Lover Uncloaked (Stealth Guardians #1) - By Unknown Page 0,57
single word Leila had told her.
She felt like screaming out her frustration. Gripping the receiver once more, she knew she had to try again. Maybe this time Nancy would pick up and she could explain everything to her. Oh, God, she hoped so.
Her hand froze on the receiver when she heard the door handle being turned.
TWENTY
Aiden hesitated before opening the kitchen door. How would Leila react to him now that their buffer, Manus, was gone? It turned out that he didn’t have to worry about it. When he opened the door, she was still staring at the TV, watching the same news program. He knew enough about her to realize that it wouldn’t make her feel any better, so he walked to the TV and switched it off.
“You should rest.”
To his surprise, she nodded and didn’t protest when he ushered her back to their room. Aiden closed the shades to make it more comfortable for Leila to sleep while the sun was shining brightly outside. She now lay curled up on the bed—fully clothed this time. It appeared she didn’t want him touching her ever again.
Frustrated and feeling more than just a little bit guilty about his earlier deception, he lay stretched out on the couch, knowing his presence in the bed wasn’t welcome. This fact did nothing to quell his growing desire for her. Neither did thinking about her for hours while she slept only feet away from him.
When Coralee delivered food to the room sometime well past midday, Aiden placed the tray on the coffee table and opened the shades before walking to the bed. Leila looked vulnerable with her eyes closed, her hair open and spread around her like a halo. He felt the urge to take her into his arms, to protect her and assure her that she would be safe. But he couldn’t do that. Neither did she want his touch, nor would he be telling the truth if he told her she was safe. She would only be safe once he and his fellow Stealth Guardians could trick the demons into thinking that she was dead and with her all chances of recreating the drug.
Even once they’d achieved that, they would have to keep tabs on her. And she would have to assume a new identity, as if she were in the federal witness protection program. It was no different from that. But they needed her cooperation for that, which meant Aiden had to start mending what he’d screwed up. The quicker the better.
“Leila,” he called softly, but she didn’t stir. He tried again, but received no response, so he gently shook her shoulder.
She reared up with a frightened look on her face and wriggled away from him. “What do you want?”
He instantly pulled back, giving her space so she wouldn’t perceive him as a threat. “I want to apologize.” Nervously, he ran a hand through his hair, messing it up even more than it already was. “I shouldn’t have . . . ” His voice died. Hell, he’d never learned how to apologize to anybody. This was harder than fighting two demons in a dark alley with one hand tied behind his back.
Her ocean blue eyes lowered to evade his gaze. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
Did he imagine it, or was a soft, rosy blush building on her cheeks? Oddly enough, it didn’t appear that she was angry at him, despite her words. It look more like she was . . . shy. The confident, determined Dr. Cruickshank was shy when it came to intimacy? Could that be the reason why she’d reacted so vehemently when they’d been interrupted by Manus?
“I need to explain one thing. Please.”
She gave an almost unperceivable nod.
“Thank you . . . There was one thing Manus was trying to explain to you: while a Stealth Guardian sleeps, his ability to cloak a human with his mind disappears. Only his touch is still effective. I needed to touch you if I wanted to sleep. But . . . ” He cast her a cautious glance, noticing that she watched him closely. “ . . . I have no excuses for touching you the way I did, other than that I’m attracted to you. I’m sorry. I should have explained it to you and just asked to take your hand while you slept.”
Her eyes assessed him for a long moment. “Is that what you do with the other women you protect?”