His hand was stroking her hair, one arm locking her possessively to him. “I would never tolerate your sucking other men’s necks, so we can dispense with that worry.”
“I’m so glad. Although, maybe I would have liked it,” she tried to tease him.
That was one of the things he admired so much about her. She was frightened, her heart was beating faster than normal, but she was holding on, being brave. His respect for her continued to grow. “I am sorry, angel, but you will have to get over your disappointment if that is the case. I am discovering I am a jealous man after all.”
She snuggled into him, subconsciously seeking comfort. “You look like a man with complete confidence, Lucian. I can’t believe you would be jealous. Besides, no one else wants me.”
His eyebrows shot up. “You do not notice how men fall all over you? Even that silly young one who disobeyed your orders by going into the warehouse and making such a fool of himself—you thought his heroics were for self-promotion, but in truth he wanted you to notice him.”
“No way.” Jaxon was shocked, and it showed. “He had political pull, and he used it to get on my team even though I was totally opposed. He wasn’t ready, and he wasn’t a team player. He wanted glory and headlines. Publicly my unit is as anonymous as possible, but within the ranks it’s known as the best. Benton definitely had promotion—not me—on his mind,” she declared certain of her facts.
Lucian bent his head to gently brush the side of her mouth with his. The light touch made her heart somersault, and she felt the answering jolt in his. His lips had barely skimmed hers, yet she felt the heat curl in the pit of her stomach.
“That is what he appeared to be like, but it is not what was in his mind. He wanted to stand out, wanted you to notice him.”
“He certainly went about it in an interesting way. I noticed him all right. He almost got Barry and me killed.” Her voice betrayed her rejection of Lucian’s assessment.
“I was there, honey. I read his mind accurately. You wreak havoc among the males in your department, and now, unfortunately, you will do so even more.”
Jaxon laughed softly at him. “You are smitten with me, aren’t you? No one wants me. They just think I’m dynamite at my job, which I am,” she said without false modesty.
“You are surrounded by men all the time where you work. It is improper for a Carpathian woman to be unprotected in the company of men.”
Now her eyebrows shot up. “Lucky for me, I’m just a plain little human woman who works for a living.”
His hand caressed her hair, then moved to stroke her soft skin before returning to the untamed blond strands that so intrigued him. “Not any longer. I am no modern man, angel. I believe strongly in the duties I have sworn to carry out. You are my true lifemate, my heart and soul, the light to my darkness. I do not think running around seeking danger is what I want for the light to my darkness. Think what it would mean to the world, my love, if something were to happen to you. I have held out against the darkness for more centuries than I can say, but if something happened to you, I would truly become a monster. Even the hunters in my family would find it impossible to track and destroy me.”
“I don’t think so, Lucian. You forget, I’m getting used to being in your mind. You wouldn’t become a monster. You’re just trying to get me to do what you want.”
“So you think you know me.” His voice was softer than ever.
At once Jaxon frowned and moved to sit up cautiously, testing her body for its responses. “That’s just it, Lucian. I don’t know you, and you don’t know me. I don’t even know how I got here. I don’t know how I’ve allowed you to take over my life. And now this. I don’t know what you’ve done, but I know it’s not something I want, and you didn’t bother to consult with me one way or the other. Is that part of being old-fashioned? Born centuries ago? The little woman doesn’t have a say in her own life?” Her hand crept defensively to her throat. She wasn’t the same at all. She could feel the difference. Reality was creeping in whether she wanted it to or not.