Keep Me Safe (Slow Burn #1)(23)

But no matter what her mind told her, her heart was saying something else entirely. Instead of pushing him away and severing the ever growing bond between them, she leaned farther into him and tentatively responded to the brush of his tongue with her own.

When he finally pulled away, his eyes were half-lidded and glowing with desire. She immediately felt bereft of his touch, the warmth that had held her in its embrace disappearing, replaced by the chill of loneliness. Something that to now had never bothered her. She’d lived and survived in isolation her entire life. And now Caleb had her wondering for the first time what other alternatives were possible.

He gently cupped her chin, forcing her gaze to his. His eyes burned with sincerity, truth a warm light in them.

“Why don’t you let me worry about what I’m signing up for,” he said, determination etched in his every feature. “I’m a big boy. I can take a hell of a lot when it’s something I want.”

She studied him, not responding to his impassioned statement. She felt as though she were balancing on a high wire and one wrong step and she’d plummet thousands of feet to the ground. Dizziness assailed her and she sucked in her breath, knowing that she had to tread very carefully.

“And what exactly do you want?” she whispered.

“You, Ramie. I want you.”

ELEVEN

RAMIE still wasn’t used to warmer climates. It baffled her that it was still so hot in Oklahoma in October. She’d always chosen cooler, dryer areas. Colorado had been nice even if she’d known she couldn’t have sustained the winter in the ramshackle cabin she’d stayed in when Caleb had unearthed her.

So she was unprepared for the humidity when Caleb ushered her from the plane just outside of Houston. It hit her like a freight train, oppressive, and made it difficult for her to breathe.

When she paused, just trying to suck in a more steadying breath, Caleb also stopped, his hand firmly curled around her arm. He looked at her in concern.

“What’s wrong?” he demanded.

She gave him a weak smile. “It’s October.”

His expression grew puzzled and then more concern entered his blue eyes. He likely thought her last link to sanity had finally snapped.

“It should be cooler,” she continued, still a little dizzy from the humidity. “It’s hard to breathe here.”

“We should get into the car,” he said, ignoring her pithy comments on the weather. “You’re too exposed here.”

He urged her forward and thankfully as soon as she slid into the car, much cooler, dryer air washed over her. The air-conditioning was on full blast and she sighed audibly in relief.

Caleb landed beside her, giving the order to his driver as soon as his door was shut. She stared out the window as they pulled away, looking at her surroundings but not really seeing them. She listened as Caleb made several calls, one obviously to one of his brothers, but she tuned even that out.

She wouldn’t have thought it possible, but she must have fallen asleep because suddenly Caleb was gently shaking her awake.

“Ramie, we’re home,” he said.

She roused sleepily, blinking away the fuzz as she took in their surroundings. She wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting but it all looked so . . . ​normal.

They stepped into the sun and Caleb herded her toward the front door. They’d parked in a circle driveway that took them right up to the front entrance to the palatial home. It was a large house, two stories, and it sprawled over the land like a giant invader.

There was nothing but woods around them. No other homes. It was private and secluded, but all Ramie could think was that there were too many places for intruders to hide. How would anyone ever know if someone got close?

Unease gripped her and she wondered if she’d been a fool to place her trust in Caleb Devereaux. She’d acted in a moment of panic. There’d been nothing else she could have done. But now that the preliminary panic had passed, she feared she’d made a huge mistake.

“Ramie?”

She realized she’d halted, resisting his effort to get her into his house. She dug in her heels, tugging her arm free of his hold. Panic gripped her and she recognized the signs of an impending anxiety attack.

“It’s not safe here,” she managed to get out in a garbled tone. “It’s too secluded. Too private. How would you ever know if someone was in the woods?”

Her vision blurred and she swore violently under her breath, what little breath she could take. Enough with the damn crying. She wasn’t a crier. And yet she’d done little else since Caleb had stormed back into her life. Emotional upheaval was the very last thing she needed. It was all she could do to manage what little sanity she had left.

To her absolute shock, Caleb didn’t argue. He didn’t try to talk her down. He simply swung her into his arms and strode resolutely the remaining distance to the door. It opened just as they approached and Caleb swept by a man she could only assume was one of his brothers.

“Caleb, stop,” she gasped out. “Put me down. Please.”

He ignored her, carrying her into a spacious living room that housed two large couches, a smaller love seat and two armchairs. He set her down on the love seat and then grasped her shoulders firmly, forcing her to look him in the face.

“Breathe, Ramie.”

He wasn’t as gentle as he’d been before. Not as understanding. He looked . . . ​pissed. Impatient. Haggard from lack of sleep. Shame crowded into her mind. She knew she sounded ungrateful. And mistrustful.