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Exciting.

As he gripped my jaw, I took several scattered breaths. Leaning in, I realized how much I wanted him to kiss me. He lowered his head, his lips parting. My heart continued to race, thoughts of the man drifting from fury to uncertainty. “I’m fine. I’m just fine.”

“But you might not have been.” Kage rubbed his thumb across my cheek. The slow head shake sent more electric vibrations through me.

I wrapped my fingers around his shirt, pulling myself even closer. “I just care about animals.”

“I know you do. I get it. I do.” He took a deep breath, his face even closer.

My tongue had a mind of its own, the tip brushing across my bottom lip. “I promise I won’t do anything stupid again. Now, we can help the horses.”

“The horses can wait, but you’re right. You’re not going to do anything stupid like that again. And I’m going to make certain that you won’t.” He brushed his lips across mine, his hot breath cascading along my cheeks creating a firestorm of wanton need.

This man was everything I couldn’t stand and nothing I should want, but my body wasn’t agreeing with my mind.

He reared back. “No, I’m not going to allow you to endanger yourself again.”

Instead of a kiss, he tossed me over his shoulder.

There was no arguing with the man. There was no chance of breaking free from his hold.

But I continued to try, pummeling my fists on him as he took long strides through the forest. Fallen limbs and debris didn’t stop his advancement. He simply strode over them or crushed wood beneath his powerful boot. His anger remained hot and heavy, his breathing labored.

Tank trotted along beside us, never whining or making a single noise. There were so many thoughts in my mind, concerns about the horses and curiosity about why he now owned the property.

And whether or not he gave a damn he was willed the land for a reason.

When he broke through the forest behind the house, he refused to set me down. The silent hunk growled once as he headed inside, slamming the doors behind him.

And locking them.

As soon as he dropped my feet to the floor, he leveled a harsh glare in my direction. Then he paced back and forth, running his fingers through his disheveled hair.

“I don’t understand you,” he snapped.

“What’s not to understand? I have a heart. I find it horrifying that you don’t.”

He stopped long enough to confront me. Both fists were clenched. “Are you kidding me? You don’t think I care about your safety?”

“Not really. You’re too interested in ignoring the gifts given to you, finding reasons to hate this town and everyone in it.” So I was overblowing his reactions, but a tiny part of me wanted to push him to the final limit. There was something furrowing inside, a tragedy that his heart and mind couldn’t let go.

“Gifts? You mean a goddamn sanctuary for horses that I have no business owning? Do you honestly think I have any experience with caring for multiple creatures?” He started pacing again, every thump of his boots jarring.

“No, since you don’t know how to care about yourself. You’re not living any longer, Kage. You’re barely existing. Your uncle was a smart man. He knew what you needed, but you refuse to see it.”

“We’re not talking about me. We’re talking about you. You ignored common sense.”

“Okay,” I huffed, blowing a strand of hair from my face, “maybe I was stupid in running off, but do you honestly think there’s some guys with guns just hanging out in the woods, waiting in case I venture into the forest?”

He stopped again, jerking to a halt. “Yes. It’s possible. Trust me.”

“That’s the issue. We don’t trust each other.”

When Kage moved closer, I refused to back down. “Let me tell you something, lady. On one of the first humanitarian missions, we thought we were protected. My team was moving through a small village full of incredible people eager to see us. We thought it was neutral ground. There were women and children, all hungry and desperate. We brought them food. That’s it. There was no need for warfare, but the insurgents thought otherwise.”

I held my breath, studying his eyes. He was reliving the horror. “And?”

His laugh was bitter and brutal. “I watched a good man fall. He stepped on an IUD, a bomb. He was so close I could have reached out and touched him. And do you know what he was doing? He was giving a little girl a stuffed animal. That man was so happy to see the joy on that child’s face. The fuckers planted bombs throughout that village. On that day, we lost two soldiers, but the casualties within the village were catastrophic. Blood. Brains. Limbs. You never forget something like that. The sounds. The screams. The pleas. The loss. The enemy had been waiting for us, using the people in the village as a lure.”