Nix. (Den of Mercenaries Book 3)(40)

Fair enough.

Kit almost smiled as she gingerly lowered herself into the water, hesitant until she realized her feet could touch the floor.

“Why do you have the lights off?” she asked coming over to him, not realizing that with each step she took forward, he took one back until they ventured further into the deeper end of the pool.

“I think better in darkness.”

Realizing what he was doing, she reached for him, hands curling around his shoulders as she latched on, preventing him from moving further. “Right, cause that doesn’t sound ominous at all. But, ya know, whatever works.”

“I won’t let you drown,” he reassured as he drew her in, encouraging her to wrap her legs around his waist.

Luna’s smile was shy, her gaze dropping as she tucked the now wet strands of her hair behind her ear. “I thought you were teaching me how to swim?”

“We’re getting to that.”

When they were only a few steps from where the pool’s floor gave way, he pulled away, albeit reluctantly.

“It’s all about balance,” he said as he kept one hand at her waist, the other underneath her legs as he kept her afloat.

Luna’s laugh was strained. “Mind over matter then?”

“You’re too tense.”

“I can’t float.”

“I’m right here,” he reminded her. “You have nothing to worry about. Now, close your eyes and try to let your thoughts go blank.”

There was uncertainty in her eyes as she looked up at him, dark lashes spiked by the water. She told him everything with that look. Her fear. Her trust.

He didn’t want to break it.

Gradually, as she began to relax, he was able to slowly draw his hands away. It only took a few seconds for her to lose her balance, bobbing in the water as she tried to catch her footing.

“You can’t just trust me,” he said with a slight smile. “You have to trust yourself.”

She waded back over to him, plump lips parting as she said, “Let’s try again.”

All she needed was a little push—incentive.

During their first training session, he had thought she would balk, and she did, but he hadn’t expected her to return as soon as she did.

Kit had been ready to give her a few days, let her work through the demons she battled, but only a couple of hours had passed before he felt her behind him.

She didn’t apologize.

She didn’t make excuses.

She faced him with her head held high and said what he hadn’t expected.

Don’t go easy on me.

Maybe it was then that Kit really saw her—saw the potential of who she could be if given the chance.

The attraction wasn’t immediate—at least not in a way that would have made him act on it. She was a beautiful girl, but there was no ignoring the trauma she had suffered.

Kit didn’t particularly like broken things—especially not broken people.

It was too easy to break them further beyond repair.

He valued strength above all else.

Working for the Lotus Society for as long as he had, he’d seen the varying levels of brokenness in people—that will to live slowly disappearing as the future seemed bleak. They gave up without a fight just because the possibility of winning was so slim.

It was during those moments that Kit usually put them out of their misery.

He had anticipated that brokenness in Luna, waiting for the moment when she folded, giving in to what had been done to her.

But she hadn’t.

If anything, she held her head higher.

And it f*cking thrilled him.

“I have a question if you don’t mind answering,” she said moving back to his side, allowing him to lift her once more.

“Ask.”

“Did you ever have anyone special, Kit?”

The question caught him off guard. Of all the things he thought she would ask, that was at the bottom of the list.

“Not anyone worth remembering.”

Not anyone quite like her.

His world was dangerous, more so than anyone realized. It wasn't because of his former life as an assassin, or even his new work as the Facilitator, but the fact that his last name was Runehart was enough to put a target on his back.

There had been plenty of women over the years, most one-night stands when he was in the mood. None had been worth more than that.

Luna, however … he wasn't sure when she had crawled beneath his skin. In the beginning, he had tried to deny what he felt. There were other beautiful women in the world—he didn't need to fixate on her.

But none of them had that charming dimple in their left cheek when they smiled.

Or played with their hair when they were nervous.

Even the way her nose scrunched up when she was confused made him smile.

Kit could think of a million reasons why she was different and why he wanted her, but none that would keep him away from her.

The night she had come to him, willingly and of her own accord, he had stopped fighting the draw, gave himself over to it.

He wanted her, and he would be damned if he didn’t have her.

When her expression shifted, he asked why, and she asked a question of her own. “You’ve never been in love?”

“Then how will you know if it happens—not saying that you’re falling in love, or anything. I’m not saying that I’m falling in love either, I’m just—”