Seduced and Ensnared by Stephanie Julian Page B

explain.
    “Stella, take a deep breath.” He inched closer, holding out both hands so she could see them. “Hear me out. Let me explain.”
    Her eyes got even rounder. “How do you explain that? That man just disappeared!”
    “That man was my brother and I returned him to his home.”
    She shook her head, blonde hair flying around her face. “That’s…impossible. What trick are you trying to play on me? Whatever it is, it isn’t going to work.”
    He’d almost reached her, just a few more feet. “Stella, I’m exactly who I told you I was last night. I didn’t lie about that. But there are things you don’t know…things about your uncle.”
    Stella backed away but he was close enough to grab her by both arms and hold her in front of him. He didn’t draw her closer, just held her in place. She was scared and pissed off and just a little wild-eyed, which was understandable.
    “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.” She practically hissed the words through her teeth, her lips white with strain. She barely resembled the woman he’d had in his bed last night. The one he wanted to take back to bed right now.
    Patience, ceffo . Calm her down. “You’re right, you don’t. Let me explain. Last night I—”
    “Oh no.” She shook her head furiously. “You do not get to talk about last night. Not at all.”
    He’d give her that much. They maybe wouldn’t talk right now but they would very soon. He had to make sure she knew last night had not been, in any way, a ploy. It’d been the real thing—at least for him.
    “Fine. We won’t.” Not now. “But your uncle’s not who you think he is. He’s involved in something bad and I’m pretty sure you know nothing about it.”
    She sneered at him, baring the straight white teeth that had bit into his flesh with desire only hours ago. “You don’t have a clue what you’re talking about. Let me go or I swear I’ll call the police and have you arrested for…for…”
    She couldn’t say it. Couldn’t say rape, because she knew it hadn’t been and she was too much of a decent person to accuse him of something he wasn’t guilty of. Even though she thought he’d betrayed her.
    Cam steadied himself, straightening his spine. A fierce sense of pride joined the lust he’d felt just seconds ago. This was his woman, the one he’d been searching for his entire life. Now he just had to convince her he wasn’t another asshole out to get something from her.
    “Please, just let me go, Cam.” Her tone held no hint of fear. “Let me go and we won’t ever discuss this again. Just let me walk away.”
    “I can’t, Stella, but I promise you, you don’t have to be afraid of me. I’m not the one you need to worry about.”
    Her mouth tightened as her eyes narrowed. “My uncle is a good man—”
    “No, Stella, he’s not.” Cam’s gaze held steady. “There are things you don’t know—”
    “And you think you do? You don’t know anything.”
    “Stella, your uncle’s been gone a lot lately, right?”
    She rolled her eyes but didn’t try to get away. “Oh please, that doesn’t mean a goddamn thing.”
    “He’s taken several trips over the past few weeks but he hasn’t told you where he’s going.” Okay, he was making an educated guess but he knew he’d hit pay dirt when her eyes shot wide for just a second. She recovered quickly but he wasn’t about to let her off the hook now. “He’s diverting money to projects you know nothing about.” That one he knew was true. He’d seen Bonnini’s computer files, the ones it had taken Rio nearly four months to hack into. The ones they’d begun searching for right after Nino had seen the books of lists Bonnini had made—lists of half-blood Fata who lived among humans.
    Stella stiffened even further. “I don’t know where you’re getting your information but you’re wrong.”
    “No, I’m not. Stella, you don’t really know your uncle.”
    Her mouth firmed and he wanted to kiss that