Amber Eyes - Maya Banks Page 0,25

times he told himself that it wasn’t possible, he had to face the fact that it was. That the world as he’d known it, simply wasn’t. And if he’d been wrong about this, what else was he wrong about? What else existed out there that was beyond his realm of understanding?

For a man who prided himself on his acceptance of harsh reality, there was no way to reconcile this in his mind. No, he didn’t understand it. He wasn’t even sure he accepted it. All he knew was that he wasn’t about to let Kaya walk away again.

But she spent the majority of her time as a wild animal. How could he stop her when she decided to go?

Chapter Twelve

Kaya woke, shivering in the grip of a dream that had haunted her sleep for years. Her gaze automatically shot to Jericho who had turned over so that his back was to her. There was at least a foot of distance between them, and the urge to move closer to the heat emanating from his body was strong.

She glanced at her aching arm, unable to tell in the darkness how much the swelling had lessened. On the edges of her mind, the shadows grew. Lengthening until she swallowed against the unbearable sadness.

She feared what would happen now that Hunter and Jericho knew her secret. She hadn’t gotten close to people over the years. The rapport she’d shared with these two strong, enigmatic men was the most intimate she’d had with anyone since her childhood. She hadn’t allowed such a bond before.

Again she glanced over at Jericho who hadn’t stirred since she’d awakened. Then, propelled by the need to see Hunter, she quietly crawled from the bed, favoring her broken arm.

The cabin was colder, the warmth from the fireplace all but gone. Outside the wind howled but no new snow fell. The windows shook and rattled as the cabin creaked and moaned against the bitterness of the elements.

She’d half expected to find him in the living room, but Hunter wasn’t on the couch. He’d probably sought the comfort of his bed. The floor cold beneath her bare feet, she turned to go toward the other bedroom.

The door was closed, an unwelcoming barrier to intruders. Much like the wall he erected every time he caught himself relaxing around her.

He was a loner, like her. Something about him called to her. Even though she knew he didn’t much like her—or the fact that he was drawn to her.

Carefully she opened the door and slipped inside. Pale moonlight shone through the window and bathed his face. Even in sleep, there was a seriousness, a closed-off expression that told Kaya how carefully he guarded himself from others.

For a long moment she stood over him, watching the rise and fall of his chest. She was so tempted to reach out and smooth the lines on his face, to ease the strain she saw around his eyes. He wouldn’t appreciate her tenderness any more than he wanted to be tender with her. And yet he was.

Finally she walked around to the other side and quietly slipped into the bed. She wanted nothing more than to curl up with him as she had done with Jericho, but she didn’t want to chance waking him and having him toss her out.

She frowned. No, he wouldn’t do that, but he would withdraw. He might even get up himself so he could put distance between them. Or he might hold her as he’d done on the couch. There was no way to know how he’d react from one moment to the next, and she only wanted a few moments to absorb his heat and scent.

She settled far enough away from him that she wasn’t touching him and pulled the covers to her chin. The warm blankets settled over her broken arm, irritating the sensitive skin. She twitched uncomfortably until finally she loosened her hold on the covers to allow them to slip from her arm.

Instantly, the cold skittered over her flesh and pulled goose bumps into a haphazard pattern. She closed her eyes and mentally reached for Hunter’s warmth just inches away. She imagined lying flush against him.

Soon the chill slipped away, replaced by the soothing comfort of her imagination.

***

Hunter woke to the knowledge that he wasn’t alone. He turned his head to see Kaya huddled a short distance away, her body shivering in the cold.

Emitting a soft curse he rolled, pulling the covers with him so he could cover her with