Something elegant and courtly yet wild and untamed. Jaxon found the dangerous combination sensual and difficult to resist.
Lucian smiled at her, a flash of even white teeth that softened the hard lines of his shadowed features. “I am Lucian Daratrazanoff. A very old and respected name but difficult in this country to pronounce correctly. Lucian is fine.”
“Do I know you?” Jaxon wished she wasn’t so weak. She wished she hadn’t had such erotic and peculiar dreams about this man. It made her feel strange to be in his presence, especially when nothing was making sense to her. “Why am I here instead of a hospital?”
“You needed extraordinary care,” he answered truthfully. “You came very close to dying, Jaxon, and I could not afford to take any chances with your life.”
“My partner, Barry Radcliff, was shot. I remember, he came back for me.” Everything else was a blur to her. She had no idea how she had gotten out of the warehouse, since Barry had not been in any shape to carry her.
“He is in the hospital and doing better than expected. He is a tough man and very courageous.” Lucian gave her partner his just due, although he didn’t add that the man was in love with her.
“I thought I was going to die. I should have died.” She murmured the words softly almost to herself.
She had wanted to die. The terrible responsibility that weighed on her slender shoulders was far more of a burden than she wanted to carry for all time. She forced her lashes open so that she could look at him. “You’re in terrible danger. You can’t be with me. Wherever we are, it isn’t safe. You’re not safe.”
Lucian smiled and reached down to brush at the hair tumbling down around her face. His touch was incredibly tender and gave her that strange sense of security. His voice was so beautiful and pure, she wanted him to go on talking forever. His accent was sexy, sending a wave of longing through her she hardly recognized for what it was.
“Do not worry about me, young one. I am able to protect both of us. I know of the man you fear, and as long as you are in this house, you are safe. He is well trained, but it would be impossible for him to enter these grounds undetected.”
“You don’t know him. He will kill anyone without remorse or thought. Even though you’re only helping me, he’ll interpret it as a threat to him.” She was becoming agitated, her eyes enormous with concern for him.
“If you believe nothing else of me, Jaxon, believe this. There is no other in this world as dangerous as the man in this room with you. Tyler Drake cannot reach you. He can no longer dictate your life, as you are under my protection now.” He sounded matter-of-fact, not arrogant, not a braggart.
She was falling into his dark eyes again. His beautiful, very unusual eyes. Jaxon felt a little lost, and she blinked rapidly to break away from his mesmerizing spell. “I know you think that. My father was a Navy SEAL, and so was my foster father, Russell Andrews. Tyler Drake managed to murder both of them. You can’t think you’re safe as long as you’re with me.” Her lashes were far too heavy to keep up. They drifted down in spite of her intention to convince him. She didn’t have the strength to guard him. That frightened her, and her heart slammed painfully against her chest.
“Be calm, Jaxon. Take a breath and relax. I am the one taking care of you, not the other way around, although I greatly appreciate that you would want to protect me. In any case, no one knows where you are. I have kept you entirely secure. Just sleep, honey, and heal.”
His voice was so soothing and persuasive, she soon found her breathing regulating itself exactly to his. Why she wanted to do as he commanded, she didn’t know, but the urge to obey was far too strong to ignore. She allowed her eyes to close. “I hope you’re as good as you think you are. It would be safer for you if you called my boss and had him station a couple of the guys to watch over you.” Her voice was trailing off to a soft slur. “Better yet, it would be safer if you just walked away from me and never looked back.”