“Stel a, we can’t tel them any of that shit.” My fists grew tighter on Mace’s shirt.
“She has to know we’re doing the right thing.” Mace studied my face a beat and his head dipped closer to mine.
Then, quietly, he asked, “Your Mom does or your Dad does?”
I blinked.
“What?”
“You want your Mom to know you’re doin’ the right thing?
Or you want your Dad to know?”
I shook my head. “I don’t care about Dad.”
“Kitten –”
My body went stil and I shouted, “I don’t!” right in his face.
I didn’t know why I shouted, I just did.
I also didn’t know why I was trembling and feeling panicked, I just was.
Big time.
I started to pul away again, thinking only of escape.
Where to, I had no idea but I had to get there, right…
effing… now.
Unfortunately, Mace was ready for me.
He turned us, picked me up with his hands at my waist and planted my ass on the counter. Then he moved in with so much determination his h*ps forced my legs open at the knees and he kept coming until he was ultra-close. We were chest-to-chest, privates-to-privates, nose-to-nose. He put his hands on the counter on either side of me.
“Talk to me, babe,” he demanded softly.
I turned my face to the side and stared at the counter.
Something was happening to me, something very frightening and there was only one thing I knew – I couldn’t deal.
I needed to lock it down.
Mace didn’t feel like letting me lock it down. His hands came to my neck and he moved my head to face him. His thumbs at my jaw, he forced me to look up at him.
“Talk to me,” he repeated and his eyes looked strange.
He was looking at me in a way he’d never looked at me before. It was a warm look but, if I was reading it right, it was fil ed with concern, so much concern it looked a lot like worry. And al that was mingled with such tenderness, at the sight of it, my breath didn’t take a flight, it beamed to another galaxy.
“I can’t,” I whispered.
The phone rang again and we let it, staring at each other.
Mace didn’t move, neither did I.
The phone stopped ringing and Mace’s face came closer, his forehead resting on mine.
“They don’t know where you are,” he said and it wasn’t a question.