In Blood and Worth Loving 3 Kiss Cover (9 page)

“
Tell her I…
”

“
Yes? What shall I tell her Conner? That she
’
s your blood and you love her and need her forgiveness to be happy and complete?
”

“
Tell her I
’
m so sorry.
”

“
That
’
s it?
”

“
Yes.
”
He sighed and leaned back in the chair, closing his eyes.

The aroma of freshly brewing coffee and bacon urged Desiree awake the next morning. She frowned. She hadn
’
t set the automatic coffeemaker the previous night and she sure as hell had not left any bacon frying. It was Conner. How dare he return after scaring the life out of her and shaking her with such complete disregard for how he was hurting her?

She slipped out of bed and pulled an oversized nightgown over her bare body. His ass was getting tossed out pronto. Period. Storming through her apartment she came to an abrupt stop in the kitchen doorway. Even with his back to her, she instinctively knew that the tall, muscular man dressed in black standing at her range frying bacon was not Conner.

She quickly dismissed her irrational fear for Conner. Why should she care about him after the way he
’
d treated her? Besides, if he were hurt in anyway, Adrian wouldn
’
t calmly be cooking breakfast.

She struggled to conceal her annoyance at his entering her apartment while she slept by reminding herself that he and the other Redwolfes have not only made her feel welcome in their homes and lives, but they
’
d given her the alarm codes for their family mansion and given her cart blanche to come and go as freely as any of them did.

“
Adrian. This is a surprise.
”
An unpleasant and at the moment, unwelcome one.

He turned to look at her.
“
Morning, honey. I was hoping we could have a little talk over breakfast.
”
He smiled and gestured towards the table.
“
Have a seat and I
’
ll be right with you,
”
he said, sounding as if she were in his house instead of the other way around.

She glanced over her shoulder.
“
I need to take a quick shower and dress.
”

He arched a brow.
”
There
’
s no need to make the effort on my account,
”
he said.

“
I
’
m not going to have breakfast with you in my nightgown.
”

“
Why not? We
’
re practically family and we have no romantic interest in each other. If it will make you feel more comfortable, I
’
ll strip down to my briefs and we
’
ll be on an even footing.
”

She stared at him and then laughed.
“
I doubt Brandi would approve of that.
”

He shook his head.
“
Not to worry. Brandi knows she owns my heart and my complete romantic interest and attention.
”

She sighed. What she wouldn
’
t give to have Conner speak of her with such passion. She took herself to task.
Given. Not give. It
’
s over between you two. There
’
s no way in hell you
’
re giving him a pass for last night.
“
She
’
s a lucky woman.
”

“
I consider myself equally lucky to have her
.” He shrugged. “E
specially after all the shit I put her through when we first met.
”

Intrigued, she walked into the kitchen and sat at the table which contained two place settings. One had a single dessert plate alon
g
with a fork and knife. The other had a plate, a glass of orange juice, and a coffee cup.
“
You almost sound as if you
’
re in love with her.
”

He poured her a cup of coffee before returning to the stove with her plate, which he filled with bacon and eggs. He glanced over his shoulder at her.
“
Toast?
”

“
No thanks.
”

He returned to the table and set the plate in front of her. She then watched as he opened her refrigerator and cut a large slice of a chocolate cake she
’
d made two days earlier before sitting across from her. He lifted a forkful to his mouth and chewed in silence for a moment.

“
Damn, this is almost as good as Brandi
’
s chocolate cake.
”

The Redwolfe brothers were all fond of chocolate cake for reasons even they didn
’
t understand. Rayna had once joked that the way to her uncles
’
hearts was knowing how to bake a great chocolate cake. Unfortunately, it hadn
’
t helped her with Conner.

But her days of caring about him were over. She smiled.
“
I
’
m glad you like it.
”

He ate another forkful before he spoke again.
“
Would it surprise you to know that I am in love with Brandi?
”

Even though she
’
d long suspected he was, the words sent a jolt of despair through her. She wrapped both hands around her coffee cup.
“
It
does
shock me since I
’
m told that full
-
bloods don
’
t
do
romantic love.
”

“
Generally we don
’
t or a
t
least that
’
s what we
’
ve always said and believed.
”
He shrugged.
“
But I
’
ve discovered that I can still do romantic love. I
’
m as much in love with Brandi as any human male could be.
”

She took a sip of her coffee and found it milky and very sweet; just as she liked it.
“
Conner doesn
’
t do romantic love.
”

“
That
’
s what he tells me, but I
’
m in a position to know better. In fact, with sufficient love and patience the right woman can help reshape a man
’
s once strongly held beliefs.
”

She put her coffee cup down and curled her hand into a fist.
“
Well, as you probably know, he made it crystal clear to me last night that I have absolutely no hope in hell of being that woman.
”

He reached across the table to place his hand over hers.
“
He was angry and confused last night, honey. He didn
’
t mean half of what he said or implied. Surely you must know that.
”

She eased her hand from his and picked up her fork to spare a piece of fluffy egg whites.
“
Before last night I would have believed that but not anymore.
”

“
Honey
–
”

She put her fork down as her throat tightened with the effort to hold back tears.
“
He talked of rape and murder as if I meant less than nothing to him.
”

Adrian
’
s sighed.
“
I know he frightened you, but please consider that it only happened because he was out of control.
”

“
That doesn
’
t make me feel any better about what happened last night, Adrian.
”

“
He
’
s out of control because of his feelings for you. Why else would none of the dire consequences he might have implied actually happened?
”

“
He did more than imply them, Adrian. I think the only thing that saved me last night was the fact that I
’
m Rayna
’
s friend.
”

He narrowed his gaze.
“
You can
’
t believe that
’
s the only reason.
”

She rubbed her
sore
wrists.
“
I do.
”

“
Then let me school you, Desiree. I know Conner better than anyone else. So believe me when I tell you the fact that he did lose control in such a frightening way is a sure sign of the depth of his feelings for you. He is the most controlled full-blood I
’
ve ever known.

“
If he didn
’
t care, he wouldn
’
t have lost control with you. I know you were frightened, but he would not have hurt you.
”

She balled her hand into a fist and hit the table.
“
He did hurt me! He put his hands on me, Adrian and he shook the hell out of me! I thought he was going to…
”

“
Oh honey, I
–
”

“
He called me a silly bitch, accused me of slutting around, and said I was a fool if I thought he couldn
’
t rape and kill me! He gave me the distinct impression that he might have killed a woman who angered him before, but I suppose you
’
re going to pretend not to know anything about that.
”

He compressed his lips before he replied.
“
Most full-bloods have done many things a human woman might find beyond the pale, Desiree.
”

“
Is that a yes or a no, Adrian?
”

“
It
’
s a reminder that you should not attempt to judge us by human standards. We are not human. Sometimes we do not feel bound by the rules that bind humans.
”

She blinked.
“
Meaning you think it
’
s okay to shake the hell out of a woman whose only crime is falling in love with you?
”

“
No. I don
’
t think that
’
s okay. I doubt if it matters to you, but I read his ass the riot act about that.
”

“
You
’
re right. It doesn
’
t matter to me.
”
She narrowed her gaze.
“
You probably think being a full-blood makes it okay to kill people?
”

“
If you
’
d like to know have I
’
ve killed anyone, the answer is yes. I
’
ve killed far more people than you want to know about.
”

“
How many of
them
were
your lovers?
”

He leaned across the table to look at her with
a cool
look in the blue eyes so like Conner
’
s.
“
That
’
s between me and Brandi.
”

She knew he had a right to be annoyed with her. He
’
d always been kind and generous to her. Her beef was with Conner. Not him.
“
Fine. Keep it between the two of you, but why are you here if you don
’
t want to discuss anything of real importance?
”

“
I came to do what Conner couldn
’
t; to ask for your understanding and forgiveness for last night.
”

“
And just why the hell can
’
t he do that himself, Adrian?
”

“
Because he
’
s in no shape to see you.
”

“
Or maybe it
’
s because he has no more interest in seeking my forgiveness than I have i
n
giving it!
”

He sighed, running his hand through his hair.
“
You
’
re angry and you have every right to be.
”

“
You
’
re damned right I do. I think he rattled every bone in my body. So let
’
s hear your but.
”

“
But I am telling you he
’
s sorry for last night. The moment he left you he sought me out and he was almost inconsolable. Please. Please, honey. I know you have every right to do it, but don
’
t write him off just yet. Give him a little more time to work through and accept his feelings for you. Please.
”

She sucked in a deep breath.
“
Part of me wants to, but I can
’
t get over how he treated me last night. His putting his hands on me in anger like that was bad enough. But then he made it worse by making me feel as if I
’
d be the last person he would fall in love with
…
if he did romantic love. I deserved far better than what he gave me last night. I
’
m not making any more excuses or allowances for him, Adrian.

“
He made his lack of feelings for me crystal clear by his causal talk of rape and murder and the ease with which he shook me. He
’
s free to fuck as many fems as he wants. I just want him to leave me alone to get on with my life. Please. Make him leave me in peace, Adrian.
”

“
Oh shit, Desi! I think you
’
re making a mistake.
”

“
My mistake was falling for him! I don
’
t find a man who could do and say the things he did to me last night worth knowing. Please tell him to leave me alone.
”

He sighed.
“
He
’
s a full-blood with a mind of his own. I can
’
t control him, Desiree, but I
’
ll rel
a
y your message.
”

She stared at him.
“
Are you saying you won
’
t help me?
”

“
No. That
’
s not what I
’
m saying. I
’
ll do my best to do as you ask because I like you, you
’
re Rayna
’
s friend, and I happen to know how Conner actually feels about you.
”

“
But? There
’
s another damned but hanging in the air, Adrian.
”

“
But I can
’
t control him.
”

“
Are you saying if he comes after me again, you
–
”

“
He didn
’
t
come after you
, Desiree. Granted, his behavior was totally unacceptable from a human standpoint. But he
’
s not human.
”

“
I didn
’
t know that when I fell for him!
”

He sighed.
“
I know you didn
’
t. Look, I said I
’
d do my best and I will.
”
He rose.
“
Now if you
’
ll excuse me, I
’m going
home.
”

She looked up at him.
“
You
’
re angry.
”

He shook his head.
“
I
’
m not angry. I
’
m just confused. I thought you were in love with him.
”

“
I was
–
”

“
Was, Desiree? You fell out of love with him overnight?
”

“
Okay. I am, but that doesn
’
t mean I
’
m prepared to take the shit from him that Cayenne took from Jay or that Brandi probably took from you
.
”

“
Why not? I know Brandi loves me more, but does Cayenne love Jay more than you love Conner?
”

“
Maybe they wouldn
’
t have been as forgiving had they been called sluts and had the hell shaken out of them! Do you have any idea how it felt to have him grip me and know he thought so little of me that shaking me like a damned rag doll meant nothing to him?
”
Her eyes watered and she jumped up and ran from the kitchen.

He followed her, caught her in the hall, and turned her into his embrace.

She balled her hands into fists and hit his shoulders.
“
He frightened me and he hurt me and he didn
’
t care!
”

He drew her closer, brushing his lips against her hair.
“
I
’
m sorry for what happened last night, honey and so is he. It
’
s not that he didn
’
t care
. He just
couldn
’
t help himself. Please consider forgiving him.
”

“
No!
”
She jerked away from him.
“
Hell will ice the fuck over before I subject myself to the possibility of being treated like that again. You tell that abusive twin of yours that I want him out of my life!
”

He shrugged.
“
I
’
ll tell him and who knows, Desi? Say it often enough and you might even begin to believe that yourself. As for me, I know a woman in love with a full-blood when I see one.

“
I know you
’
ve had a rough time of it and I
’
m sorry about that. If there
’
s anything I can do to help, I will. If Conner frightens you again, call me and I
’
ll come drag his ass away
–
if you
’
re sure that
’
s what you really want.
”