Page 57 of Between Imminent Fates

She attempted to formulate an answer to his question, but the words wouldn’t leave her lips. The conversation was getting away from her, but she couldn’t find a means to keep it from spiraling.

At her silence, Jax grunted, the sound annoyed and sobering. “Am I only a means to an end? Why did you single me out instead of some other man?”

“I’m not sure what you mean.”

His arm retreated from where he’d cast it around her shoulders, and she immediately felt bereft at the loss. When his gaze found hers, Key cringed. Irritation ripened across his features before they sounded in his voice.

“Don’t lie to me.”

“What do you want me to say?” she asked, grasping at straws now. “You’re important, Jax.”

“To the cause, maybe. But what about to you?”

Would it be a lie if she said both?

When she didn’t immediately answer, he grimaced, the look something between anger and hurt. It’d been only a moment ago she’d felt such happiness, and now, it seemed to be slipping down the drain. Key winced as she folded in on herself, becoming a person she didn’t know.

“I don’t know what to say to that.”

“Tell me the truth.”

His words were a demand now, his wolf’s unflinching stare appearing in his gaze. She knew for certain he would never hurt her—that much was plain as day—but all of it was simply too much. Added to the pressure she’d felt for centuries, his accusations seemed to unravel any trace of the confident woman she’d always claimed to be.

Key tried to find solid ground as her foundation shook beneath her. She quickly turned away to hide her vulnerability.

Out of nowhere, Jax snuggled her to him, and a remorseful sound rumbled in his chest. The scent of spiced leather washed over her as she tried to stop her tears.

“Key, I’m sorry, I just—everything is so new to me.” Apology thick in his voice, Jax squeezed her closer and the ride continued to chug from under their seats.

“It’s not your fault,” she whispered. “It’s mine. I care about you. I always have.”

Expelling a shaky breath, Key’s fingers found purchase on the collar of Jax’s shirt. She placed her cheek against his broad chest, feeling the rhythm of his heartbeat and the gentle rise and fall of his breath. She felt safe with Jax. Protected. Trusted. It was a foreign sensation.

As the ride slowed, Jax’s lips brushed against her hair. “Let’s go back home.”

Home. At the slip, Key’s mouth curled in a shy smile, but already her eyelids were heavy. The heavy toll of her foresight had settled squarely on her shoulders, as it had for centuries. Passing by in a blur, the ride home was quiet and uneventful. She fell asleep against the car window.

She woke to him carrying her inside, held close to his chest. The only thing that disturbed her was when he flipped on the lights in his apartment. Grumbling, she buried her face in the nook of his shoulder.

“Are you planning on leaving, Key?”

“I’m keeping you,” was her sleepy reply.

His chuckle clued her into the fact that he wasn’t talking about their relationship. “I mean tonight. Are you teleporting back home, or do I get to keepyoutonight? Will you stay here with me?”

Key murmured, “Oh, I could definitely be enticed.”

The soft squeak of a mattress made her perk to attention, finally getting a look around at where he’d carried her. A pinstriped comforter matched solid navy drapes, but the mixed assortment of furniture seemed to have been passed on from several different generations.

He sat next to her. “Can I kiss you goodnight?”

She nodded, her heartbeat thrumming in anticipation as his hand came up to cup her cheek. The gesture sent volts of electricity skittering across her skin. His mouth claimed hers in the next instant, the possessiveness of his kiss overwhelming her.

He slipped backward to cup her neck, drawing her flush against his body as his other hand tightened behind her back. The way he held her, like she belonged to him, only made Key’s fire burn brighter.

His teeth nipped at her bottom lip as he pulled away—too soon—and steadied himself. His hooded gaze met hers, the longing and intensity behind that heated look making Key reach out to him again. He caught her wrist before she made contact and sadly shook his head.

“Key, if we go any further, I won’t be able to stop myself,” he apologized. “I want you. I need to leave before we do something we might regret.”

---