Hell Breaks Loose (Devil's Rock #2)(61)

The voice whispered insidiously through him. He’d taken her, enjoyed her (several times), and justified it all by telling himself that she wanted him, too. As if that were enough. As if that made it right. She was the sweetest thing he had ever touched. Beyond innocent. She was good and pure and deserved better than him. He needed to let her go before her heart became any more involved than it was. He knew she felt something for him and that it wasn’t ego talking. A girl like Grace didn’t sleep with a guy without some tender feelings.

He had to let her go. Whatever he had to do to get to Sullivan, he was going to do it without her.

Decision made, he contemplated the series of events likely to follow dropping her at the nearest sheriff’s office. Once that happened, her safe return to the world wouldn’t remain secret for long. Even if the media didn’t immediately catch wind of it, with his extensive connections, Sullivan likely would. Reid couldn’t lie and tell the bastard he’d done the dirty deed. He didn’t even want to think about it.

He brought his hand up in the small space between them, trailing his fingers up and down the ladder of her spine, relishing the feel of her skin, the bump of every vertebra.

She stirred and he slid down in the bed, lifting the sheet to give him better access to her—and a better view. He wanted to remember everything about her. Even if Sullivan’s men didn’t gun him down, he was headed right back to prison. He wanted every moment with her imprinted on his mind, branded there forever so he had something to take out and hold when he was alone in his cell—the few brief days he had known freedom . . . where he’d lost himself in a woman who made everything else in the world fade away.

He curled alongside her body, her back to his chest, spooning her into his longer length. Another rumble of thunder rocked the air in the distance.

“I love rain and thunderstorms,” she whispered into the thick space around them, letting him know she was awake without turning around to face him.

“They don’t happen that much out here, but when they do, they’re something else. It’s like the wrath of God striking earth.”

Her breath fanned against the pillow, rasping the cotton. He was so attuned to her. Every little sound and movement. He’d never felt this connection with another person. It was dangerous and scary as hell. Just another reason why he had to let her go.

“When I was a little girl in my bed at night, I would listen to the rain and thunder . . . watch the lightning flash from behind my curtains. It made me feel better.”

“Why did you need to feel better?” His fingers brushed the silk of her hair off her nape.

She turned her head to look back at him, a ghost of a smile gracing her lips. “You think I have this perfect life.”

No, he knew she didn’t, and it knifed his heart to know she didn’t. Because she deserved it. He smiled lightly at her. “It wasn’t all castles, princess?”

Her look got faraway. “There were always castles with plenty of space to get lost in. Trust me, I usually hid. Until my father sent for me and then I would have to perform.” She winced. “That might not have been so bad if he ever liked anything I did. If he didn’t critique my every word . . . my everything.”

He slid farther down on the bed, until they were nose-to-nose. “I’m sure the next time you see him there won’t be any critique. He’s just going to be glad to see you.”

She sighed with deliberate drama. “It would be kind of dick of him to act any other way.”

Reid chuckled. “He won’t be acting.”

Her laughter mingled with his and then faded. “It’s going to be different now, you know.”

He tensed, afraid that she meant because of him things were going to be different. He didn’t want to hear that. Didn’t want to know he’d f*cked her up and affected her future.

“No. It won’t. You’ll go back to your life. You’ll marry Charlie or whatever-his-name and you’ll forget all about this.”

She sat up abruptly, clutching the sheet over her amazing breasts and looking down at him like he’d just kicked her cat. “You mean forget about you? That’s what you want?” Pain swam in those chocolate eyes. Pain that he put there, and he hated himself for that. “You want me to marry Charles?”

No, he didn’t want her to marry anyone. But they had no future. She needed to forget him and move on with her life. She would marry that idiot and he’d soon realize what he had in her. How could he not?

She dropped onto her back with a huff.

He stared at her, waiting.

She sighed. “I don’t want to marry him. Even without you, I’d reached that conclusion.”

He tried not to smile or look as relieved as he felt. “What are you going to do, then?”

“Leave DC. Take some time for me. Maybe go back to grad school. Have you ever heard of the McDonald Observatory?”

He propped on an elbow and looked down at her. “Yeah. It’s near here. Out by Fort Davis. Never been. My grandfather talked about taking us there. Never got around to it.”

“I’ve never even been there either. It has some of the largest telescopes in the world. You have the darkest, clearest skies out here, did you know that? Excellent conditions for stargazing.”

“I didn’t know that,” he replied, watching her, loving how rapt her expression was as she talked about stargazing.