Darkest Caress by Cross Kaylea Page A

whipped around, completely unprepared for the shock to her heart when she saw him standing in the doorway. Despite herself, her body instantly warmed, her nipples tightening. The tips rubbed painfully against her bra, so sensitive she almost winced. “Hi,” she replied. Her voice was all breathy, and it annoyed her. She was here to get answers, not get sucked further under his spell, or whatever the hell was happening to her.
    “How was your night?” he asked as he crossed the room, gaze locked on hers.
    “I’m guessing it was about the same as yours,” she snapped. She hoped he’d been every bit as miserable as she had.
    A flash of satisfaction lit his eyes. “You could’ve called me. I would have helped you.”
    Liv folded her arms across her throbbing breasts and scowled. “Not going to happen.” She refused to give in to this ridiculous physical need and the bullshit story about mates and bonding. Whatever that meant. So she was horny all the time, and worse at night. So what? She’d cope. “I can handle whatever this is on my own.”
    “Not for long.”
    Her eyes narrowed, and they stared at each other in the expanding silence. She refused to be the first to look away.
    “See you,” Cade suddenly blurted behind them then took off. She heard his rapid footsteps retreating down the hallway but didn’t take her eyes off Daegan.
    She thrust her chin out. “You’ve gotten a lot done since I saw you last, considering it was only last night. At midnight .”
    He tilted his head. Calm, but emanating that undeniable authority he held. “Want to talk in here, or outside so we have some privacy?”
    “Fine.” She tossed her hair over her shoulder and marched over to the heavy bronze French door that led out to the granite patio, then down the few steps to where the lawn began. Without waiting to see if he’d followed, she continued past the formal courtyard garden and down the slope to the rose garden.
    Fragrant blooms of crimson, pale yellow and apricot nodded in the gentle breeze. Bees hummed in the summer sunshine. Below the cliff, the tide was out, leaving dozens of tidal pools shimmering among the glistening sand. A few gulls circled the shoreline, their faint cries carrying on the salty breeze.
    The beautiful setting should have relaxed her, but instead she felt only a crushing sense of confusion. Her stomach was in knots. What was she supposed to do about all this? How could she actually believe what had happened last night?
    Daegan came up next to her, put his hands in his jeans pockets. “Are you all right?”
    She scoffed. “What the hell do you think?”
    “I think you’re beautiful even though you’re scared and angry.”
    Under the circumstances, his compliment was pathetic. “I’d be stupid not to be scared, even if it was just because of what Aaron did last night.”
    Daegan’s eyes changed, glittering dangerously. “He won’t ever bother you again. You have my word on it.”
    His grim expression and tone alarmed her. “Why, what did you do to him? Is he in jail?” She’d been too upset and distracted by everything else to follow up with the police.
    “No, but I took care of it.”
    The deadly look in his eyes made the blood drain from her face. “Oh my God, you killed him?” She took a quick step back.
    “No,” he said quickly. “Other than a busted face he’s fine. But I swear to you, he won’t bother you again.”
    Liv blinked at him, trying to read between the lines. What had Daegan done? What else was he keeping from her about his “capabilities”?
    Stop it. It’s not real. It can’t be real.
    She felt like clapping her hands over her ears.
    “You’re upset,” he began, searching her eyes.
    “Of course I’m upset! Last night I felt like I was losing my mind. Then you go behind my back and pull I don’t know how many strings to get this deal closed without me having a frigging clue. Do I even get my commission, by the way? Or did you go through my boss instead