to me after my grandfather died.”
Rage clenched his teeth. Christ, he wished he’d known what her grandfather had been doing. He’d have given the bastard a taste of his own medicine.
“Is that when you burned down the cabin?” he asked.
“Yes.” He felt her shiver and he tightened his arms, trying to offer her comfort. It was too late to do any good, but it was all he had. “I had to destroy the memories of that place.”
“I don’t blame you.”
She shrugged. “Maybe someday I’ll be able to accept that it was the sickness that made him so cruel, but not yet.”
He hoped she did find some peace in the memory of her grandfather. Bitterness would only eat away at her soul.
“Did Parish help you leave the Wildlands?” he inquired.
She nodded. “Once Xavier told me that I was no longer allowed to work on the computers, he offered me an apartment and gave me some money. I think he was afraid I might do something crazy.”
Rage gave a short laugh. Like she hadn’t been doing crazy shit before then?
Of course, he wasn’t stupid enough to point out her habit of striking out without warning.
“I’m glad that Parish was there for you,” he said instead, ignoring his cat’s growl in protest.
His animal might be convinced that he was the one who was supposed to protect her, but at the time he hadn’t given her what she needed. Thank the goddess, Parish had.
He shook off his cat’s urge to pout. He hadn’t taken care of Lucie in the past, but he fully intended to be the only one to see to her needs in the future.
“You know that Xavier’s going to do everything in his power to get you back after this?” he warned.
She buzzed around a truck pulling a wagon of hay. “There’s nothing he could offer that would tempt me to return,” she proclaimed. “I like my life.”
He pressed his hand flat against her stomach, his touch deliberately possessive. He was willing to spend part of their time in New Orleans if that made her happy, but he intended to make sure that she shared his home in the bayous.
“He’s not going to be the only one trying to convince you to return to the Wildlands.”
“Whatever you say.”
Rage frowned at her flippant words, turning them over in his head. There was some sort of message in them. He knew women well enough to realize that there were always hidden meanings when a woman was acting as if it didn’t matter. A smart male learned to decipher them.
It took several minutes, then, like a bolt of lightning, it hit him.
Hell. She’d decided he was a frivolous flirt. A male who drifted from one bed to another. And right now, there was nothing he could say that was going to make her believe that he wanted more than a casual affair. Obviously he was going to have to prove his sincerity with deeds.
A grim smile of determination curved his lips. “You can doubt me, Lucie, but eventually you’ll accept you’re not getting rid of me.”
“That sounds like a threat,” she muttered.
His fingers skimmed up until they were just an inch from the delicate curve of her breast. “A promise.”
She shivered, reaching up to turn off her Bluetooth. Rage smiled. She could try to shut him out as much as she wanted.
Nothing, not even her stubborn distrust, was going to stop him from claiming her as his own.
* * * *
Lucie pretended an all-consuming concentration on navigating the five-and-a-half-hour drive to Bossier City. Not that she was stupid enough to think for a second that she was fooling Rage. They both knew that she’d have to be dead not to be aware of the six-foot plus male who was snuggled so tightly against her back she could feel every inch of his hard body. That didn’t even include the sparks of awareness that were sizzling between them. She wouldn’t be surprised if her skin was scorched from the heat.
Thankfully, she managed to arrive at their destination without crashing. Or halting the bike so she could rip off Rage’s clothes and have her
Rage clenched his teeth. Christ, he wished he’d known what her grandfather had been doing. He’d have given the bastard a taste of his own medicine.
“Is that when you burned down the cabin?” he asked.
“Yes.” He felt her shiver and he tightened his arms, trying to offer her comfort. It was too late to do any good, but it was all he had. “I had to destroy the memories of that place.”
“I don’t blame you.”
She shrugged. “Maybe someday I’ll be able to accept that it was the sickness that made him so cruel, but not yet.”
He hoped she did find some peace in the memory of her grandfather. Bitterness would only eat away at her soul.
“Did Parish help you leave the Wildlands?” he inquired.
She nodded. “Once Xavier told me that I was no longer allowed to work on the computers, he offered me an apartment and gave me some money. I think he was afraid I might do something crazy.”
Rage gave a short laugh. Like she hadn’t been doing crazy shit before then?
Of course, he wasn’t stupid enough to point out her habit of striking out without warning.
“I’m glad that Parish was there for you,” he said instead, ignoring his cat’s growl in protest.
His animal might be convinced that he was the one who was supposed to protect her, but at the time he hadn’t given her what she needed. Thank the goddess, Parish had.
He shook off his cat’s urge to pout. He hadn’t taken care of Lucie in the past, but he fully intended to be the only one to see to her needs in the future.
“You know that Xavier’s going to do everything in his power to get you back after this?” he warned.
She buzzed around a truck pulling a wagon of hay. “There’s nothing he could offer that would tempt me to return,” she proclaimed. “I like my life.”
He pressed his hand flat against her stomach, his touch deliberately possessive. He was willing to spend part of their time in New Orleans if that made her happy, but he intended to make sure that she shared his home in the bayous.
“He’s not going to be the only one trying to convince you to return to the Wildlands.”
“Whatever you say.”
Rage frowned at her flippant words, turning them over in his head. There was some sort of message in them. He knew women well enough to realize that there were always hidden meanings when a woman was acting as if it didn’t matter. A smart male learned to decipher them.
It took several minutes, then, like a bolt of lightning, it hit him.
Hell. She’d decided he was a frivolous flirt. A male who drifted from one bed to another. And right now, there was nothing he could say that was going to make her believe that he wanted more than a casual affair. Obviously he was going to have to prove his sincerity with deeds.
A grim smile of determination curved his lips. “You can doubt me, Lucie, but eventually you’ll accept you’re not getting rid of me.”
“That sounds like a threat,” she muttered.
His fingers skimmed up until they were just an inch from the delicate curve of her breast. “A promise.”
She shivered, reaching up to turn off her Bluetooth. Rage smiled. She could try to shut him out as much as she wanted.
Nothing, not even her stubborn distrust, was going to stop him from claiming her as his own.
* * * *
Lucie pretended an all-consuming concentration on navigating the five-and-a-half-hour drive to Bossier City. Not that she was stupid enough to think for a second that she was fooling Rage. They both knew that she’d have to be dead not to be aware of the six-foot plus male who was snuggled so tightly against her back she could feel every inch of his hard body. That didn’t even include the sparks of awareness that were sizzling between them. She wouldn’t be surprised if her skin was scorched from the heat.
Thankfully, she managed to arrive at their destination without crashing. Or halting the bike so she could rip off Rage’s clothes and have her
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