Trapped (The Condemned Series #1) - Alison Aimes Page 0,72

Council uniform.

She hadn’t been dreaming. She and Caine had really made it off Dragath25 alive.

Careful not to knock her ankle cast, she rose awkwardly and limped toward the door. The medics had finished fixing her up far faster than Caine. After a shower and some food, she’d lain down on the bed to wait for him. Obviously, she’d fallen asleep.

That he hadn’t come to wake her only made her more uneasy.

Her door slid open with the press of her palm. Caine stood across the hall, two Council guards flanking him. Obviously, the Captain still wasn’t quite sure what to make of him. She’d been shadowed by guards as well, but they’d left her once they’d brought her to her quarters. Caine’s appeared intent on sticking around.

“Hey,” she said, leaning against the doorframe for support. Showered and dressed in someone’s loaner Council uniform, his clothes emphasizing every inch of his broad shoulders and long legs, Caine looked unbelievably handsome—and more removed from her than ever.

“You’re up,” he turned toward her, leaving the guards in front of his door, his usual graceful gait marred by a slight limp. Still, the medics had done a good job. All his cuts and bruises had been treated and his laser wound dressed. His gaze traveled from her head to toe. “You okay? The medics refused to tell me about your condition.”

That he’d asked went far toward soothing her worries.

“I’m fine. Just a bad ankle sprain.” She reached up and rubbed away a water droplet that clung stubbornly to his spiky hair. He sucked in a harsh breath, his eyes hungry. The moment reminded her of the first time she’d really seen him. When he’d dunked himself in that first cave and revealed the man beneath. It was amazing to think how badly she’d come to want that man to be hers. Not just for short-term protection, but for a lifetime of whatever life chose to send their way. He’d become her world. “What about you? How’s your leg?”

“Just a scratch.”

She hadn’t expected him to say anything else.

A heavy silence fell between them.

She could see the concern in his gaze. But there was something else, too. The same wariness he’d had when they first met.

She eyed the guards. They were kindly trying to appear as if they weren’t listening.

“You want to come in?” she asked Caine. She didn’t care where the Captain thought Caine should sleep. She wanted him with her.

He stilled, as if she’d surprised him. “Probably not the best idea. We, ah…we should probably give it some time.”

Was there anything more painful than a guy who didn’t want to hurt your feelings? Still, she wasn’t about to run from the truth. After Dragath25, she knew she could handle anything.

“Give what some time?” she pushed. “If things have changed now that we’re heading back to Earth and you don’t want to be with me anymore, just say it.”

She wasn’t going to let him do that distance, all-business thing again. Last time, he’d said he’d done it because he was afraid of losing her, but that excuse wouldn’t fly now. She was standing right here. Available for a lifetime. If only he’d reach out and touch her.

His big hands closed around her forearms. “Of course I want to be with you.”

“Sir?” One of the guards spoke. The other was already reaching for his weapon. “Is there a problem here?”

Caine tensed, but he didn’t drop his hands. “No problem at all.” His voice was an angry rumble. “Can we get a minute?”

It had to be weird to have to answer to others after eight years of being entirely on your own.

“We’re fine,” she seconded, knowing the guards would need to hear it from her, too. “We’ll talk inside my room. It will be less awkward for all.”

The guards exchanged an uncertain look.

“Please. It won’t matter if you stand outside my room or his,” she coaxed, “as long as you’re keeping watch.” She’d been dealing with Council protocol her whole life. She knew how to work around it when necessary.

Neither guard looked particularly happy, but they didn’t protest as Caine walked her backward through her doorway, the door sliding closed with a definite whoosh.

They stared at each other in silence.

“You say you want to be with me,” she said at last, “so why are you pulling away?”

“I’m not pulling away.” He looked frustrated. “I just…I want to give you some time to make sure I’m what you want. The way those guards reacted…the way people are going to