“There—there you are, wolf,” I say, the words coming out with somewhat of a wheeze due to the wind being knocked out of me. In part by the solid wooden boards connecting with my back and in part by the abrupt reminder of how large Aiden is as he puts me against those wooden boards without much difficulty.
He is so very handsome, his furious features illuminated by the lantern light from the nearby street. Warm amber eyes. Rich brown waves in his hair. A short, scruffy beard that would feel so nice scraping across skin.Devastatinglyhandsome, as they say. And I absolutely will bedevastatedif he doesn’t turn out to be who I think he is. I’m already so attached.
“Now we’re really…” I start, forced to try again after I look down to where he has his fists balled up in my coat. “Reallygetting closer.”
“To what?” he scoffs, anger radiating off him. “Your untimely demise?”
I shake my head, managing a smile as I say, “My favorite position.”
He searches my face momentarily before he catches my meaning, what appears to be color striking his cheekbones, and a thrill of excitement runs up my spine when I realize he is currentlyblushing.
Oh, thisisgoing to be fun.
“Real cute,” Aiden mutters, his tone telling me that he doesn’t mean it in a complimentary way. Although I don’t think it’stoomuch of a weakness to hope he thinks I’m at least somewhat nice to look at.
“You’re crazier than I thought,” he continues, his voice menacingly low. “Here I was telling myself that you would have already left town.”
I frown, genuinely confused. “Why would I do that?”
“Why?” he asks through gritted teeth. “You fuckin’robbedme.”
“Ah, that.” Despite the somewhat violent nature of our greeting, I’ve kept my hands raised throughout our conversation, nowhere near his pockets, and I glance at them to make sure he’s noticed. “In my defense, youdidcall me a thief.”
“And clearly, I was right to.”
“But would I have robbed you if youhadn’tcalled me a thief?” I ask, giving him the best shrug I can manage with my movements so constricted. “There is a question that will keep you up at night.”
“Already have plenty of things to keep me up at night,” he snarls back. “Not going to let you be one of them.”
“We’ll see.” I cock my head. “But since we’re on the subject, whatdoeskeep you up at night? Anyone I should be concerned about?”
He only stares at me in response, seemingly unable to comprehend why I would ask him that question. To be fair, I can’t really comprehend it either beyond the fact that I have a burning desire to learn everything about any topic that centers around him.
“Too forward? Are we not at that stage yet either?”
Aiden grips my coat tighter, yanking me forward for a moment before shoving me back. I hit the wall again with a solid thud, and I hope whatever business is next to the saloon doesn’t operate at night. Or at least has customers that know better than to stick their noses into the affairs of those that do. I’d hate to be interrupted.
Unfortunately, Aiden seems to have the same concern, and in aneedless attempt to prevent my escape, he places the wide palm of his left hand against my chest to keep me pinned, his now-free right hand pulling a knife from his belt. The small blade glints in that same low lantern light as he brings it up close to me, and that’s all it takes for him to no longer be the only thing keeping me trapped.
“You done?” he asks as my focus remains fixed on the knife, my hands instinctively gripping the arm he has keeping me in place, my fingertips pressing hard into the bare skin beneath his rolled-up sleeves. “You have it all out of your system?”
I shake my head, trying to pull my gaze away from the sharp edge before it can pull me away instead. To another place. To another time. To a dark, windowless room where I had never felt so alone. Until I wasn’t. “Far from it.”
“Figured as much,” Aiden replies, and he presses the cool metal into the space just below my jaw. “How about now? How about, instead of running your mouth and wasting more of my time, you go ahead and tell me what you’re up to? Why did you say you were looking for me?”
I wonder if he can feel it. How rapid my pulse has gotten. Can he feel it racing in my chest through my clothes, feel it racing in my throat through the blade? I have no choice but to believe he can.
“Come on, don’t go quiet on me now,” Aiden pushes, pressing the knife in a little more. A little more. A little more. Knocking the wind out of me again. “And don’t bother trying to come up with some lie. I already know you’re conning those men in there.”
“And if I am?” My voice is shaking, though I try to hide it with a laugh. “Why would you care? You’re not one of them.”
I’m not sure if I say it for him or for me. I’m not sure who needs the reminder more.He’s not. He’s not one of them.
He’s not going to hurt me.
“You’re right. I’m not,” he says, and I wonder if he can now feel my heart rate slowing with his acknowledgement. “I’m not like them.” He leans closer, his voice dropping into an even lower register that seems to cozy up to every dangerous thought inside my head. “I’m way worse. Especially for you.”
“Oh, I’m quite positive that’s not the case.”