Page 65 of An Eye For Illusion

“How do you know this?” she asks as her face morphs into concern.

Concern I think might be for me. At least, I hope.

I prepare myself to tell her the next part, unsure how she’ll take it. I clear my throat since it feels like an invisible force has a death grip on it.

“I found a way in. I’m supposed to do a job for him, and I’m using it has the cover I need to tie a direct link from him to Elliott.”

Her concern turns into downright worry, her brows furrowing as she takes in what I just said. “What do you mean you found an ‘in’?”

I search her eyes as I continue. “He needs something I hope I can supply.” I keep my answers as brief as possible. The more she knows, the more she’ll worry, and that worry can lead to rash decisions.

Especially in her case since she’s one hell of a hot head. Personally, I find it sexy as hell, but in a situation like this, it would be dangerous.

Hell, I’ve probably already said too much, but I can’t seem to stop the answers from flowing when she asks a question.

Her eyebrows pull together even tighter in the cutest scowl as she paces the space between the couches and the floor to ceiling windows. I itch to pull her in close and try to ease the worry that’s encapsulating her body right now.

There’s this overwhelming desire to comfort her.

Where the hell is that coming from?

“Is it illegal?” she asks.

“Not if I can help it, but I’m not above doing what I need to do to get you out of this.” I don’t even have to think about my answer. At this point, I’m pretty sure I would do just about anything to help her. I can’t watch her marry another man.

Her eyes widen, and she stops pacing.

“Why?” she breathes out.

I swallow, unsure if I should give her a real answer here. However, before I can stop myself, my lips start moving. “Because I can’t stand the thought of you marrying another man.”

Every time I’ve pictured it in my mind, my brain replaces Elliott with me. This woman I couldn’t stand when I first met her has slowly wormed her way into my subconscious.

It’s fucking confusing.

“I don’t want to marry him.”

Her head tilts back as she stares at the ceiling before her eyes come back to me. The connection sends a zap down my spine. An electric pulse hums just below the surface of my skin.

“Good.” It comes out as an almost guttural growl as it leaves my lips. I like her answer entirely too much.

A small smile plays at the corner of her lips.

“Why do I like your reaction so damn much, Colin?”

She seems just as loose-lipped as I am right now, neither of us able to stop ourselves from blurting out things we shouldn’t say. Something about this moment feels freeing. Like I could tell her my deepest, darkest secrets, and she would take them to her grave.

It feels like a connection that’s potent and heavy.

Her eyes dilate as she watches me, and my groin reacts to the look of pure and undiluted desire in them. I lean back on the couch, placing both arms on the back and widening my legs leaving a Jade-sized hole between them.

I want her to walk over from those fucking windows and kneel in front of me. I want to strip her bare in more ways than one and make her scream my name.

She watches my movements carefully.

“The same reason that I like yours right now.” My eyes crawl over every damn inch of her body, starting at her bare feet and climbing. I make sure she can see me do it, too.

I want her to know how much I fucking want her. How much my body craves to touch hers in every way she’ll let me.

---