Page 94 of Devil's Property

He crouched down, resting on the balls of his feet. Seeing him dressed in a tee shirt two sizes too small, I was taken aback as I always was when he walked into a room. Yet today, he wasn’t just handsome in his usual dangerous way; he was reflective. Perhaps anxious.

Definitely angry. That was easy to tell by his clenched jaw.

I concentrated on his hard body and God, his biceps. His forearms were huge and it was like I’d never noticed them before. Throbbing veins snaked over every corded muscle fromhis elbows, tracing down through the masterful art to his knuckles.

Was it possible his jaw was more chiseled than before, his eyes darker and holding more emotion?

With such a powerful, discontent predator, anything was possible.

Yet even being blinded by his gorgeous physique, the morning’s heavy buzz and exhaustion couldn’t mask the look of concern on his face. Dark eyes—like storm clouds—met mine with such concentration I was momentarily lost.

Finally blinking, I reminded myself he was just a man. No, that wasn’t true in the least. He was something fairytales and romance novels were made of. Only instead of being the hero, he was the villain.

Or was he?

The struggle to determine if he housed any decency remained difficult to process. His eyes remained pointed, piercing mine in a subtle yet effective way.

“Is that cafeteria grade, a bump up to one of those cool gas stations and convenience stores that serve everything from milkshakes to Slurpees, or the real good stuff, the kind you could inject into your veins for an instant boost of energy?”

“Slurpees?” he repeated while narrowing his eyes. “That sounds terrible.”

“You’ve never had a Slurpee?” I asked and when he narrowed his eyes, my stomach fluttered with butterflies. “An icy treat flavored with anything from blueberry to Coca-Cola, lemon-limeand peach? You suck it through a straw and if you do so too quickly, you get brain freeze?”

“Brain freeze.” He overemphasized the words, still looking at me quizzically.

“It’s when you suck down something frozen too quickly and your head hurts. You get that little pinch just behind your eyes.” I pressed two fingers against his brow, the subtle gesture catching us both off guard.

He exhaled and offered the coffee. “Sounds disturbing.”

“Not disturbing. Joyful. Haven’t you ever just enjoyed something because it tastes good or because the sun is bright in the sky and you have the entire day off?”

His grin brought an immediate blush to my cheeks. “There are several things I enjoy tasting.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about.” I picked at the lid while inhaling the rich aroma. With the way I felt, I’d be very happy if I found a loose syringe lying around so I could inject the caffeine intravenously. I was that tired. That spent. That worried.

“Yes, my sweet falcon. I know what you’re talking about. I can’t say I remember the last time I’d even thought about getting this… brain freeze.”

“Then you haven’t truly lived.” I laughed and it felt good to shift the burden from sadness and fear to something lighter.

If only for a little while.

“Maybe so. Perhaps one day you’ll teach me about this… Slurpee.”

“When you take me back to LA, that’s the first thing we’ll have.” As soon as I’d blurted out the words, I regretted them. I also knew that returning home wasn’t in the cards or in his plans. Or at least not right now.

“How is Brooke?” he asked, quickly changing the subject. Even though we’d known each other for mere days, he knew me well enough to realize when my mind was set on something, he would be hard pressed to talk me out of it. And if he tried, I’d find a way around his commands.

Maybe I’d come into my own after all. Once I’d been a quiet, shy girl who couldn’t handle conflict. Now look at me. “She’s okay right now. A few more hours will determine whether there will be any complications.”

“I’m glad to hear that. I know how much you care for her.”

“Yes, I do. It feels like she’s all I have.” I was looking at her, studying the monitors as I’d done so many times. I sipped the coffee, instantly shivering although the liquid was scalding. “You’re not going to allow me to return to my life. Are you?”

“I thought you were ready to storm Barcelona.”

“Maybe for a little while, but that’s not my world. We both know it.”

He didn’t answer right away, which was the answer. I knew his tics as he knew mine. The truth was that we were more alike than I’d originally thought.