Pirate's Promise (Sentinels of Savannah #5) - Lisa Kessler Page 0,63
be able to slice through the Sea Dog unless that bastard can swim out to us.”
“Good idea,” Char replied as they left the room. The door closed behind them.
Once they were alone, Greyson cupped Aura’s cheek, his voice barely a whisper. “Talk to me, love. What’s going on in your head?”
“You don’t have to call me that anymore.” Her lips curved into a smile, but it didn’t reach her beautiful eyes. “Our cover is blown now. No need to keep pretending.”
His stomach tied into a knot, and not a tiny square one. He lost himself in the depths of her eyes and did his best to keep his voice even, tamping down his nautical accent.
He needed to be sure she understood every word.
“I call you ‘love’ because that’s who you are to me.” She started to speak, but he touched his finger to her lips. “You’re my light in the darkness. You asked me before if immortality was all I expected it to be, and until you walked on board this ship, I never realized what a shallow existence it’s been.” His gaze wandered over her face. “I’m trying to tell you that…I love you.”
She searched his eyes. “Before I stepped onto this ship, I thought I knew who I was. I had a mission and a purpose.” She brought her hand to rest over his heart. “You make me wish I could change course, but I can’t. Once the Tyrfing is locked up, there will be another threat. It never ends. I can’t walk away from my duty. I’ll lose myself. This is who I am.”
Her words stung. Not only because she didn’t love him back. There was pain lining her features, making him ache to comfort her, but he didn’t fucking have that skill. Shoot a fly on the wall or carry her out of the path of demon—those were easy feats. This?
He didn’t know what to say or do, but he never wanted to hurt her.
“I’m not asking you to change. I didn’t tell ye how I felt to push you into anything, love.” He tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. “And I don’t expect you to give up your calling.” The corner of his mouth curved. “All right, it does frustrate me when yer trying to fight a demon in hand-to-hand combat.”
She smirked, nuzzling into his touch. “If I drink from the cup and live forever, it makes me even more valuable to my department, my calling. I just don’t want to get your hopes up that I’ve figured out a way to make this…whatever it is between us…work.”
“Understood.” Okay, that one hurt, but he buried his emotions, using his pirate swagger as a well-worn shield, as he withdrew his hand from her skin. “Take yer drink. Live to fight another day.”
“Yeah.” She nodded, but she wasn’t as good at burying her emotions as he was. There was regret in her eyes. “I do care about you.”
But not enough to love him.
“Don’t…” He stepped back, out of her reach, shaking his head. “Don’t lie to me.” He walked away without looking back. “I’ll be back with the cup.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Aura sank into a chair as hot tears brimmed her eyes.
Between the mental attack from the sword and Greyson’s exit from the room, or her life, for that matter, she was coming apart at the seams. Hearing him say he loved her turned her inside out with wishing she could just be a woman in love with a man, but it wasn’t so simple. She was a secret agent for her country. She couldn’t have it both ways. Life had taught her this rule countless times.
Yet she’d been the one who’d pushed him to admit his feelings. His words had confirmed her deepest hopes that he hadn’t been playing a part, that he did care for her.
And then she hadn’t known what to do with his declaration. What the hell did she know about love? Her only true love was for justice and safety.
Ugh.
She laid her forearms on the table and rested her forehead on top, sucking in slow, deep breaths. What was she supposed to do? She’d screwed up her whole plan to keep him at a distance so that when their cover was over, and she went back to work in D.C., it wouldn’t hurt.
Too late. And to top it off, she’d just been a total asshole to the best partner she’d ever had. The only partner she’d trusted completely.