Read Online Bane by Brenda Jackson - Free Book Online Page B

tried to ignore the sexiness of his voice. And she definitely didn’t need to notice the electricity sizzling in the air between them. Yes, they were married, but hadn’t it already been established that things had changed? That
they
had changed? For starters, she was no longer a dreamer but a realist. And he was no longer the guy who claimed she would always be his love for life. Apparently the navy had booted her aside.
    “Legally yes, we are married, but that’s about all. Five years is a long time. We’ve already established that we’re different people now. You may not like the new me, and for all I know I may not like the new you.”
    “I don’t
like
you, Crystal. Never have. I fell in love with you the first time I saw you.”
    Now, why would he go and say something like that? If he really felt that way, wouldn’t he have come back long before now? And why was she now remembering that day when she had been walking home from school, minding her own business, and he’d passed her on his motorcycle. He’d made a U-turn and the moment he’d stopped his bike, taken off his helmet and turned those hazel eyes on her, she’d been lost. So if he wanted to say that he’d fallen in love with her the moment he’d first seen her, she could certainly make that same claim about him.
    But there were still those five years apart between them.
    “Will it make you feel better if there were two beds in the room?”
    Crystal took a breath.
Not really
. Even after being separated for five years she still found him captivating. Even now, tingles of awareness were invading her entire body. She couldn’t look at any part of him without getting naughty thoughts. Being in close quarters with him all night would only be asking for trouble. She shook her head. “Doubt that will work, Bane.”
    He shrugged broad shoulders. “It will have to work, because I don’t plan on letting you out of my sight until we get to the bottom of what’s going on.”
    Her gaze narrowed on him. She was about to tell him that when it came to her he didn’t make any decisions, when his cell phone went off again. He quickly reached for it. “Yes?”
    Crystal studied his face. Whatever the caller was saying was making him angry. She could tell by the fire she saw forming in the depths of his eyes, the tightening of his jaw and the way his fingers gripped the phone. And she couldn’t miss the abrasive tone of his voice.
    She was certain the call was about her, which was why his gaze flicked to her time and time again. Gone was that hot and steamy I-can’t-wait-to-get-some-of-you look in his eyes. It had been replaced with a look that clearly said that if pushed, Brisbane Westmoreland was liable to hurt somebody.
    She pushed her hair back from her face and silently tapped her fingers on the car’s console. She couldn’t wait for the call to end so she could find out what was going on.
    As soon as she heard him click off the phone she turned, ready to inquire, but he held up a finger to silence her. Already he had clicked someone else’s number. He then quickly barked the words into his phone. “Code purple. Will enlighten everyone in a few.”
    As soon as he disconnected the call she asked, “What was that about?”
    He didn’t say anything for a long moment. He just stared at her as if he was trying to make up his mind about something.
    She frowned and said, “And don’t you dare think about not telling me what’s going on, Bane.”
    * * *
    Bane had contemplated doing just what she’d accused him of. But he knew he couldn’t. Crystal was too intelligent, too quick to figure out things. Besides, she needed to know what they were up against and the caution they would have to take.
    But more than anything, he needed her to trust him and to believe that he would never let anyone touch a single hair on her head.
    “Bane?”
    He took a deep breath. “First, give me your cell phone.”
    “My cell phone?”
    “Yes.”
    She stared at him for a