Inhaling a deep breath, I gently touched his hand. He didn’t take mine, but at least he didn’t yank his away. “I am so sorry,” I whispered brokenly. “I made a terrible mistake and I’m just so very sorry.”
He refused to look at me and I didn’t blame him. I didn’t want to look at me either. I slid out of the booth and stood. I knew we would have to work together to solve the crime, but I could give him his space when we weren’t working. The tiny pieces that were left of my heart tore at my insides.
“I’ll check in tomorrow morning before my appointment.” I moved to leave, but his hand snaked out and captured my wrist in a vise-like hold.
“If you think you’re about to run again, you have another thing coming.” His voice was low and furious.
“Let go of my wrist,” I said as I tried to hold back tears. “I promise I won’t run.”
“Your promises aren’t really worth much, Essie,” he said finally, raising his eyes to mine. “If we weren’t in a public place I’d handcuff you to me.”
Even though I knew he wanted to lay into me, the thought of being handcuffed to him sent excited chills through me. I had clearly lost it. I deserved anything he had to say. It couldn’t be any worse than all the things I was saying to myself.
“I have spent a year wondering what I had done to you that was so bad you would leave and I had to hear it like this? You distrusted me so much that you would think I had covered several women’s bodies in hickeys?” He was flabbergasted. When I heard him say it out loud, I had to admit I was too. How could I have been so reckless and dumb?
“I…”
“You made us miss out on a year of our lives together because you believed a lie.”
“I’m sorry,” I said so quietly I almost couldn’t hear it.
“Sorry is not cutting it right now. Come with me,” he said gruffly.
“Where are we going?” I gasped as he dragged me out of the diner.
He stopped and ran his hands through his hair and exhaled an angry frustrated sigh. “To my house. You’ve denied both of us for a year and it’s time to do something about that.”
“You can’t possibly want to have sex after what I did,” I stammered and backed away.
“Who said anything about sex?” He grinned and my tummy flipped.
“I just thought…”
“You need to stop thinking, Essie. It just gets you into trouble. Get on the bike.”
His huge Harley was in the parking lot and I stumbled toward it. He lifted me like I weighed nothing and plopped me down on the seat. He straddled the bike and started it up. It purred and rumbled between my shaking legs.
“Hold on, little girl. It’s going to be a bumpy ride—a very bumpy ride.”
Chapter 9
His house looked the same as the day I left. A book I had been reading was still on the coffee table and all the feminine touches I had added remained. When I had first moved in it was a total man cave, but Hank was thrilled to let my personality and things join his. The house was a perfect little bungalow tucked away on a private beach on the outskirts of Hung. We had spent many nights wishing on stars and making plans for the future.
I had loved him since high school. He was four years older and watched me from afar until I graduated college. He made his moves quickly and there was no looking back for either of us. I loved him completely—his strength, compassion and smokin’ hot butt just killed me. I couldn’t believe someone like him wanted someone like me. He was as deadly as he was kind—a rare combination for a Shifter. He was a tough but fair alpha of the Pack and had only been challenged once since he took over for his father. The challenge was horrifying. It was the first time I’d seen Hank fight. My alpha was mesmerizing and humbling. That night was also the first night we made love.
“Sit down, Essie,” he said. He paced the room and his power filled it. I sat quietly and waited.
“Hank, I…”
“You what, Essie?”
“Nothing,” I murmured.
“You’re sitting right in front of me, but you’re still running. If you want me, Essie, you’ll have to fight for me.” He crossed his arms over his chest and watched me.
“Will you still fight for me?” I whispered, afraid of his answer.
“I have fought for you from the moment I laid eyes on you…and I never stopped. Not for one moment.”
He was right and it made my shame more debilitating. The silence was heavy and my brain was jumbled.
“Do you still love me?” he asked calmly.
I glanced up and my eyes locked with his. Having nothing left to lose, I nodded my head yes.
“Then you need to show me.”
“I don’t know how.” I was stricken. How could I erase a year of pain and anger?
“Essie, when you left me you were still a girl. I didn’t realize it—I was too close. You became your own woman this year. As much as it sickens me that we weren’t together when this happened, maybe this was the way it was supposed to be.”
“You watched me. You saw everything I did. Why didn’t you drag me home?” I asked. He wasn’t prone to rash action, but he did have the wild possessive streak of a Were.
“Trust me, I was tempted…but I wanted you to grow, and because I had Dwayne’s ear and big mouth I felt secure. Not to mention your Granny said, and I quote ‘I will rip your alpha ass apart if you don’t let that girl find herself’.”