never broken up. He hadn’t ripped her heart out and torn it to shreds with his cruel words.
Except that he had. And that reminder was enough to dampen the flame he’d reignited in her blood. No matter how mindlessly good a kisser he was, no man was worth that. She had more self-respect than to throw herself at someone who could think so little of her.
Belle pushed back, taking a full step away from him as she fought to catch her breath. Her body rallied against her, remembering all too well the pleasure he could bring, but she held strong. She just hoped he couldn’t see the tears stinging her eyes.
Chapter Six
“What the hell was that?” Belle’s question gutted him almost as effectively as the tears in her eyes. But she was right. What the hell had he been thinking, kissing her like that?
He scoffed at himself. He knew damned well what he’d been thinking. He’d been thinking he hadn’t done a good enough job protecting her on this mission. That because he wasn’t around when he should have been she’d had to not only acquire a weapon but, he was sure, train with it, too. He was thinking that she’d overexerted herself and then isolated herself with a pissed off angel. And he’d been thinking he didn’t at all approve of the way that human man in the hotel had ogled her.
Not that he should have been watching. His job was to protect Gwen, not Belle. But he couldn’t distinguish that separation. Being in Belle’s presence put him on edge in every way and having failed her now more times than his pride could handle had pushed him over. He’d reacted the way he might have a century ago. The way he’d once been allowed to.
But you blew that. You deliberately threw that away.
What kind of a moron knowingly threw the best thing he’d ever had out the proverbial window? The same kind of fucking idiot who knowingly broke the heart of the woman he loved. He was the one who deserved the smiting.
But instead of saying any of that, Kai swallowed and dragged in a breath. He honestly didn’t know how to answer that question. He couldn’t tell Belle the truth. He’d burned that bridge more effectively than anything he’d ever done in his life.
Fortunately, Belle seemed to have decided she didn’t want an answer. “Gwen,” she said suddenly, looking around. “You left Gwen alone? Are you stupid?”
He had to fight not to flinch at that. She certainly had every right to call him worse. “I warded the room,” he assured her instead. “She’s safe.”
Belle frowned thoughtfully, her otherwise smooth forehead creasing almost invisibly. “Have you considered the possibility of a trap? Demons could surround the warded space.”
At this Kai allowed a smirk to show and adjusted the weight of her supply bag over his shoulder. “They’ll be expecting the threat to be inside with her.”
He could see she hadn’t considered that perspective. Not only were the tears in her beautiful blue eyes gone, but she seemed to be fighting a smile of her own. “That’s true.” She paused, her expression changing. Suddenly there were too many emotions swirling in her eyes for him to distinguish any one over the rest. “Can I ask you one question before we go?”
He inclined his head silently, and she took a step forward, stepping back into his personal space.
She searched his gaze for a moment, and he wasn’t sure whether or not he wanted her to find what she was looking for, let alone if she did. But she swallowed and quietly asked, “What am I to you now?”
Oh, how he wished he could answer that honestly.
Kai pulled in a silent breath as he debated what to say. He couldn’t tell her the truth, but he couldn’t tell her the lie he’d once tried to sell, either. He’d have to find a smaller lie. Maybe something with a sprinkling of honesty. But he wasn’t sure how. At length he finally opted for the best truth he could, knowing all the while she would hate his response.
“I can’t answer
Except that he had. And that reminder was enough to dampen the flame he’d reignited in her blood. No matter how mindlessly good a kisser he was, no man was worth that. She had more self-respect than to throw herself at someone who could think so little of her.
Belle pushed back, taking a full step away from him as she fought to catch her breath. Her body rallied against her, remembering all too well the pleasure he could bring, but she held strong. She just hoped he couldn’t see the tears stinging her eyes.
Chapter Six
“What the hell was that?” Belle’s question gutted him almost as effectively as the tears in her eyes. But she was right. What the hell had he been thinking, kissing her like that?
He scoffed at himself. He knew damned well what he’d been thinking. He’d been thinking he hadn’t done a good enough job protecting her on this mission. That because he wasn’t around when he should have been she’d had to not only acquire a weapon but, he was sure, train with it, too. He was thinking that she’d overexerted herself and then isolated herself with a pissed off angel. And he’d been thinking he didn’t at all approve of the way that human man in the hotel had ogled her.
Not that he should have been watching. His job was to protect Gwen, not Belle. But he couldn’t distinguish that separation. Being in Belle’s presence put him on edge in every way and having failed her now more times than his pride could handle had pushed him over. He’d reacted the way he might have a century ago. The way he’d once been allowed to.
But you blew that. You deliberately threw that away.
What kind of a moron knowingly threw the best thing he’d ever had out the proverbial window? The same kind of fucking idiot who knowingly broke the heart of the woman he loved. He was the one who deserved the smiting.
But instead of saying any of that, Kai swallowed and dragged in a breath. He honestly didn’t know how to answer that question. He couldn’t tell Belle the truth. He’d burned that bridge more effectively than anything he’d ever done in his life.
Fortunately, Belle seemed to have decided she didn’t want an answer. “Gwen,” she said suddenly, looking around. “You left Gwen alone? Are you stupid?”
He had to fight not to flinch at that. She certainly had every right to call him worse. “I warded the room,” he assured her instead. “She’s safe.”
Belle frowned thoughtfully, her otherwise smooth forehead creasing almost invisibly. “Have you considered the possibility of a trap? Demons could surround the warded space.”
At this Kai allowed a smirk to show and adjusted the weight of her supply bag over his shoulder. “They’ll be expecting the threat to be inside with her.”
He could see she hadn’t considered that perspective. Not only were the tears in her beautiful blue eyes gone, but she seemed to be fighting a smile of her own. “That’s true.” She paused, her expression changing. Suddenly there were too many emotions swirling in her eyes for him to distinguish any one over the rest. “Can I ask you one question before we go?”
He inclined his head silently, and she took a step forward, stepping back into his personal space.
She searched his gaze for a moment, and he wasn’t sure whether or not he wanted her to find what she was looking for, let alone if she did. But she swallowed and quietly asked, “What am I to you now?”
Oh, how he wished he could answer that honestly.
Kai pulled in a silent breath as he debated what to say. He couldn’t tell her the truth, but he couldn’t tell her the lie he’d once tried to sell, either. He’d have to find a smaller lie. Maybe something with a sprinkling of honesty. But he wasn’t sure how. At length he finally opted for the best truth he could, knowing all the while she would hate his response.
“I can’t answer
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