“Could you stop doing that, please?” I say.
“Stop what, Ezra?”
I spin on him. “Looking at me like that. Like I’m some puzzle with missing fucking pieces.”
The permafrost in his dark eyes melts as they hold me. There’s a flash of lust, too. And I can’t help it. I have no control over my body when I dip into these destructive moods. No fucking restraint on my impulses.
As I walk slowly over to Cain, he drags his massive body off the counter. A muscle ticks in his jaw as he clenches it, but he doesn’t back away from me. If anything, he leans closer, his body heat seeping under my skin and setting me on fire.
My pulse races as I reach out to grip his nice shirt, suddenly desperate to ruin it. The bob of his throat fascinates me. I undo the first two buttons at his collar, revealing a glimpse of his silky, perfect chest.
Cain doesn’t move a muscle. He lets me handle him, no complaints. Or maybe he’s in shock. I mean, I’m probably in shock at this point, my brain saturated with too much desire.
Unable to stop pushing my fucking limit, I take a fistful of his shirt and use it to help raise up on my toes. I slip my other hand around the back of his strong neck, tangling my fingers in his soft, wet hair.
A breath away from his mouth, I hesitate. I watch his nostrils flare, allowing him the chance to shove me off. When he doesn’t, I brush my lips against his in the softest kiss.
Electricity jolts through me, shocking enough to wipe away my panic and make me crave more of him.
Only, Cain doesn’t kiss me back.
Shit. I’m so stupid. I definitely misinterpreted what happened in the office. Maybe he isn’t attracted to me. He just got turned on by the idea of carving me up.
My heart sinks as I let my hands fall away from him, though my head rests on his solid chest for a few disappointed breaths.
“Ezra,” he warns, creating space between us. Never once touching me. “What are you doing?”
“Causing trouble, I guess,” I whisper, fighting to pull myself together. At least the madness inside of me is calm now. It’s been replaced by fiery embarrassment.
I ease away from him, hating this newfound tension growing between us. Cain doesn’t seem to know what to say. His mouth opens and closes a few times. Then his phone rings.
“Food’s here. Gonna go grab it,” he mumbles.
Left alone, I work to seal up my battered emotions. Why the hell did I do that? Why isn’t Cain raging at me? He doesn’t even seem mad. He’ll probably lay into me tomorrow after some sleep.
An uncomfortable fog settles over the apartment when he returns, all buttoned up and put back together. I channel my unrest into viciouslywinding chow mein noodles around my fork as we sit down at the dining table.
Cain doesn’t ask me any more questions. He doesn’t comment on the kiss. It’s actually starting to piss me off. Was it not even worth getting mad over?
“So, what’s on the hard drive?” I ask in a sharp tone, shoving another bite of noodles and cabbage into my mouth.
Cain sets his fork down on his cleaned plate. “It’s none of your business, Ezra.”
I stab my fork into my food loud enough to clang on the ceramic plate. My embarrassment has now mutated into an attitude, which isn’t okay, but I can’t seem to adjust it.
“Considering I was threatened into stealing it, Idothink it’s my business, Cain.”
He assesses me with menacing, icy eyes until I’m squirming in my chair.
“Sorry for asking,” I mutter. “Wait, I’m not sorry. I rescind my apology.”
“What has gotten into you?” He sighs, shaking his head. The ends of his drying hair have started curling over his forehead, distracting me from my next bite of food. “We don’t know what’s on the drive yet, but I’m hoping we’ll have answers tonight.”
Frowning, I remember the phone call Rev took before vanishing. Was he headed back to Gabriel’s warehouse?
I want this ordeal with Gabriel over with, but I don’t really want to leave Sinro without learning how to properly defend myself. Rev dangled a carrot in front of me with talk of a job. They wouldn’t just rip that away, would they?
And I have to admit that I’m desperate for a kernel of Cain’s affection. The man has me all tied in knots, desperate for release.
