bedside table every moment since that afternoon,” I said. “So, don’t you tell me that I didn’t love you.”
The next thing I knew he was kissing me with so much zeal that I actually had a hard time staying upright. His hands laced into my hair, and his throaty groan echoed in my chest, sending goosebumps up my arms and my eyes rolling back. Hours before I was ready, he released me, once again placing a kiss on that same spot under my ear, this time murmuring something against my skin that I didn’t quite catch – though I was also fairly certain it wasn’t in English.
He stood, pulling me up with him, taking my hand and leading me into the building, while I slid my cross safely back into my pocket. “I have to go down to Cormac’s office, he’s expecting me,” he said, as we made our way hand in hand down the hall, stopping when we reached the top of the stairs. “It shouldn’t take long, and then can we get dinner?”
“Sure,” I said, so happy to be getting back to our old routine. “I should go check on Ryland anyway. Meet you in the lounge?”
“I’ll be there,” he said, rubbing his thumb across the back of my hand, then skipping off down the stairs.
I greeted my good buddies the stomach butterflies as they returned, carrying me down the steps to the first landing. They were around so much lately I was starting to think of them as pets, and idly wondered if I should consider naming them. However, my fluffy haze cleared somewhat as I rounded the banister and saw the agitated figure of Jocelyn coming up the stairs. He stopped as he saw me, looking me straight in the eye, his mouth a hard line.
“I need to have a word with you,” he stated with no inflection whatsoever.
His words might not have given much away, but his expression told me one thing for sure…
I was in trouble.
23
If I’d been intimidated by Jocelyn, or even respected him enough to put any value on his good opinion, I might have been concerned. But as it stood, I wasn’t. Whatever his problem was, I knew I hadn’t done anything, and that this would turn out to be a mistake. Hell, I hadn’t even been alone today, there was no way I’d done whatever he thought I had. Sure, I was planning to skip Gaelic class the next day, but it wasn’t like it had actually happened yet, and unless he’d read my mind there was no way he could have known about it. And if he had read my mind, no matter what he’d seen, he was the one in the wrong, so either way I was good. Besides, if I came to find out that he’d read my mind, the conversation wouldn’t get all that far anyway, because I’d be kicking his ass.
I followed him down to his office, not sure where this was all leading. Once the office door was closed behind us he stalked up to the front of the room next to his desk where he spun to face me, looking in no way pleased.
“It appears we need to have a discussion regarding your place here, and what it does and does not entail. You may have arrived under the pretense that you were here to look after Ryland and wouldn’t be staying. However, things have changed, and since you will be staying, there are some ground rules that need to be set.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You are here to learn and to train.”
“Yeah, OK…?”
“You will be a valuable asset to our organization and our cause, and the last thing you need is distraction.”
“What?” I asked, beyond confused.
“You are not the type of person who needs to be… involved with anyone.”
“Invol–” the word strangled in my throat as I realized what he was talking about. Immediately my mind went to the only other person who knew about Alex and me. “Did Min talk to you?” I asked, already plotting her demise.
“Min? No, Min has nothing to do with this.” He clasped his hands behind his back and squared his shoulders, trying to appear as stern as possible. “You may not be aware of it, but my apartments are directly above this office and connected to the covered balcony on the east wall.”
“You… you were watching us?” I half shrieked, both mortified and furious.
“No, I was not watching you, but yes, I did see you,