Page 10 of Seeking Salvation

Maya stepped back from the door. “Do you want to come in?”

“Doesn’t seem smart to let a strange man into your room when you’re alone.”

“You gonna defile me in some way?”

Maya wanted to snatch the words back the second they left her mouth, her eyes shooting to his face for his reaction. A smirk played over his lips before he pushed past her and into the small room.

God, what had she done?

Chapter 3

Titan looked around the room, noting the tiny space and the lack of any mess. It was clear to him she hadn’t been there long, and it was also clear she didn’t plan to stay. So what the hell was she up to? He’d come here ready to light into her over her actions but as she stood up to him and gave him hell it was an altogether different fire being lit inside his veins.

He admired her grit and determination, and something told him that, whatever reason she had for leaving Tyrique, it wasn’t a selfish one. Her first thought had been for the baby that could very well be his son. That didn’t sound like someone who didn’t care, and from the ease with which they’d found her, she wasn’t some high-level criminal either.

“So, you planning on standing there and sucking up all the action or are you gonna speak?”

Titan felt a smirk pull at his lips as she crossed her arms over her chest and raised a brow at him in challenge. She was cute in a snarky kind of way. Nearly a foot shorter than him and still giving him shit. Maybe he was losing his touch if he couldn’t even intimidate one tiny woman. Yet, the thought of her being afraid of him soured his belly. “You got quite the mouth on you, don’t ya?”

A snort, which shouldn’t have been endearing but was, came from her as she dropped her hands and paced.

“So I hear.”

His gaze dropped to the curve of her ass, and images of her bent over the bed as he slid inside her, popped into his brain like an erotic slide show.

Fuck!

What the hell kind of spell was she weaving? He was here to find out why she’d dumped Tyrique like he was nothing with a man she didn’t even know.

Clenching his fists as he fought the urge to reach out and touch her, he ground his jaw, and her eyes moved over his face, her lips parting.

Damn, she felt it too and that made this so much harder to ignore, but ignore it he would because right now he needed answers more than he needed to get laid. Getting his dick wet was what probably caused this in the first place.

“How about we cut the shit and you tell me what the fuck is going on? Maybe start by telling me where the hell Rose is in all this?”

The instant her sister’s name left his lips he saw the wounded look on her pretty face and wanted to snatch the harshness back. His gut was telling him whatever had happened was bad. Lifting a hand, he made to reach for her to offer some kind of comfort but dropped it when she backed away. What the hell was he thinking? He had no right to touch this woman. He didn’t know her. “Please tell me, Maya?”

Her eyes widened a fraction at his use of her name, considering she hadn’t given it to him.

“I guess you know who I am then.”

Titan nodded once. “Maya Sharp. Twenty-seven and a graduate of Manchester University. You got a two-one with honours in civil engineering.”

Her brows rose as she shoved her hands in her jeans pockets and blew out a breath. “Impressive.” Her head cocked as if she is trying to figure out how to frame her next words. “Rose is dead.”

A pang of deep sadness slammed into his chest at her words. Not because he had some deep connection to Rose, but because her death was clearly painful for the woman in front of him and Tyrique would grow up without his mother.

“I’m sorry. I had no idea.”

His gaze caressed her face as he watched her blink away the tears, nod, and then shore up her emotions. The urge to hold her and make things right hit him again and he had to fight the instinct to step forward and drag her into his arms.

“Did Rose really not tell you about Tyrique?”

He gave his head a slow shake, not wanting to hurt this woman or sully her memories of her sister, but the truth was, he never heard from Rose again after that one night. Shame that he’d never even thought about her or considered there could have been consequences weighed heavy too. “She didn’t. I would never have abandoned my child.”

Maya nodded, her lip trembling as she sank to the bed.

“How did she die?” His voice was low and soft, or as soft as he could make it, as he crouched in front of her. Deep brown eyes with green around the edges met his, and she swallowed, the movement causing his gaze to move to her delicate neck.