The Curse (Belador #3)(79)

“Yeah, and the second one was dragging you off. I can’t figure out if they were trying to kidnap you or kill you, but either way it’s stupid to go back out there.”

“I. Didn’t. Ask. Your. Opinion,” she snapped at him, poking her finger into his chest with each word.

He grabbed her hand and held it in his grip for two seconds, then pulled her fingers up to his mouth and kissed her skinned knuckles.

“Storm …” Her heart did a fast tap dance in her chest.

He muttered, “You’re driving me batshit crazy.” Then he reached for her, pulling her close to kiss her.

One touch of his lips and her body came alive.

She lifted her arms around his neck, happy to be in the one place that made her feel safe and cared for.

His arms wrapped her up, hauling her closer. His mouth gave as much as he demanded, telling her without words just how afraid he’d been for her.

She couldn’t remember when she’d gone from fearing his touch to craving it, but she did.

He lifted his head, took one look and kissed her again, then cupped her head against his chest. His heart raced wildly against her face.

She stood there like that for several moments while he held her and she breathed in his freshly showered scent.

He said, “I’ve seen you hurt before, but never so close to dying. Scared the shit out of me.”

Smiling was probably the wrong reaction, but men like Storm didn’t frighten easily and rarely admitted to it.

Did this mean he was no longer mad at her for kissing Isak? “Are we good now?”

His chest moved with a heavy sigh. “We’re good.”

“I owe you an apology.”

“For what?”

“First for getting so jacked up over Adrianna, but I can’t promise I won’t hurt her if I ever find her hands on you.”

He kissed her forehead, answer enough for Evalle, so she added, “And second because I was holding you to a double standard. You didn’t kiss Adrianna.” Evalle paused. “Right?”

“Never.”

“I did kiss Isak, but I intended it only as a thank-you and didn’t mean for it to get out of control.”

Storm growled under his breath and his eyes warned retribution when he saw Isak.

She put her hand on his cheek. “I don’t kiss you the same way. He’s a friend. You’re … special.” She stumbled around mentally, trying to figure out what to say, and realized she was avoiding the truth. “I care about you.”

Storm’s gaze darkened with a primal look of male possession, reinforced by the way his arms tightened around her.

She hated to push the point, but she needed to know he wouldn’t go after Isak, and Storm had to answer honestly or suffer pain. He’d better not try lying and hurt himself. “You’re not going to have an issue with Isak, right?”

“Not as long as he keeps his hands off you.”

She couldn’t expect any more than that right now.

Easing back out of his arms, she moved her healing shoulder around and couldn’t believe how good it felt in so short a time. When she’d first met him, Storm had agreed to never use his majik on her without permission. “Did you do something about my pain?”

He crossed his arms. “Yes, and I don’t want to hear a damned word about it.”

Fair enough. She put her hands on his crossed arms and kissed him. “Thank you.”

Nice to see that she could surprise him for once.

Stepping back, she reached up to fix her ponytail that had gone askew in the fight, and admitted, “It was wrong of me to ask you to track the trolls, and that wasn’t why I came here anyhow.”

“If you’re hell-bent to find them, I might as well help.”

“Really? What about VIPER?”

“I found out a few things when I talked to Grady and a couple of other Nightstalkers. Sen was the one who collected my clothes and took my phone out of your tank bag that night after the showdown with Isak, so he must have sent the e-mail you got after they released you from lockdown.”

Figures that slimeball Sen would screw with her that way. “How did Sen not see your body if he went back that soon to my bike? He would have looked for you.”

“Either Kai was still shielding … or my body had been moved by then.”

Evalle started to ask how a guardian spirit had moved his body, but she knew the answer. Adrianna had helped Kai. But if that Sterling witch hadn’t helped, Storm wouldn’t be here now. Evalle understood, but it would be a while before she could face Adrianna and her smug knowledge of having been alone with Storm for so long.

Something else Storm had said struck her. “Grady knew about Sen getting your phone and clothes? He should have told me.”

“He didn’t know until I asked him to find out for me.”

“Oh. Well, what about Sen, then? What are you going to do about him?”

“He’s acting like I’m alive and just telling people I left VIPER, so I’m going to play along with it. I’ll just have to watch my back.”

“I’ll help you watch it.”

He put his fingers under her chin and ran his thumb over her lips. “We’re going to have that dinner here soon.”

“Doesn’t look like it’ll be tonight.”