What he understood, though, was that it wasn’t a deliberate battle and it wasn’t even a battle he could blame her for. She was thirty years old, and there hadn’t been a day in her life that she could be assured of her safety and security other than the years she had spent at the Elite Ops base in Texas.
Disconnecting the call, Jordan moved to the living room closet where he pulled out the bags he had brought in, then secured the door and returned to the central seating area.
The heavy, padded duffel carried a multitude of weapons, just in case. The other carried clothing, while the smaller padded bag held a selection of electronic devices he hoped he wouldn’t need.
He had checked the security in and around the house before breaking in earlier. Jordan knew he would have never made it inside without alerting her if it wasn’t for the fact that he had more or less built the system with her.
They had installed it at his nephew’s and father’s homes the year before the Elite Ops disbanded. She had added a few extra sensors he hadn’t thought of and a few traps for the unwary that he could only shake his head at. At the very least, she would have a hell of a warning if anyone attempted to break in.
Opening the weapons bag, he lifted another handgun from inside and laid it aside, before breathing out wearily. God, he should have never let her out of his sight nine months ago. If he had kept her with him, kept her in his bed, then he would have known exactly what he was facing.
He carried the duffels to the bedroom and set them carefully on the side of the bed he’d chosen as he tried to figure out the best way to protect her here.
Thankfully, Tehya usually slept on the side of the bed opposite from the one he preferred. If he was going to be forced to protect her here, then he was making damned sure he could protect her effectively.
She didn’t want to leave? Then she could put up with him. He wasn’t going anywhere without her. He may not be able to keep her but damn if he wouldn’t ensure he could keep her safe.
When Tehya walked into the bedroom, wrapped in nothing but a towel, she was greeted by the sight of Jordan obviously making himself at home. And in her bed nonetheless.
He was sitting on the bed checking his weapons and he lifted his head at the sound of the bathroom door opening.
Jordan’s gaze darkened with aroused interest the instant he caught sight of her. It flicked over her, taking in the still damp shoulders, and suddenly nervous grip on the towel.
Lust flared in the darkening depths, and for a second, Tehya swore it stole her breath. Instantly, her nipples hardened as a phantom caress to her clit had it aching in need.
She hadn’t come earlier. He had teased her nearly to the point of orgasm, only to end up pissing her off once she had felt that weapon at his side.
He hadn’t come for her because he missed her, or because he was worried about her. He had come to take her and stash her somewhere safe until her identity could be changed yet again, and her life thrown into complete disarray before he sent her merrily on her way once again. Just as he had before.
She wished he had just stayed in Texas where he belonged. It would have been a hell of a lot easier on her heart.
“What are you doing in my bed?”
She couldn’t sleep with him. She wasn’t going to sleep with him. The danger of begging him for his touch, for his heart, was still too close to the surface for her to trust herself to that extent.
He laid the handgun carefully on the bedside table, his gaze becoming darker, more intense. “Where you go, I go. Where you sleep, I sleep,” he informed her.
The response only infuriated her more. The arrogance and sheer superiority of his response had the anger that had only simmered inside her threatening to flame now.
“No. This isn’t going to work.” She couldn’t allow it to work. If he were that much a part of her life, then there would be no way in hell she could save her heart.
“It’s going to have to work,” he informed her, his expression bland despite the lust raging in his eyes.
And it was raging. It darkened the intense blue, made it seem brighter, hotter, as he stared at where her fingers clenched around the material of the towel.
She couldn’t do this. Her chest tightened with the emotions flooding her. Fear, need, a hunger to belong. For so many years she had convinced herself she had a chance with Jordan. That if she showed him she was nothing like her father, if she was strong, if she trained hard, if she proved herself a worthy partner, loyal and adept, then she would have a chance.
And still, when the time came to leave, he’d had no problem letting her go. They had all let her go. If they had been that worried they would have found her when she didn’t answer their calls. They were damned good at finding people, they had known her new identity. All it would have taken was a little effort.
“You can sleep on the couch,” she said harshly. “Not in my bed.”
He tilted his head to the side, the overly long strands of black hair framing his face and giving him a wicked, pirate look.
“Afraid you won’t be able to stay on your own side, Tehya?” he asked softly, his voice chiding. “That’s okay, baby. You can crawl over me anytime you want.”
Her eyes widened at the deliberate sexual undertones in his voice.
“Now isn’t that a change?” she said sarcastically. “Are you sure you’re the same man that regretted fucking me nine months ago?”