He cursed under his breath, dragging a hand through his hair, and she knew he only did that when he was irritated, which was usually at her. She wasn’t exactly sure how she felt about that.
“Theo found footprints behind your place. He told me before he came inside tonight, and I checked it out. They were fresh, Monica. As in, someone was here while I have been here.” His voice edged into anger, eyes narrowing on her. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me that?”
“Oh, I don’t know, Kane,” Monica snapped, matching his attitude without hesitation. “Maybe because I’m not aWarrior.” She knew using that word was like poking a bear, and she did it anyway.
He was in front of her before she even saw him move.
Kane’s presence hit her like a wall of hot, pissed-off male, and way too close. Monica lifted her chin, refusing to back up even an inch, even though every instinct told her he was coiled tight enough to snap.
“Don’t,” he growled, his voice low enough to vibrate through her bones. “Don’t throw that bullshit title at me like it’s some kind of joke.”
“You don’t like it?” she shot back. “Good. Now you know how I felt when you tried to bark orders at me after—” She cut herself off, jaw tightening. Nope. She wasn’t bringing the sex into this. Not again. Not when she still felt him everywhere.
Kane leaned in, eyes locked on hers. “This isn’t about titles, or who’s in charge.” His voice dropped, rougher. “This is about someone creeping around your house in the middle of the night, and you thinking you need to deal with that alone.”
“Ihavebeen dealing with it alone,” she snapped. “Long before you showed up. Long before you decided you suddenly knew what was best for me.”
He cursed under his breath, stepping even closer, their bodies almost touching now. “You think I’m doing this to control you?” His chest rose and fell, restrained fury rippling off him. “I’m trying to keep you alive, Monica.”
“I don’t need saving,” she whispered, voice unsteady but firm. “I need answers about my sister. I need to finish what I started. And you barging in here acting like I’m yours to manage doesn’t help me.”
Kane’s jaw flexed hard. “I know you don’t need saving,” he said quietly, surprising her. “But needing answers doesn’t mean you walk straight into danger without backup.” His hand lifted like he wanted to touch her, then dropped as if he didn’t trust himself. “And knowing someone has been watching your house without telling meisreckless.”
Monica folded her arms. “You don’t get to decide what reckless is for me. You don’t get to pretend that one night gives you that right.” She knew she was being a little ridiculous, but dammit, he pissed her off. She knew not telling him was dumb, but his insinuating it was dumb didn’t sit well with her. Yeah, a woman’s mindset, well, at least her mindset at the moment.
“One night?” Kane echoed, eyes burning into her. “If you think one night is all I’m going to have with you, then you are sadly mistaken.”
Her throat tightened. Damn him.
“Kane—”
“No,” he cut in, voice low, almost a growl. “Look me in the eye right now and tell me you don’t want me.” He cocked an eyebrow as he waited for the answer that he already knew.
Monica swallowed hard. She couldn’t. Because she did want the asshole, and she hated that he knew it.
“You really piss me off...you know that?” She huffed, giving him the dirtiest look she could muster.
“Ditto!” He snorted, not backing down.
Silence stretched between them thick and electric.
Knox gave a soft whine from his bed, like even he felt the tension about to snap.
Monica finally let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. “I was actually going to apologize to you.”
The way Kane blinked at her—like she’d just started speaking in tongues—made the pain of apologizing almost worth it.
Kane took a small step back, just enough to look her over head to toe, eyes narrowing. “For what?”
She shrugged and stared at literally anything but him, already wishing she’d kept her mouth shut.
Yeah, there was no chance Kane was letting that slide. His fingers slipped under her chin, gentle but firm, guiding her face back to his. “For what, Monica?”
“I shouldn’t have come down on you so hard,” she whispered, trapped by the intensity simmering in his stare.
“Asking you to quit your job was bad timing on my part,” Kane said, and that… shocked the hell out of her.
“Was that an apology?” she asked, blinking at him, trying not to smile but failing on the inside.