Page 34 of Nora
He was trying very hard to keep his face expressionless, but a muscle in his jaw ticked, and his head drew back ever so slightly. Yes, he was definitely pissed, but at the moment, his feelings weren’t her priority.
After a beat, he must have recognized the determination in her eyes, and he gave a curt nod. Without a word, she moved away from him and rejoined the trail. Walking quickly, she led him back toward the fence, not slowing her pace until she was about a quarter-mile away. There she paused and listened. Hearing nothing, she walked closer to the break they’d all come through. Pausing about a hundred meters away, she was gratified to hear the distinct sound of the chain link fence being shifted. She waited a few minutes more, then crept to the edge of the woods and peered at the perimeter path. The man was hurrying back toward the residence hall, his form sporadically illuminated by the trail lights.
When he was out of sight, she turned and almost ran into Lucian. He grabbed her to steady her, but she stepped out of his arms and brushed past him. Certain it was just the two of them now, she glanced at her watch, then hurried back toward her original destination.
Twenty-two minutes later, they reached the spot where Michael Kelly had been dragged from the trail. As she’d thought, the monastery might be a twelve-mile drive from the training grounds, but it was less than a three-mile walk from the residence hall. And closer to two miles from the perimeter fencing.
Having gathered the intel she needed, she turned and started back toward the fence.
“Want to tell me what that was all about?” Lucian’s low-pitched voice came from behind her.
No, she did not. But she wasn’t sure she’d be able to get away with not saying anything. She understood her friend’s concern, but at the moment, she wasn’t particularly happy Six had intervened.
“Nora,” he said, his voice a warning.
“It’s a long story,” she said. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, his hand clamped on her arm. A split second later, she’d been spun around and was facing him.
“Not good enough,” he said.
“You’re growling again.” Why she said that, she didn’t know. It was little more than a taunt, and he did not look in the mood to be taunted or teased. Well, to be fair, heneverlooked in the mood to be taunted or teased. Not anymore.
His hands tightened on her shoulders, and the muscles in his jaw worked. His eyes held hers. With each breath they took, puffs of fog filled the space between them. His gaze dropped to her lips, and Nora recognized the look. He was considering kissing her. And even more shocking, she was considering letting him. Instinctively, she knew it wouldn’t be the fun, gentle, teasing kisses they’d shared all those years ago. The energy vibrating off his body was too overpowering for something so fun or lighthearted.
Which gave her pause. He was angry, and although she supposed he thought he had a good reason to be, whatever his reason, she didn’t agree. She hadn’t asked him to come with her, nor did she need him to be with her. And she wasn’t about to let him kiss her out of anger, let alone misplaced anger.
“Let go of me, Lucian,” she said. His gaze jerked back to her eyes. His hands tightened again as he weighed her words. Then just as quickly as he’d spun her, he released her. She stepped back, and he eyed her warily. As if he knew he’d flirted with crossing a line neither of them was prepared for and he wasn’t sure what she might do about it.
She wasn’t sure either, so she opted for the path of least resistance. She dropped her gaze to the trail, turned, and started walking again. He followed without a word, but she was uncomfortably aware of his presence at her back. Of the sound of his breathing. Of every step he took.
When they reached the fence, he held up the chain link and she passed beneath. A few seconds later, he was beside her and they were walking toward the residence hall along the perimeter path. As they passed the trail that led to the training grounds, Lucian gestured toward it in question.
She shook her head. It would be much shorter to cut across the field, but they’d be exposed. She much preferred the tree- and bush-lined route she’d chosen. “We’ll follow this around and return to the hall the way that Willa and I come when we run. That way, we won’t be passing in front of any of the participants’ bedrooms.” If someone was up and looking out their window, there was a chance they’d still see her and Lucian returning. But the participants’ rooms were on the other side of the building, and the chances were much lower than if they walked in front of them.
To his credit, he didn’t question her, just followed along. When they reached the residence hall, they slipped in through the front door. She started toward the stairs, but Lucian grabbed her elbow and directed her through a door immediately to their left. She’d assumed it was a utility closet, but it was a second stairwell that took them up to their floor without having to go near the other bedrooms.
Pulling her key out of her pocket, she grimaced when her fingers brushed against her phone. She’d turned it to silent when she’d left the hall, and no doubt there would be a barrage of texts from her friends. She considered turning her geo locator off from now on, but the thought was short-lived. If she did, Devil and Cyn would come and park in her room. And Six would join them as soon as she returned from the Caribbean.
“Don’t even think you’re going to slip away without telling me what the hell is going on,” Lucian said. As he spoke, he moved in front of her, blocking her access to her door.
She eyed him. Then, pulling her phone out, she confirmed what she’d dreaded…fifteen messages from her friends. It was well after midnight, and she planned to get up early and join Andrew and the runners again. The early-morning activity might have started as a way to get information on the area, but she found she liked beginning her day with the rowdy group. They were fun, and their constant ribbing and teasing made her laugh.
“Not now, Lucian. We can talk tomorrow.” She started to move around him, but he stepped in her way.
“Now, Nora. I don’t want to give you any time to think of ways to evade me.”
She let out a long breath, reaching for some patience. That wasn’t normally hard for her, but knowing she was only going to get about four hours of sleep was making it difficult.
“Tomorrow,” she insisted. He opened his mouth to say something, but for the third time, she reached up and covered his lips with her fingers. She’d taken her gloves off when they’d come in, and now her skin was against his. They both froze at the contact, but then Nora pushed on. There was nothing between her and Lucian; she needed to start acting like it. “I will tell you what I can, and you can confirm with Six if you think I’m holding anything back.”
His hand came up and wrapped around hers. Slowly, he pulled it from his lips until it rested against his chest with his palm covering it. “Promise?” His eyes remained fixed on hers, daring her to do anything other than agree.
After a beat, she nodded. “I promise.” His eyes searched hers for another few seconds, but otherwise, neither moved.
“Are you going running again tomorrow morning?” he asked.
She frowned at the question but nodded.
“I’ll come with you.”
