She winced. “Not crazy, just misinformed. Dreaming, rather. There’s no way we’re going to find another dimension or travel to another universe in this lifetime. In several, actually.”
Not with the laws of physics she knew. Man, he’d like to tell her everything about the world that humans didn’t see. Didn’t know. “We can take care of ourselves. You just come up with your best theory, and I hope you’ll get the grant.” He waited until her gaze met his. “In fact, I’ll make sure you do.” He had enough of his own funds to give her five hundred million or so without missing any.
She sighed. “Can you imagine? The breathtaking danger and risk we’d create if we tried to bend time? It’d be a horrible mistake.”
So not what he wanted to hear. Not even close.
Her gaze moved to his damaged neck.
“You can ask me,” he murmured, shoving aside her remarks about risk and danger. “I don’t mind.”
She shrugged slim shoulders. “None of my business.”
Yet he wanted to tell her. When he’d first returned from his hellish trip through other places, he had to relearn how to speak, even though he didn’t want to. Then he’d forced himself to talk to a shrink and get it all out. But he’d hated every second of it. Now, for the first time, he really did want to tell the truth, and he couldn’t. “I was on a mission, things went bad, and I was burned.”
She nodded. “I surmised it was something like that. I’m glad you survived.”
Had he? Sometimes, in the minute before dark turned to dawn, when he hadn’t slept all night, he wondered. Maybe he was actually still back in hell. Just dreaming that he’d escaped. “I’m still figuring things out, and I make dumb mistakes.” His IQ was unmeasurable, but he hadn’t acted like it in too long. “Yesterday, I’m really sorry if I scared you.”
Her head jerked. “You terrified me.”
The words were like a knife to the gut. “I’m sorry.” Maybe he wasn’t ready to be around humans yet.
She exhaled. “You’re forgiven. Just don’t do it again. To anybody. Ever.”
“I promise,” he said, meaning every syllable. Kidnapping wasn’t his style. Not that he had a style. Her easy forgiveness was a balm to some of his guilt. Much of his hurt. He liked her brain, and now he was seeing her heart.
“Should I help you make dinner?” she asked, sounding as if she were offering to attend a twelve-hour lecture on dentistry.
“No. I’ve got it.” His movements were quick and economical. “I enjoy cooking. The preciseness of it.”
She smiled. “I can see that, although I don’t understand. Cooking has never been my passion.”
Passion. The word hung in the air for a moment. He nodded. “I like it. Maybe someday I’ll teach you.” Why the hell had he said that?
She cleared her throat, obviously skipping right over the offer. Smart girl. “We’ve agreed no more kidnappings. How about no more guns?”
“Not a chance,” he said. If she had any idea of who was after her, she’d want to carry a gun herself. “Sorry.”
“Do you have a gun right now?” She tapped her bare foot, meeting his gaze directly.
In answer, he withdrew the pistol from the back of his waist and set it on the top of the island. “Yes.”
She frowned. “I don’t know anything about guns. It’s green. Well, a light metallic green. What kind is it?”
He looked at the weapon. It fired green lasers that turned into hard projectiles when hitting an immortal body. “It’s a prototype. You’ve never heard of it.”
She shook out her dark hair. “You and your colleagues seem to have good connections. I couldn’t find out much about you, however.”
He nodded. The woman had no clue. He tucked the gun back in place, which relaxed him even more. How screwed up was that? “How’s your head? Any more pain?”
“No.” She chewed on the end of the pen, looking adorable. “But I’ll make an appointment for an MRI next week at the hospital. Just in case.” She rubbed her eye. “The losing consciousness concerns me.”
Yeah, but it was because of Mercy and then Benny. Ivar stirred the stew. “Has that ever happened before?”
She ducked her head. “No.” Lying. She was definitely lying.
“All right. We both obviously have things we don’t like to talk about. Let’s make it even.” He flattened both hands on the cool granite as the stew began to thicken and bubble. “I