Lucian tangled his fingers in the wealth of her blond hair. She tipped her head back to look up at him, surprised by the way his fist was clenched in her hair. “What is it? What are you thinking about?” There was no expression on his face, nothing in his eyes to give him away, but Jaxon was beginning to know him. That small telltale sign of tension revealed that his thoughts had not been pleasant. “Tell me.”
“I feared for you. Earlier, when you were away from the safety of the house.” Lucian did not think to avoid the truth.
Jaxon responded immediately, wrapping her fingers around the thickness of his wrist. “You said yourself that I was perfectly safe.”
“From Drake, you were safe,” he admitted, staring down at her hand in wonder. Her fingers didn’t even curl halfway around his wrist, yet she wielded so much power over him. “Drake cannot harm you.”
“He has power, Lucian. He could get to Barry. I know you think you’re invincible, but a sniper’s bullet can kill from a great distance, and Drake is an excellent marksman. He doesn’t have to face you.” She ducked her head. “That’s how Drake can harm me. That’s how he’s always done it—through someone else, someone who matters to me. That’s why I don’t want to be with you.”
Above her head he found himself smiling. “You are beginning to have feelings for me.”
“Keep telling yourself that,” she told him. “This soup is good. I’m surprised you know how to cook.” She didn’t want to examine too closely or allude in any real way to what he did or didn’t eat. Now wasn’t the time to scare herself to death. She stood up carefully, moving away from him in a feminine little retreat he found secretly amusing.
Everything she did was like that. It lit him up inside. Filled him with warmth. Made him want to smile. More than that, he had to smile. He watched as she very carefully, very domestically, washed out the bowl and spoon.
Jaxon caught him watching her. “What?” She sounded defensive.
“I like watching you,” he admitted easily. “I like having you in my house.”
She tried not to let him see how much his words pleased her. Maybe she was just lonely. Maybe she was entirely too susceptible to his beautiful eyes. His voice. Or maybe his mouth. Or maybe it was because he was drop-dead gorgeous. She sighed aloud. “I’m going upstairs to rest for a while. Life with you is way too much excitement for me.”
Lucian followed her up the stairs, carrying her sniper’s rifle. “This thing weighs almost as much as you do, Jaxon.”
“You said you knew I was out of the house,” she suddenly mused aloud, completely ignoring his teasing. “Why didn’t I know what you were doing?”
“You didn’t look.”
She glanced at him over her shoulder, her large eyes eloquent with censure. “Look? Look at what?”
“My mind.” He spoke in an even voice without any inflection at all. “I stay a shadow in your mind. Aside from the fact that it is much safer for me to know what you are doing at every moment, it is necessary for us to touch each other to be comfortable.”
“You know, Lucian, if I had any brains at all, I wouldn’t let you suck me in this way. You throw out these casual statements, and my curiosity always gets the better of me.” She flung her knives and guns onto the dresser, pulled her cap from her pocket, and added that to the growing pile.
Lucian was watching her through half-closed eyes, a small smile curving his mouth. “Look at you, a walking arsenal.”
“Well, at least I know how to protect myself. You think you’re so powerful, not even a sniper’s bullet can get you.”
“We are back to that. Honey, I can command the heavens, move the earth, move my body through time and space. I am much more armed at all times than you will ever be. Do not look at me with your big brown eyes and that little frown on your face. You are in grave danger, for I have a desire to kiss that look right off your face.” Jaxon backed away from him so quickly, she fell backward onto the bed, alarm on her face. “Stay across the room, you fiend.” She held up one hand to ward him off. “No talking, and no looking at me either. You use unfair tactics to get your way.”