze. She didn’t want to cry again. Finally, she turned back. ‘I’m sorry you got mixed up in my bad day, Daemon. The kiss was a mistake, but I shouldn’t have run off like that. I’m sorry I upset you.’
Daemon frowned, his gaze pinning hers for a moment. ‘I’m not upset.’ He let go of her hand, stepped away.
She suddenly felt as if they were standing on either side of a wide chasm. She missed his warmth. Reaching out, she touched his arm. His gaze didn’t meet hers. He still felt miles away. Why did that bother her so much? She snatched her hand away. ‘Thanks,’ she muttered.
‘Well, as long as you’re okay?’ Billy asked.
‘I am.’
‘Right you are then. Dae?’ Billy gestured for them to leave.
‘I’ll be right there. I just need to sort something out with Alexia. It’s to do with work,’ he said tightly when Billy hesitated.
Billy shot him a look, clearly telling him to be careful, and walked out, leaving the door open.
‘Trusting soul,’ Daemon said, walking over to close the door.
Lexi watched him, arms crossed. ‘What exactly do we need to discuss that necessitates the door being closed?’
He smiled, a slow thoughtful smile, reminding her of the wolf in Little Red Riding Hood. Was she about to be eaten alive? She had to suppress a pleasurable shudder as she remembered the sensation of his lips on hers. The man was so alpha male. Too alpha male to be anyone she could ever be comfortable around. Apart from music, they had nothing in common. Not to mention they kept rubbing each other up the wrong way. No. He was all wrong for her. No matter how many dreams she had, no matter how comforting his arms had been earlier, no matter how she’d gone up in flames when his lips had taken hers, she couldn’t let anything happen.
She swallowed hard, trying to make her voice steady when the rest of her had begun to tremble again. ‘What work do we have to discuss?’
‘Not work, per say, but our relationship.’
‘The subject is closed, Daemon.’
‘I don’t think so,’ he said, taking another step forward. ‘I think we have a problem.’
‘Oh? And what would that be?’ The huskiness in her voice betrayed her nervousness. She cleared her throat, the sound loud in the suddenly hot and close room. She resisted the temptation to turn and open a window or take her jumper off to alleviate the hot flush racing over her body. She was hyper aware of every movement she made. And every move he made as he stepped slowly towards her; the hunter stalking its prey.
‘You’re attracted to me.’
She laughed, breaking the tension. ‘Got tickets on ourselves, haven’t we?’
His smile widened. ‘You confirmed it when you said you wanted me to kiss you.’
‘I . . . I . . . ’ She struggled to think of something to say. ‘You took that out of context.’
‘Did I?’ He moved closer. ‘I thought you were pretty clear.’
‘Yeah, well, that was a moment of insanity.’ She paused. ‘Besides, you started it. You kissed me.’
‘I remember it differently.’
‘I remember you saying you’d wanted me since you first saw me.’
‘I . . . Well —’
‘Hah! Not so nice when the shoe’s on the other foot is it?’
His brow cocked, as if he found her bluster amusing. ‘I was about to say I don’t deny being attracted to you, but I don’t have to like it.’
‘So you’re attracted to me despite yourself? How very Mr Darcy of you! I expect that line keeps all the ladies swooning.’ He jerked, as if her sarcasm had hit him like a slap. But he recovered quickly.
‘I don’t know. I’ve never had to use it before.’
‘Oh yeah? Well, you’re a first for me too, buster.’
‘So you are attracted to me?’
Her back became ramrod-straight. ‘So what if I am slightly attracted to you? It’s not as if I can’t control myself. You’ve made it abundantly clear how you feel. I can assure you that for the rest of your time here we won’t find ourselves in the same situation again. Is that what you want to hear?’
He frowned. ‘Not exactly.’
‘What do you want from me then?’
He stepped closer.
Her breath quickened but she stood her ground. He couldn’t know how much his presence affected her. He tipped his head to the side, the light in his blue eyes making a fire burn low in her stomach. She swallowed. Hard.
