did her whole life
turn into such a disaster?
“ Shh , I know that. Bruno is just being
difficult,” Greyson said, pulling her close.
Eva frowned as he folded her into his arms. Was he hugging her? “Why didn’t you bring me home?” she asked into his bicep, trying to ignore
the way she wanted to cuddle closer. His strength made her feel… safe.
He tensed. “You’re staying here. It’s the safest place right now.”
What? Did he read my mind? She pulled back. “No, I’m not staying here. I can’t stay here.”
He smiled grimly at her. “Arguing with me won’t change things.”
She stared at him, totally confused. Why would he want to
keep her here? Why did he care? Especially after pushing her
away so much all those years ago. She’d wanted to see him again, sure,
now that she was all grown up, but on her own terms. She didn’t understand him
at all. Her memories of the grumpy man that kept her at arm’s length didn’t jibe
with the man standing in front of her. “You can’t keep me here against my
will.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Yes. I can.”
Chapter Five
Greyson paced the room, fighting the urge to go to Eva. He’d shown
her to his sleeping chamber an hour ago, but hadn’t told her it was his. She’d
argued with him, then pleaded, but he refused to let
her go. When he’d left the room, he’d overheard her phoning her mother and
stepfather and reassuring them she was fine, so clearly she wasn’t ready to
call the authorities on him and accuse him of kidnapping. Not that it
mattered, he thought darkly. They couldn’t do anything to him anyway.
“Greyson? Please tell me you have something
to eat. It’s way past lunch and I’m starving.”
He turned. Eva stood at the top of the stairs, red hair rumpled.
She was curvy and young and so delicious looking he had to talk himself out of
grabbing her and taking her right then and there. She’s off limits and you
know that, old man, he told himself sternly. He felt her frustration and
wariness from across the room. His empathic power had never been so sensitive
before. He wrestled it back down, not wanting to spend all his time with her so
aware of her emotions. It wasn’t good for either of them, especially since he
could never have her. Not the way he truly wanted. His father’s pairing had
ended in tragedy and Greyson wasn’t willing to risk his duty to Earth on
emotional entanglements. Except you’re already tangled up in her, aren’t
you?
“Greyson?” She ventured into the room.
He mentally shook his head, wrenching his mind back to reality. “Yeah,
I’ve got food.” He walked to the kitchen and began taking out sandwich fixings.
Eva wandered to the kitchen area and sat down at the table. “I
still don’t understand why you’re keeping me here.” She plucked at the bloodstains
on her blouse sleeves.
He growled. “Because I’ve warded this place from
top to bottom.” He began slicing cheese. “The Spiders can’t hurt you
here.”
She stared at him, green eyes luminescent in the dim light. She
looks so damn young, Greyson thought, viciously slicing ham, as if that
would calm him. Outside, thunder rumbled through the forest.
“You can’t keep me here forever,” she murmured, glancing outside.
Rain hit the windows.
Greyson tensed, then deliberately rolled his shoulders and tried
to relax. He knew better than anyone that he couldn’t truly guarantee her
safety. However, he could make the odds better. “I can keep you here until we
destroy this particular infection of Spiders. Once the swarm has been found,
we’ll all be able to sleep easier at night.”
She shook her head. “I don’t know what that means.”
“Swarms are what we call groupings of Spiders. Spiders are the
alien life form we’ve been protecting Earth from for all these years.” He
slapped ham on a thick chunk of bread.
“You said they weren’t sentient?”
He nodded. “They’re organized differently than we are.
turn into such a disaster?
“ Shh , I know that. Bruno is just being
difficult,” Greyson said, pulling her close.
Eva frowned as he folded her into his arms. Was he hugging her? “Why didn’t you bring me home?” she asked into his bicep, trying to ignore
the way she wanted to cuddle closer. His strength made her feel… safe.
He tensed. “You’re staying here. It’s the safest place right now.”
What? Did he read my mind? She pulled back. “No, I’m not staying here. I can’t stay here.”
He smiled grimly at her. “Arguing with me won’t change things.”
She stared at him, totally confused. Why would he want to
keep her here? Why did he care? Especially after pushing her
away so much all those years ago. She’d wanted to see him again, sure,
now that she was all grown up, but on her own terms. She didn’t understand him
at all. Her memories of the grumpy man that kept her at arm’s length didn’t jibe
with the man standing in front of her. “You can’t keep me here against my
will.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Yes. I can.”
Chapter Five
Greyson paced the room, fighting the urge to go to Eva. He’d shown
her to his sleeping chamber an hour ago, but hadn’t told her it was his. She’d
argued with him, then pleaded, but he refused to let
her go. When he’d left the room, he’d overheard her phoning her mother and
stepfather and reassuring them she was fine, so clearly she wasn’t ready to
call the authorities on him and accuse him of kidnapping. Not that it
mattered, he thought darkly. They couldn’t do anything to him anyway.
“Greyson? Please tell me you have something
to eat. It’s way past lunch and I’m starving.”
He turned. Eva stood at the top of the stairs, red hair rumpled.
She was curvy and young and so delicious looking he had to talk himself out of
grabbing her and taking her right then and there. She’s off limits and you
know that, old man, he told himself sternly. He felt her frustration and
wariness from across the room. His empathic power had never been so sensitive
before. He wrestled it back down, not wanting to spend all his time with her so
aware of her emotions. It wasn’t good for either of them, especially since he
could never have her. Not the way he truly wanted. His father’s pairing had
ended in tragedy and Greyson wasn’t willing to risk his duty to Earth on
emotional entanglements. Except you’re already tangled up in her, aren’t
you?
“Greyson?” She ventured into the room.
He mentally shook his head, wrenching his mind back to reality. “Yeah,
I’ve got food.” He walked to the kitchen and began taking out sandwich fixings.
Eva wandered to the kitchen area and sat down at the table. “I
still don’t understand why you’re keeping me here.” She plucked at the bloodstains
on her blouse sleeves.
He growled. “Because I’ve warded this place from
top to bottom.” He began slicing cheese. “The Spiders can’t hurt you
here.”
She stared at him, green eyes luminescent in the dim light. She
looks so damn young, Greyson thought, viciously slicing ham, as if that
would calm him. Outside, thunder rumbled through the forest.
“You can’t keep me here forever,” she murmured, glancing outside.
Rain hit the windows.
Greyson tensed, then deliberately rolled his shoulders and tried
to relax. He knew better than anyone that he couldn’t truly guarantee her
safety. However, he could make the odds better. “I can keep you here until we
destroy this particular infection of Spiders. Once the swarm has been found,
we’ll all be able to sleep easier at night.”
She shook her head. “I don’t know what that means.”
“Swarms are what we call groupings of Spiders. Spiders are the
alien life form we’ve been protecting Earth from for all these years.” He
slapped ham on a thick chunk of bread.
“You said they weren’t sentient?”
He nodded. “They’re organized differently than we are.
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