Heat filled her face. “I had some questions.” She leaned forward, her elbows on the desk. “Are you remembering your life?”
“Yes.” His eyes betrayed nothing. “There are many blanks, but the holes are filling in—though my brothers have some explaining to do.”
The veiled expression was one she knew well. Apparently the real Shane was returning… the one who couldn’t trust her with reality or with the truth. She bit back a hurt sigh. “They haven’t explained everything?”
“Not yet. We’re all scrambling right now, but I plan to pin them down soon.”
She nodded. “Don’t you have a follow-up visit scheduled with the doctors?”
“No.” He stretched his long legs out and crossed them at the ankles. “What did you talk about with Matt?”
“I asked him if you loved me and why you left.” She had no doubt Matt had already given Shane the rundown. She had absolutely no reason to lie.
“I told you I loved you.”
“You told me a lot of things.”
He exhaled, giving a short nod of his head. “That I did.”
“Matt also said you were a bad bet, that all of you were bad bets.” He’d said the statement with sadness and a determined jaw.
“We are.” Shane stretched his hand, curling the fingers over. “But that doesn’t mean you’re not rolling the dice, angel.”
“Excuse me?”
“This time, I’m not letting you go.” His voice remained steady and sure, while his jaw tightened.
Her heart thumped hard against her rib cage. “Why did you leave me, then? Why did you lie about remaining in the marines?”
He sighed. “I’m not sure. But I will find out the truth, I promise.”
Hurt filtered through her skin until her heart ached. “Why couldn’t you trust me? Why couldn’t you just tell me?”
“I do trust you, and I will tell you as soon as the memories come back.” Determination flashed in those dangerous eyes. Rough cedar and male scented the space. He sighed. “You’re about to become pissed off at me, and before you do, I’d like you to understand I do love you. Have since the second you flashed those baby blues at me.”
Oh, this so didn’t sound good. “I already am pissed off at you.” She flipped closed the file she’d been pretending to work on. “What do you have to say?”
He cleared his throat. “I want you to quit your job and move to our, ah, headquarters. Where I can keep you safe.”
“Where is your headquarters?”
“I can’t tell you.”
Disbelief had her catching her breath. “You don’t even trust me enough to explain what’s going on, and you want me to pack up and move with you to someplace you won’t reveal?” Anger battled with a temptation she’d never admit out loud. He wanted her with him. How easy would it be to kick reality out of the way and go? “I want to try and trust you, Shane, I really do.” She gripped a pen so tight her knuckles turned white. “But I don’t know you. You won’t let me.” No way was she giving up this life she’d worked so hard to create the last two years. Not without knowing everything.
“You know what you need to know.” He dropped his elbows to his knees, leaning forward. “You’re everything to me, and I’ll keep you safe. I promise.”
He didn’t understand. “I don’t want safety.”
A puzzled frown settled between his eyes. “Sure you do. A woman like you, you need safety. I can provide that now.” He rubbed his chin. “Or I’ll be able to soon.”
“A woman like me?” Who the hell did he think he married? Sure, she wanted to be safe, but she was no frightened victim.
“Yes. Soft, smart, sexy.” He licked his lips. “Fragile.”
Fragile? Not in this lifetime. Where did this distorted perception of women come from? “What was your mother like, Shane?”
He started. “Ah, I’m pretty sure I didn’t have one.”
“Like you didn’t have brothers? Or you honestly didn’t have one?” He could evade with the best of them. He grimaced. “No. I kind of remember wanting a mother but not getting one.”
“Father?”
“Don’t think so.”
So that much might be true. He was an orphan like her. “You know your brothers. Who would take in four boys?”
Shane shook his head. “That’s a tale I’m not ready to tell today.” He placed both palms on her desk. “I will, I promise. Once you’re somewhere safe and I can remember everything.” He frowned. “Some of my past is still so hazy.”
His memories were returning. When they did, he might leave again. “Do you remember why you left me?” Fire rippled through her blood.
A matching fire flashed through his eyes. “I’m sorry. I know Jory died around that time. Maybe I left because I didn’t want anything to happen to you. Matt said I went undercover to find out what happened to Jory.”
So many questions. “How did Jory die?”
He stretched his neck, exhaling loudly. “We’re still figuring that one out, angel. I went undercover for two years to find out. Unfortunately, the memories of the last two years haven’t come back.”