Page 61 of Blood Stone

“I kissed Kate,” he said, spitting it out.

“That’s a reason to jump off the end of the world, for sure,” Sebastian shot back, his Irish thicker than usual. “She’s such an ugly lass, after all.”

“Bastian,” Nial said quietly. Warningly.

Garrett could almostfeelNial’s gaze, sizing him up. “It wasn’t just a kiss, was it?” Nial said.

Garrett started to shake his head and instantly stopped and waited for the pounding to cease. “No,” he whispered, clutching his skull.

Silence. Again. When the pounding faded, he dared to look up. All three of them were watching him. Waiting.

“You want it painted by numbers for you?” he asked, irritated.

“We want you to say it out loud,” Sebastian said. “Admit it to us and to yourself instead of trying to pickle it with 24% proof alcohol and hope it goes away.”

“This isn’t a girlie confession circle.”

“See any of us painting our nails?” Sebastian asked. He moved over to the table. “I’ve got all night. Patrick’s scene roster for tomorrow is night shooting, so he can sleep all day.” He sat next to Nial. “You kissed her and it wasn’t that you didn’t like it, Garrett. You liked ittoomuch. That’s what’s making you toss your mental cookies right now. A bint of a human chickie has stirred your dusty reflexes and it scared you so much you dived into a two-four of Fettercairn.”

“You seem to think I’ve been a monk up until now. You’re wrong,” Garrett replied, keeping his reply as calm as possible, even though Sebastian’s cruel teasing had come close enough to the truth to make him uncomfortable.

“Not that wrong. Your heart just started beating,” Sebastian replied. “I can hear it. This is stirring things up for you.”

Patrick turned his head sharply to look at Garrett.

Garrett calmed himself, trying to control his heart, but it wouldn’t halt. He let it be. “You are, however, missing the point,” he replied.

Nial stood up. “No, he was probing to establish the point, and you just confirmed it, Garrett. The fact that you couldn’t see what he was doing, despite the years you’ve been firing salvos across boardroom tables shows just how much this has disoriented you. If the circumstances were different, if the players were not personally invested, I’d pull you off the board. But you’re committed now.”

“You’re talking double-dutch, Nathaniel.” Garrett rubbed at his forehead. “I was committed before.”

“Your body was committed. But not your heart.”

A hot wave of…somethingswept over him and churned in his gut and his chest. Garret surged to his feet, propelled there by indignation, horror and fear.

“I don’t love her!”He spoke the words with force, inches from Nial’s face.

Then the pounding headache caught up with him, punishing him for moving in the first place. He swayed, staggering, bringing his hand to his head. “ohh…”

Nial grabbed his arms, steadying him.

When Garrett could focus again, Nial’s astonishing blue-eyed gaze was steady on his face, waiting.

“I don’t love her,” Garrett repeated.

“Not yet,” Nial replied. “But you’re getting there.”

“No.”

“Why not? Because she’s human?”

Garrett licked his lips.

“Or because she’s not Roman?”

He closed his eyes, unwilling to let Nial see his reaction. He realized that was telling enough and opened them again.

But surprisingly, Nial’s expression was one of empathy. Understanding. He let go of Garrett’s arms and patted his shoulder. “One last question. When was the last time you felt this way? Something this intense?”