suffocating effects of the drug as he fought it in a frantic race to reach his estate. He didn’t remember reaching the house, his memories became fuzzy as they approached the access road, then nothing.
Jayne . Was she safe ?No sooner had he thought it, he registered the faint prickle of magic on his skin that signified her presence. Relieved, he closed his eyes again and concentrated his senses on the house around him. He detected her scent mingling with the comforting smells of home and it felt…right. Beneath the ticking of the grandfather clock and the familiar household sounds, he could hear her laughing with Mary in the kitchen at the back of the house. How did they get to the house ? He knew she couldn’t drive, could he have driven the final part of the journey and not remembered ?Unless she had walked. It was a mile of gravel road through a forest, in darkness. He knew enough about her to know that she wouldn’t hesitate if she felt it was the only option. Anger filled him at the thought of her having to put herself at risk like that. Anger at the men who had ambushed them and anger at himself for letting it happen.
Had they used the same ruse with Nick? It was clearly well equipped and practiced. Did Nick have time to be angry at himself for falling for it? The drug they used was powerful and thanks to Jayne’s intervention, he suspected he hadn’t received the full dose. Nick had been alone and outnumbered and that was his fault. Cameron wouldn’t rest until he found the men responsible and made them pay. It was the least he could do for a man who had been like a brother to him.
Wearily, he rolled to his feet and stretched out the kinks the sofa had folded into his long body. He scrubbed a hand over his chin and found that the stubble was fast on the way to becoming a beard. Jayne’s laughter rang out again and he turned toward it, letting her warmth wash over his skin. He should go upstairs and try to put some distance between them but her voice drew him like a siren’s song. He found himself following it until he stood unnoticed in the kitchen doorway surrounded by the energy of the Ceangal . The two women were at the sink with their backs toward him, chatting as they washed and dried the delicate china. Their topic of conversation seemed to be movie stars and Cam didn’t know whether to be relieved or irritated that they weren’t talking about him. Or worried that the subject had come and gone and he’d never know what had been said.
Mary had worked for his family for twenty-five of his thirty-three years and had been his only family since he was sixteen. She knew everything about him, it wouldn’t take her long to see the connection between himself and Jayne. She disagreed, intensely, with his decision not to take a mate and would see this as an opportunity to change his mind.
Jayne turned toward him as he stepped into the room and, for endless minutes, he found himself unable to look away. The sound of a throat being cleared jolted him and he scowled and headed for the coffeepot. More shaken than he cared to admit, he kept his back to the women and concentrated on pouring himself some coffee.
Mary broke the silence first, her voice soft with concern. “Are you all right, Cameron, dear? I checked on you in the night and you seemed to be in a more natural sleep so I thought it best to leave you alone.”
He fought the urge to squirm like a teenager in the face of her easy affection in front of Jayne and shrugged. “I’m fine. Just a bit of a headache, that’s all.”
He could feel Jayne’s relief and curiosity and did his best to ignore both as he turned back to face them. Mary took a step toward him but stopped when he glowered at her. He knew she wouldn’t be satisfied until she had poked and prodded at him but he’d be damned if he would let her do it here. He studied his houseguest through narrowed eyes, satisfied that she seemed to be uninjured. She looked well rested. Her hair
Jayne . Was she safe ?No sooner had he thought it, he registered the faint prickle of magic on his skin that signified her presence. Relieved, he closed his eyes again and concentrated his senses on the house around him. He detected her scent mingling with the comforting smells of home and it felt…right. Beneath the ticking of the grandfather clock and the familiar household sounds, he could hear her laughing with Mary in the kitchen at the back of the house. How did they get to the house ? He knew she couldn’t drive, could he have driven the final part of the journey and not remembered ?Unless she had walked. It was a mile of gravel road through a forest, in darkness. He knew enough about her to know that she wouldn’t hesitate if she felt it was the only option. Anger filled him at the thought of her having to put herself at risk like that. Anger at the men who had ambushed them and anger at himself for letting it happen.
Had they used the same ruse with Nick? It was clearly well equipped and practiced. Did Nick have time to be angry at himself for falling for it? The drug they used was powerful and thanks to Jayne’s intervention, he suspected he hadn’t received the full dose. Nick had been alone and outnumbered and that was his fault. Cameron wouldn’t rest until he found the men responsible and made them pay. It was the least he could do for a man who had been like a brother to him.
Wearily, he rolled to his feet and stretched out the kinks the sofa had folded into his long body. He scrubbed a hand over his chin and found that the stubble was fast on the way to becoming a beard. Jayne’s laughter rang out again and he turned toward it, letting her warmth wash over his skin. He should go upstairs and try to put some distance between them but her voice drew him like a siren’s song. He found himself following it until he stood unnoticed in the kitchen doorway surrounded by the energy of the Ceangal . The two women were at the sink with their backs toward him, chatting as they washed and dried the delicate china. Their topic of conversation seemed to be movie stars and Cam didn’t know whether to be relieved or irritated that they weren’t talking about him. Or worried that the subject had come and gone and he’d never know what had been said.
Mary had worked for his family for twenty-five of his thirty-three years and had been his only family since he was sixteen. She knew everything about him, it wouldn’t take her long to see the connection between himself and Jayne. She disagreed, intensely, with his decision not to take a mate and would see this as an opportunity to change his mind.
Jayne turned toward him as he stepped into the room and, for endless minutes, he found himself unable to look away. The sound of a throat being cleared jolted him and he scowled and headed for the coffeepot. More shaken than he cared to admit, he kept his back to the women and concentrated on pouring himself some coffee.
Mary broke the silence first, her voice soft with concern. “Are you all right, Cameron, dear? I checked on you in the night and you seemed to be in a more natural sleep so I thought it best to leave you alone.”
He fought the urge to squirm like a teenager in the face of her easy affection in front of Jayne and shrugged. “I’m fine. Just a bit of a headache, that’s all.”
He could feel Jayne’s relief and curiosity and did his best to ignore both as he turned back to face them. Mary took a step toward him but stopped when he glowered at her. He knew she wouldn’t be satisfied until she had poked and prodded at him but he’d be damned if he would let her do it here. He studied his houseguest through narrowed eyes, satisfied that she seemed to be uninjured. She looked well rested. Her hair
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