my actions had hurt him, and the real answer could no longer be tucked away, hidden behind other excuses. The damning words fell between us. “Because why
would you want me? You deserve someone better, not me, not this mess.”
He reared back as if I had slapped him and ran an unsteady hand through his
hair. “You really believe that?”
For a moment I couldn’t breathe, scared of his impending rejection, my heart
aching, but I nodded. Once.
Instead of pushing away, he gathered me close, and wrapped me in a solid heat, holding on tight. “God, Cyn, you’re such a beautiful, mixed-up idiot.”
The gruff exasperation in his voice warmed the numb edges of my heart. It
was also the final straw. All the chaos of the last six months and the pain of the
last two days collided, blowing apart the fragile illusion of control, and left me
exposed.
I wound my arms around his neck, buried my face in his chest, and settled into his embrace, needing this unexpected connection, needing him. His soft murmur flowed over me, offering what comfort he could. As the emotional
storm raged, I clung to him, using him as an anchor, knowing he wouldn’t let me go. Not this time.
CHAPTER 16
W hen the storm finally passed, I sniffled and listened to the steady beat
of Kayden’s heart, relishing our tenuous connection. Even twisted at an
awkward angle with the center console poking in all the wrong places, I didn’t
want to move. For the first time in what seemed like forever, my mind was blessedly numb, leaving me in a quiet oasis.
“Better?” His chest vibrated under my ear.
I nodded, not sure I could get anything out of my sore throat. The brush of
his lips feathered across my forehead and trailed softly down until he reached the
corner of my mouth. My breath stuttered at the exquisite touch and the heavy weight from the last couple of days felt lighter.
A wailing siren served as an unfortunate reminder of our surroundings, and a
cop blew through the intersection answering unseen summons. Reality intruded,
bringing the muted sounds of passing traffic. As much as I preferred to remain in
his arms and forget what awaited us, it wasn’t to be. We had things to do and people to meet.
Reluctantly, I pulled back, wiped a hand over my wet face, and caught sight
of the time. I groaned. “We need to get going. We’re going to be late.” I settled
back behind the wheel, and threw the Jeep in gear.
Kayden shifted in his seat and winced. “How far out are we?”
“About ten minutes, if we’re lucky.” When a break in traffic emerged, I
pulled out and got us back in the flow.
“I’ll let Bishop know.”
Kayden typed out a text as a comfortable quiet filled the space between us.
Despite my emotional breakdown, the rough edges of my headache had
smoothed out. Who knew a crying jag would result in more than a red nose and
stuffy sinuses?
It was closer to fifteen minutes when we pulled in, five of which was spent
navigating the tiny streets to the out-of-the-way parking lot near The Dragon. A
man in dark sunglasses waited for us, leaning against a dust-covered SUV. Tall,
