did he suddenly crave to revel in her warmth? Why did he want to be the man to elicit that smile on a regular basis? And what did she find so funny?
“You’re smart, Officer. Wicked smart.”
He refocused. “Back to ‘Officer’ so soon?” he drawled. “Makes me want to force you to say my name in all sorts of interesting ways.”
“You think I’m a chump asking these questions. You think I’m easily manipulated.”
“I never said any of those things.”
“Didn’t have to. Who else were you protecting?”
He blinked. “Just told you. Me. My mother.”
Her voice softened, deepening to a velvety, soothing pitch, urging him to spill all his secrets. “I think there’s someone else. Another person in the house. A foster brother or sister? A friend? You got used to dealing with your father’s rage until he went after someone new.” She leaned forward, gaze locked on him with a sense of urgency. Within those emerald depths lay a vastness of understanding and gentleness he’d never been on the receiving end of. “Who was it, Stone?”
He jerked back. He’d gotten bashed in the face with a baseball bat and refused to cry. There was so much inside scarred up and dead he was grateful he never had to revisit. But Arilyn’s final question stole his breath and drew blood.
He was done.
Stone stood up. “This is bullshit,” he stated quietly. “I told you before I’ll be straight with you, but don’t dick around in my head and think you won’t get hurt.”
She never flinched. Just studied him for a long time, their gazes locked in a battle, until she slowly nodded. “I apologize. I went too deep, too fast. Why don’t you sit back down and we’ll talk about something else.”
Who did she think she was? A yoga teacher turned matchmaker playing at being a therapist? She led a charmed life and had no idea of the harsh realities in the world. She controlled her reality while she viewed others through a set of rosy glasses so she could avoid the true mess. Breathing. Meditating. Helping animals. Even with a broken relationship behind her, she pretended to understand and transcend, citing a higher purpose and acceptance she didn’t really feel.
It was a bunch of crap.
Maybe it was time she knew what it felt like to have her safe bubble ripped away.
Stone made his decision and slowly stalked across the room.
SHE’D SCREWED UP.
Arilyn watched the bristling, towering male approach her. Why did she push? Usually the first counseling session was easy, a getting-to-know-you phase and an opportunity to build trust. Instead, she’d done the unthinkable and hit on some hard issues way too soon.
Now she was in trouble.
Damn him. It was all his fault. All of that rippling male sexuality squeezed into a tiny office space would make any woman crazy. He practically gobbled up all the oxygen, and his wicked smiles and hot inky eyes roving over her figure should be illegal. Who owned biceps that massive? Her fingers curled with the need to sink her nails into them and test the hardness. She bet he’d be able to lift her high and pin her against the wall without strain, without needing a breath. How hot was that?
He was literally the worst type of man in the world to be attracted to. All that experience training her mind to be stronger than her body faded to nothing when he looked at her as if he planned on ripping off her clothes and ravishing every inch of her body with his tongue and lips and teeth.
Oh my God, what was she doing?
Arilyn fought the treacherous, weak need for his touch and struggled for calm. She needed to be in control of the situation, speak firmly, and get the session back on track.
Before he reached her.
“There’s no need to get any closer or prove your point. I made an error, and I apologize again. Why don’t we take a break, get some water, and meet back in a few minutes?”
His gaze pinned her to the chair. He took a few more steps.
Her heart exploded in her chest. Arilyn tried to breathe.
“W-We need to make sure we keep our professional distance and don’t blur any of the lines. I’m your counselor and teacher. Emotional highs and lows are expected when we’re exploring triggers that cause anger.”
He didn’t break a smile or his stride. He stopped in front of her, forcing her head to tilt way, way back to hold her ground. Showing strength was key. Stay