Page 33 of Runaway Hearts: Seduced by Danger

“And?”Don’t you dare tell me I’m the threat.

He raises an eyebrow. “We’re good.”

Our eyes meet, and we silently agree to leave this unspoken.

“Are you all right?” I ask after a moment of silence.

“I am now.” His shoulders slack. “Why did you rescue me?”

“I couldn’t just leave you to die.”

He lets out a skeptical snort. “Why not?”

This man has issues...

“Because that’s not who I am. I’m a nurse. I’m meant to help people,” I reply, noting the surprise that flickers in his eyes.

“But you knew...you knew who I am, what I’ve done.” His voice is gravelly and carries a certain vulnerability that tugs at my heartstrings.

“Yes, I did. And still do.” My own words surprise me. I should be scared, horrified even, but my mind is as calm as the smooth surface of a lake at sunrise. It’s as if some part of me knew all along this is where I’m meant to be. “Just... don’t put a gun to my head, and we’ll be good.”

Kai’s eyes roam over me for a moment. “You must be crazy or disregard your own life.”

And the truth falls off my lips. “A bit of both, really.”

He chuckles, a rare open sound in the small room. It’s beautiful and rich, like warm chocolate being poured. “Oh, Marianne.” He rolls his tongue in his mouth, savoring each syllable of my name.

My eyelids flutter shut, and my lips curl upward at the uncertain affection and familiarity his tone carries.

“Why were you hitchhiking?”

He looks away.

I raise an eyebrow. “Don’t you have access to... like... a private jet or something?”

He shakes his head. “It’s not discreet enough.”

“Standard plane?”

“Facial recognition,” he says with a sigh.

I furrow my brow, trying to come up with another option. “Stealing a car?”

“Easily traced,” he replies, frustration evident in his voice.

I let out a small laugh. “Why not take the bus?”

His mouth twists in disgust. “I hate the bus.”

I raise an eyebrow and snort. “Right... So, hitchhiking to British Columbia, it is.”

He nods, his expression serious again. “Seems like it.” But his gaze softens as he adds, “And I ended up with you, so it wasn’t all bad.”

His words catch me off guard, and I blush under his intense stare. I step back and nod. I feel and recognize the pull, but I can’t let my fears go for now.

A crooked grin plays on his lips as if he’s won a minor victory. “You’ll take me to the West Coast, then?” He leans toward me, tugging at the invisible thread tying us together.

“Is that where you’re truly going?”

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