Page 21 of Reaper
“I heal.We all have the ability to heal ourselves.”
Her tortured eyes rose to meet his, and he understood at the moment that her worry had been centered on him.
“I didn’t mean to scare you, beautiful.I didn’t tell you about my ability to heal earlier because I thought that I heaped enough information on you.I’m sorry about not telling you.It turns out that you healed me faster than I could have recovered on my own.”
Before he could think of the ramifications of his actions, he leaned toward her and pulled her in for a kiss.When she pulled back, shaking her head, a deep crevice opened in his chest and pain that he’d never felt before throbbed in time with his pulse.
“I told you I was dangerous.You were hurt because of me.”Ara pulled away from him and started to rise, but he refused to let her go.
“No, you’re not.I was hurt because I hadn’t been paying attention to our surroundings.I should have sensed that fucker long before he shot at us.”He paused and cupped her chin, lifting her gaze to meet his.Lowering his voice, he spoke a little of the need for her.“Even if you were a danger to me, I would never, ever leave you.”
For a long moment, he held his breath as she thought about his words, and when she pressed her forehead against his and cupped his face, he breathed a sigh of relief.He kissed the tears from her cheeks, before he settled her against his chest.Movement reminded him that they had company.
“They want to know you’re okay,” Reaper said.
Ara started in his arms, but when she glanced up, he could see that her tears had dried.Concern for the others was evident on her face, but they had let her know that they were in awe of her powers and as Gunnar so aptly noted, they were glad she was on their side.By the time each of the assassins had been assured that she was fine, the tension in the room relaxed.
“Are you okay?” Liv asked.
“I think so.What happened?”
Liv and Gunnar were animated when they told Ara of her power to heal and what they had witnessed when she had taken care of the gunman.Ara tensed in his arms as they continued to praise her for saving both of them.
“I’m sorry.I turned off the motion sensors before you arrived.It won’t happen again,” Kai snarled.
Fear flashed on Ara’s face.
“What is it?” Reaper asked.
“Aren’t you going to turn me in?”
Loud, abrasive voices rose as the assassins expressed outrage at her sentiment.
“He was trespassing on private property, wishing to do us harm.You stopped him and it was self-defense.If you hadn’t killed him, we would have taken care of it.”The viciousness in Ghost’s voice had relaxed Ara and she sagged against him.
“Liv, is Ara well enough to go home?”
Liv nodded, and he wasted no time lifting Ara in his arms before he stood.His heart skipped when she laid her head down on his chest and breathed a sigh of relief.Before he could ask to borrow one of Kai’s cars, he glanced up in time to catch the key fob thrown by Kai.
“Take care of each other.”
He nodded a quick thanks before he sprinted up the stairs, ready for time alone with Ara.She had scared the shit out of him when she hadn’t woken, and he wanted time to reassure himself that she would be fine.Listening to her heartbeat and her deep, even breaths had gone a long way in that reassurance, but he knew it would take him a long while to get over almost losing her.
The entire way to the house, he scanned his surroundings, making sure that he hadn’t been followed.Thirty minutes later, he pulled into his garage and shut the door.
Without waiting for her to do it, he unbuckled her seat belt and then his, before he pulled her across the seat and onto his lap.He carried her into the house and sat her down on the kitchen counter, giving her a quick kiss.
“I’m going to secure the house.I’ll be right back.”
Moving quickly, he secured the locks, the shutters, and activated the motion sensors before he returned to the kitchen to find Ara in the same spot he left her minutes before.
Unable to help himself, his hands roamed over her, looking for any signs of discomfort or pain.Her body responded to his touch, and soon, her back arched toward him and a low moan escaped her throat.
She took him by surprise when her hand slid around his neck and pulled him close for a kiss.
“Reaper,” she breathed.
The instant their lips met, the kiss grew out of control.Heat and desire flooded through him, and he couldn’t stop the growl from escaping.She reacted to the sound by clutching him closer while he plundered her mouth.Her hands clawed at his back, driving his need higher.Several breathtaking minutes later, she pulled back and he started when he spotted the tears in her eyes.
