"This is why, Harmony." He brushed her hair tenderly back from her face, his thumb caressing her cheek as she stared into his eyes. "Feel my body giving to you. I've never done that before. As though my soul knows what you need, just as my body knows, and it gives to you selflessly. That's why I can't walk away. It's why I claim you as mine, even knowing that isn't what you want. Because that bond is already there. It was there when I pulled into the parking lot of that bar when all I wanted to do was head home. It was there the second my eyes met yours, my skin touched yours. Run away if you have to, but at least be aware of what you're running away from, baby."
He looked so sincere. His eyes darkening, his expression pulled into lines of worry and concern. As though he cared.
"Why?" She couldn't stop the question from passing her lips even as the heat of his body poured through her palm. "Why do you care, Lance? I kill…" He shook his head slowly. "What the child was forced to do is not her fault," he whispered. "What the woman has done to survive, and then to wreak vengeance, can be forgiven. It's where you go from this point that matters. Learning the difference between what is just and what is justice could mean the difference in your freedom or your own death. But what's between us goes deeper than life or death."
"It's a chemical reaction," she snapped, attempting to jerk her hand back. His hand gripped hers, forced it to flatten against his chest once again as his gaze turned fierce.
"How many one-night stands have you had, Harmony? How many men have you picked up in bars and spent the night f**king?"
"Stop!"
"Answer me. Or should I answer it for you? None." His voice lashed at her as his anger, lust and need seemed to lie in the very air around her. "You've never done it before. Why?"
"It's none of your business."
"Why, Harmony?" His voice rose, trapping her in place as effectively as his hand trapped hers against his chest. His arm had come down from the pillow behind him as his free hand shackled her other wrist, keeping her in place. "Answer me."
"I didn't want to."
"The truth, damn you!"
"Because their touch didn't matter." She tore away from him then, the memory of her first night with a man, a man she trusted, lashing at her brain.
She had forced herself to go through with it, forced herself into an intimacy she knew she didn't want. Dane was her friend; he had helped her, had given her a place of safety to hide. His touch hadn't sickened her, but neither had it heated her, drawn her.
"My touch mattered then." There was no smugness in his voice as she heard him rising to his feet. "Just as your touch matters to me, Harmony. You matter to me. Hiding isn't going to help you, or me. If your enemies find out you were here, whether you've been gone a week or two years, they'll find me."
Harmony stared back at him, her breathing rough as fear began to race through her mind. He was right. It wouldn't matter; the Coyotes and Council soldiers still stalking her wouldn't care. They would strike for the hell of it.
"Run now, Harmony." He waved his hand toward the door as she turned back to him.
"There's the f**king door. Do you think it's going to make a difference?"
"Why are you doing this?" she cried out desperately, her fists clenching at her sides.
"Why can't you let it go? Let me go?"
"Because you f**king belong to me!" he yelled back, his voice furious, his blue eyes blazing. "Mine, by God, just as much as I belong to you. Deny it. Go ahead, Harmony, look me in the eye and deny it."
"Where do you get these insane ideas?" she screamed back, pushing her hands through her hair as frustration began to tear through her. Frustration and anger. "Why are you doing this?"
"You want to know why? Why?" he snarled. "Try this, Harmony." Before she could fight him, his arms were around her; one hand clasped her head, the other wrapped around her back as his head lowered. His lips, heated and possessive, covered hers as his tongue swept possessively into her mouth.
The glands along the underside of her tongue flared to life, spilling the sweet taste of arousal. Lifting her arms, she twined them around his neck, as desperate to be close to him as he was to pull her against him. Desire raced through her nervous system as her objections, her fears, were swept away.
Lance devoured her, took her kiss and gave in its return a pleasure that should never be so intense, so fiery from such a simple caress.
Tongues dueled, battled, as moans began to fill the silence of the room. Harmony strained against him, feeling his erection grinding against her lower stomach, fueling the heat building in her vagina.
This was perfect. His kiss was perfect. His lips matched hers, his tongue stroked hers in a caress too heated to deny. As though every cell of his body, every breath, every touch had been created just for her. At each point that their bodies touched, his heat sank into her, warmed her, bound her.
"No. Dammit. I won't take you like this."
Before Harmony could protest, Lance broke the kiss and set her carefully away from him. His hands swiped through his hair as his expression tautened with the effort at maintaining his control.
"What? What did I do?" Harmony shook her head in confusion.
"I won't take this choice from you," he growled, grimacing painfully. "I won't take anything from you by force, Harmony. If you want me now, then you have to come to me."
Lance shook his head, his frustration evident on his face as he propped his hands on his lean hips, lowered his head and shook it slowly. When he lifted his head once again, a wry smile crossed his lips.
"I'm going to bed, baby." He sighed. "I need some rest. We have to go to work tomorrow morning. I'll see you in the morning."
He leaned down, kissed her cheek gently then walked away. Harmony stared at him in shock as he just walked away.
Her hand lifted to her cheek as she turned and stared at the doorway he'd disappeared through. Why had he done that? He could have had her. He was obviously painfully aroused, hungry, why walk away when he could have what would ease him?
God, he made no sense.
She growled in frustration then grimaced at the animalistic sound. Damn him, she was starting to sound like Jonas now.
"Men!" She stomped to the kitchen, certain she had seen ice cream somewhere in that huge freezer he kept in the pantry. Aggravation like this definitely called for ice cream.