He kissed her. His lips were soft, gentle, feathering over hers. She found herself leaning in toward him, wanting that softness, wanting the care that he was giving to her. Her lips parted for him and he licked her lower lip. A sensual caress. His tongue thrust into her mouth. Not taking. Not dominating this time but…seducing.
Whoop. Whoop. Whoop. The sound of the helicopter had changed because it was so close now. Not a whir, too loud for that. It sounded as if the helicopter was right above them.
He eased back and stared into her eyes. “I don’t like it when you cry.” His hand lifted and brushed across her cheek. She hadn’t realized that another tear had escaped. “Don’t do it again.”
Despite everything, a little laugh broke from her. “Can’t guarantee that. In case you missed it, I’m having a pretty bad day.”
“It will get better.”
She wished he was still kissing her. “There’s a helicopter over us.”
“Yes. Sounds like it.”
“We’re not in international waters. They’ll come to search the island. They’ll come to take me.”
His expression was very serious. “I’d like to see them try.” He started to back away from her.
She grabbed him, her fingers tightening around his arms. “I don’t want you hurt.”
“Watch it, sweetheart, or you’ll make me think you care.”
The problem was…she did. And she’d just met the guy.
His lips hitched into a half-smile. “They won’t take you. Don’t worry.”
Easier said than done.
“I need you to stay here,” Luke said. “No, wait,” he added, when she started to protest. “I won’t lock you in the cell. The door will stay open, but I don’t want you to leave this area. I have safeguards in place. The humans can search the rest of the island, but they won’t ever find this chamber. If you stay here, you’ll be safe.”
“Or I’ll be a sitting duck.” If he was lying to her, if he was setting her up, if he believed Garrick and not her…
“Guess you have to trust me.”
Yes, she did. “And what will I owe you in return?”
“We’ll start with a night…one night to do anything I want…”
Her hands pulled from him, as if she’d been burned. “I told you before, I’m not a whore. I get that I gave you the wrong first impression. That’s on me. I wore the fuck-me-shoes, I tricked you, but I am not—”
“You won’t sleep with me as payback. You’ll sleep with me because you need me more than breath. That’s what the one night is about. It’s about my chance to show you what we’d be like together.”
Seduction. He wanted to seduce her.
He was also offering to keep her safe. And right then, she was not about to refuse a safe haven. “I’ll stay here.”
She wouldn’t promise more than that. The idea of seduction—his seduction—scared her.
“I’ll come back for you when it’s clear.”
He stepped back. Turned away. Walked determinedly out of the cell.
“Wait!” Mina called.
He stilled.
“If he thinks you’re human, you’re safe from Garrick. But if he thinks you’re… something else, he may try to take you into his custody.”
“I’d like to see him try…”
“No, you wouldn’t.”
He looked back at her.
“He has special bullets. More like tranquilizers. They can take down paranormals. I’ve seen it happen. Strong paranormals—like vamps and shifters—go down in an instant. They’re knocked out and then they wake up…” She gestured around her. “They wake up in a place pretty much like this.” Which was why she hated that cell.
“Did they do that to you? Did they drug you?” Anger tightened his jaw.
“Yes.”
“They won’t do it again. I won’t let them.”
He sounded so certain. Her head tilted. “Luke, just how strong are you?”
“You should probably hope that you never find out.” Then he turned away. She watched him leave and when he was gone, when he’d sealed up the tunnel, she bent and touched the shattered handcuffs.
Very, very strong.
Chapter Eight
Luke had a helipad on the island, but that was for his personal use, not so that some dick with the government could bring his chopper in and storm the place.
Rayce stalked to his side, with Julian trailing just a few steps behind him. “What’s the plan?” Rayce asked, lifting his hand to show that claws had already sprouted from his fingertips. “Do we teach these boys that uninvited guests aren’t welcome here?”
Luke didn’t respond to that, mostly because he was still considering his options. He glanced over at Julian. “You okay?”
“No.” His face was grim, as grim as his voice. “I messed up. You were counting on me, and I let you down. If she hadn’t ordered me away…”
Luke moved to stand in front of him, ignoring the blast of wind that came from that landing chopper. “You’ll be better prepared next time.”
“I owe you so fucking much,” Julian rasped. “I’d be dead without you. My family abandoned me, the pack turned, if it hadn’t been for you—”
“How about we save the feel good moment for a time when a chopper isn’t landing?” Rayce cut in. “You two can have a bromance later.”
Julian glared at the wolf. “Keep pushing…”
Luke locked one hand on Julian’s shoulder and he curled his other around Rayce’s. “Before those agents get out of that chopper, we need to be clear on a few very important things.”