The Devil In Disguise (Bad Things #1)(16)

“The ocean,” Mina muttered. “Considering my swim, I—”

“Strawberries,” Rayce said, nodding. “Sin.”

Mina’s body inched closer to Luke’s.

The boat hit a hard wave and shuddered. Considering how fast Marcos was driving, Luke was surprised they didn’t all stumble. To be on the safe side, he tightened his hold on Mina. He also glared a bit more at Rayce.

Rayce stared back at him. “What is she?”

Mina stiffened in Luke’s arms. “Um, excuse me, she is right here, wolfie.”

Rayce growled.

“Don’t.” Luke gave the order flatly. “You don’t want to threaten her.”

Now the wolf shifter’s jaw just dropped. “Are you kidding me, man? The woman was running from your house, fleeing like a thief who’d stolen you blind. She jumps into the water—swims because she’s so desperate to get away from you—and now you’re treating her like she’s some delicate piece of glass that’s going to shatter if I growl at her?”

He shrugged. “I’m dealing with her. Your job—and Julian’s—is to make sure there aren’t any other unplanned exits from the island.” Because he’d decided something important. Luke caught Mina’s chin in his left hand and turned her face toward him. “Guess what, sweetheart?”

“What?” The one word came out worried, fearful.

He grinned. “I’m keeping you.”

***

Mina was in Luke Thorne’s bedroom, and she was wearing a silk robe that he’d given to her. Just that silk robe and nothing else.

She was scared. She was pissed. And she was way, way out of her league.

“You can’t just…keep me,” Mina said for what had to the twentieth time. “You don’t get to keep people. That’s not legal.”

He was standing in front of the big, gleaming French doors that led out onto the balcony. “Who cares about legal? You know human laws don’t work in our world.” He threw open one of the doors and walked out onto the balcony. “Come enjoy the view. It’s killer.”

She didn’t want to enjoy anything with him. She wanted to get the Eye and get the hell away from Luke and his crazy self.

Luke. The wolf. The panther. I want away from them all.

Her hands fumbled with the robe’s belt, just to make sure it was good and tight. “I want to leave. I want to get on the boat and go back to Key West.”

He was outside, seemingly not even hearing her. Such a lie—Mina was willing to bet he had super hearing. Supernatural hearing. She hurried out onto the balcony. “Luke!”

Lazily, he turned toward her, propping one elbow on the balcony.

“Take me to the mainland, take—” Her robe blew up and her words stopped on a gasp. Oh, hell. She was pretty sure she’d just flashed the Lord of the Dark. She shoved down the robe, holding the silk against her thighs.

“Absolutely beautiful.”

Her heart was about to burst out of her chest.

“Feel free,” Luke invited with a lazy grin, “to flash me anytime.”

“Not funny,” she snapped back at him.

He kept leaning against that balcony, looking as if he didn’t have a care in the world. Probably because he didn’t. How wonderful it must be to just…be him.

His head cocked as his gaze slowly rose to her face. Her rather flaming face. “I wasn’t being funny,” Luke told her, his voice almost…tender. “I was being dead serious. When I first saw you, I thought you were sexy. A wet dream walking right up to me.”

Her mouth had gone dry and her heart beat raced even faster.

“Now I realize I was wrong. You are absolutely beautiful.”

She wasn’t. Her nose was too long. Her lips too wide. Her eyes—

“Beautiful,” he said again, utter conviction in his voice.

Her fingers had fisted around her robe. “I need to get back to Key West.”

He just stared at her.

She had to get this conversation back on track, ASAP. “Get Marcos to come back and take me to the mainland.”

“Are you trying to use that tricky little power of yours on me?” He lifted his index finger and actually shook it at her as if she were some naughty school kid. “Didn’t we agree that only works when I’m drunk?”

Then I need to get him drunk.

“And I don’t plan on drinking,” he added, as if he’d just read her mind. “When you’re near.”

“Luke!” He was about to drive her insane.

His smile stretched at her. “Yes?”

“I’m sorry I tricked you.” Maybe that was what he wanted. An apology. Her groveling. Fine. She could handle that. “So sorry.” She hoped she sounded sincere. She wasn’t. “I won’t do it again. I won’t bother you again. I just want to leave and—”

“But I don’t want you to leave.” He turned away from her and went back to staring at the sun. “So you aren’t.”

He couldn’t do that. She took two fast steps forward.

“You know about the Eye of Hell. You know about monsters. You know about me. Or at least, you think you do.” He didn’t look back at her.

So he missed seeing her freeze.