Page 32 of Reaper
Chapter Eleven
Reaper
Reaper cursed himself again.Although he’d wanted Ara to train and build endurance in order to protect herself from what was coming, the more selfish part wanted to keep her in their bed.Each time they had made love had been more intense than the last.
Their connection from the first moment had been immediate and visceral, and although she’d run from him, that finite contact had driven him to search for her and eventually find her.But since they’d gotten to know each other, something elemental had developed between the two of them, and he knew that he couldn’t live without her.
When she had first arrived at his home, he had made it a point to touch her, even if it was as simple as holding her hand.
But it had grown into something more than even he could have imagined.
He anticipated her movements and could sense what mood she was in without even glancing at her.He found that he missed her if they were separated.But more than anything, he savored the moments when she touched him without any trepidation.Each time she leaned into him and snuggled as they watched a movie, or curled up against his side as they slept, surprised him.The first time she had initiated their kiss, and every time after, felt like a gift.
As much as he craved to sequester them at his home and ignore the world, he couldn’t shake the sense that the sick fuck was more determined than ever to capture her.He knew that she wouldn’t be safe until he was dead.
Her hand squeezed his and he swung his gaze from the road to look at her.He had been driving around Snowfall for the last hour, making sure that no one had followed them on their trip to Kai and Liv’s.He never wanted to put Ara in danger, and because of his inattention the last time, she could have been killed.It still haunted him.
Other thoughts had crowded his mind since he woke up that morning.
Once he had eliminated the man who had hurt her, would it be fair to subject her to his life and all that it entailed?
All he knew, all he had been was an assassin, and although he would give that up in an instant to be with Ara, he couldn’t help but think that she would be in danger because of him and his past actions.
But the thought of letting her go had caused him physical pain, and he understood that it wasn’t his decision alone.It could be months or years before the threat was eliminated, and in the meantime, he was determined to prove to her that he would make a good mate.
Their drive hadn’t produced a sign that they were being followed.When he parked, he released her seat belt and without waiting for her to move, he lifted her onto his lap and kissed her as unfamiliar emotions swirled in his chest.His lips slid from her mouth and kissed a trail across her cheek and down her neck, before he buried his face underneath her hair.He inhaled her scent and tightened his arms around her.He smiled against her skin when she ran her fingers through his hair, trying to comfort him.He savored her curves pressed against his hardness, and after taking a deep breath, he reached for the handle.
“Ready?” he asked.
“Yes.”She smiled.
Taking one last glance around, he couldn’t sense anyone near or hear movement, but his muscles tightened for action in case of an ambush.Grateful that they had removed the SUV and the evidence of the shooting, he grasped her tighter to him, ready to make a quick dash to the door.
Instead, the door opened and Kai signaled that the coast was clear.
Reaper lowered Ara to her feet and slid a hand around her waist, pulling her close to his side as they walked toward the house.When they were safely inside, he bent down and brushed a kiss across her lips, and as he started to pull back, she stopped his movements with a hand on his cheek.She smiled at him, a sweet smile, before she stepped back and looked around.
“How are you feeling?” Kai asked.
Reaper chuckled when a flush heated her cheeks.
“I’m good.”
Before Kai could start the conversation about what had happened the night before, Liv rushed up the stairs and stopped in front of Ara.At Liv’s worried look, Ara stepped forward and embraced the tiny woman.Ara tried to step back, and Liv tightened her arms for a fraction of a second, before she pulled back and gave Ara a watery smile.
“I need to know that you’re okay.”Liv indicated that Ara should follow her.
Nodding, Ara reached for Reaper’s hand and laced their fingers together before they trailed after Liv.When they reached the lab, Ara sat on the table where she was directed to, and Liv kept darting her gaze between him and Ara.
Reaper knew that she wanted to ask Ara to subject herself to tests, but the last thing that any of them wanted was to hurt her.They had known Ara for a short span of time, but because they understood that she was important to him, they treated her as one of their own.
Ara must’ve sensed Liv’s trepidation.“Do you…are you afraid that I would hurt you or the others?”
“No!”Liv, Kai, and Reaper all shouted the word at once.
Their adamant refusal to believe that she could harm any of them had an immediate effect.Ara relaxed her shoulders and her eyes softened at their acceptance.
“Liv, it’s okay to ask her,” Reaper said.
