Page 28 of Lion Conquers All
Connie stretched her left hand closer and let her fingertips brush over his palm.
Fear danced in her chest like a thousand knives waiting to slice her to ribbons. His hand didn’t close around hers. He didn’t grab her. He didn’t trap her wrist in a tight grip.
Her heart slammed against her ribs. She felt like a rabbit creeping about a trap that was ready to snap shut and end her life.
How was this her life?
She distrusted everyone so much that she couldn’t stand the thought of even holding hands.
All she could see were traps.
Everywhere.
11
AARAV
Her fingers slid across his skin ever so lightly, like blades of grass blowing in a gentle breeze. It took everything in him not to close his fingers around her hand. To squeeze. To pull her hand to his mouth and kiss it.
Instead, he let his hand lay still. Let her explore at her own pace. The energy rushing into him was overwhelming. And she was barely touching him. He couldn’t even begin to imagine what it would be like to kiss her. To claim her.
None of that now.He had to calm himself. Calm his lion. They had to be patient. She needed slow. Something terrible had happened, perhaps something even worse than what he’d first imagined.
Anger bubbled in his chest, but instead of allowing it forward in a growl—a promise of vengeance—he purred. She had liked it when he held her the first time. The purring had been a pleasant experience for her.
Her fingers curled around hiswrist.She leaned back in the seat. He could feel the tension melt away from her.
“I like that. It makes me feel—”
He glanced away from the road at her for a moment. She’d positioned herself so that she could touch him, but he couldn’t grab her. His palm was empty, while her hand wrapped tightly around his lower forearm. Not that he wasn’t perfectly capable of moving and trying to hold her hand…
She didn’t want to hold his hand.
Or couldn’t yet.
Her face was peaceful and relaxed. Her eyes half-closed while the purr rippled through her body from where her hand connected to his arm. Her hair was tied back in a hurried way, little pieces were coming loose from the elastic and draped beautifully across her smooth skin.
“Safe.” She whispered again. “I don’t understand why a sound would give me that illusion.”
“It’s our connection. You can feel thesoul call.You can feel the trust wrapped up in the magick.”
“I’ve seen this happen before. I’ve seen the obsession. The possessiveness. It’s terrifying to think about you being that way about me.”
“Have I behaved in a way that has given you cause to be terrified of me?” His chest clenched, waiting to be told that he indeed had been too much. That she never wanted to see him at her house. That she wanted him to stop coming around the little bit that he did. It would hurt. It would be like ripping off a limb. But he would do it. He would do anything she asked.
“No, Aarav. Never.”
The way she said his name gave him a little hope. Her tone belied interest and regret in the same breath. What did she regret? He almost opened his mouth to push a little, but grit his teeth down instead, using the pain in his jaw to distract himself from the pain in his heart.
If she was going to finally share something with him, it wouldn’t be because he’d coaxed or tricked it out of her. It would be because she was ready. Because she trusted him enough to share the broken part of her soul. The part that she kept so deeply buried that most people around her didn’t even know she was hurt.
He watched the road.
He continued to purr.
He continued to drive her truck with one arm while she somewhat clung to the other laying between them on the console. Her fingers were still tightly wrapped around his forearm.
Aarav’s eyes flickered to the rearview mirror. Ava was driving his squad car. Ryder was in their truck behind her. And Gaven was bringing up the rear.
