Page 21 of Sy

His hand came up, hovering near her face but not quite touching. She felt the heat against her skin, seeing the slight tremor in his fingers as they curled into a fist before dropping back to his side.

The air between them crackled with tension. Her heart hammered against her ribs as he loomed over her, his presence overwhelming her senses. Her skin tingled where his breath ghosted across her cheek, and she found herself swaying toward him, drawn by something primal she couldn’t name.

Then suddenly, the warmth vanished. He jerked back as if burned, putting several feet between them in one fluid motion. The late afternoon air rushed into the space where he’d been, cold against her heated skin. She wrapped her arms around herself, fighting a shiver that had nothing to do with the temperature.

Regret flashed across his features, followed by something raw and vulnerable that made her chest ache. He refused to meet her eyes, instead looking out over the site.

“I’m sorry if I scared you.” His voice came out rough, barely above a whisper.

The words hit her like a physical blow. She opened her mouth to tell him he hadn’t scared her, that what she’d felt was about as far from fear as possible, but her voice failed her. Her throat felt too tight, her tongue too clumsy to form the words that might bridge this sudden chasm between them.

The package of food still dangled from his hand. He looked down at it and frowned, as if he’d forgotten it was there. Heset it carefully on a nearby crate, his movements deliberate and controlled as if he was afraid to make any sudden gestures.

“You didn’t scare me,” she said softly, surprised by the husky quality of her own voice. She cleared her throat, trying again.

His eyes snapped to her face, searching. The intensity of his gaze made her breath catch again, but she held steady, willing him to see the truth in her expression. She wasn’t afraid, hadn’t been afraid of him since those first moments after landing, if she was honest with herself.

No, what she felt now was something far more dangerous than fear. Something that made her pulse quicken and her skin flush warm despite the cooling evening air. Something that made her want to close this careful distance between them, professional boundaries be damned.

Her throat felt dry as she watched emotions war across his features. His hands clenched at his sides, and she could see the tension thrumming through his powerful frame, like he was physically restraining himself from reaching for her.

“Ashley.” Her name came out as barely more than a growl, rough with something that made heat pool low in her belly. “You should be afraid.”

But she wasn’t. God help her, she wasn’t afraid at all.

Her heart thundered as she stepped closer and pressed her palm against his chest. The heat of his skin seeped through the thin material of his shirt, and she felt the rapid beat of his heart.

“Why should I be afraid?” She stepped closer, tilting her head back to meet his gaze. “Are you planning to hurt me?”

His eyes tracked her with predatory focus, and a thrill shot through her. There was something about the way he watched her, like she was prey he desperately wanted to devour. The thought should have terrified her. Instead, heat bloomed across her skin, and her breath caught in her throat.

The world beyond them faded away, the construction site, the workers, all became background noise. All that existed was this moment, this electric connection between them. She felt the slight tremor in his muscles beneath her palm, sensed the careful way he held himself in check.

“No.” His voice came out rough, almost guttural. “I would never hurt you.” The words vibrated through his chest under her hand. “But I am dangerous, Ashley.”

His eyes bore into hers, dark with an intensity that made her knees weak. “If you knew what I really was… what I want from you…”

He broke off with a sharp shake of his head, frustration etched into every line of his face. His jaw clenched, muscles working beneath his skin as he visibly struggled with whatever he’d been about to reveal.

Her fingers curled against his chest, feeling the rapid rise and fall of his breathing. Something about his barely contained control, about the way he looked at her with equal parts hunger and restraint, drew her in like a moth to a flame.

The moment shattered as he moved, reaching out to pull her hand away from his chest. But instead of releasing her completely, his large hand enveloped hers, holding it with surprising gentleness.

“Someone’s been sneaking out at night,” he said, an abrupt change of subject that made her bite back a smile.

She frowned. “Why is that such a big deal? I mean, I know it’s against protocol, but?—”

“There are things about this place,” he cut her off, his grip tightening on her hand. A shadow passed over his features, but it was gone almost before she registered it. “Things that need to stay hidden. Secrets that could get people killed if the wrong people found out.”

The rough pad of his thumb brushed across her knuckles. Her skin tingled at the contact, and she had to force herself to focus on his words rather than the sensation.

“What kind of secrets?” she asked, keeping her voice low despite their relative privacy.

Before he could answer, a deep vibration shuddered through the ground beneath her feet. The sensation crawled up her legs, making her bones ache. She whirled around to find the source.

One of the Hell-Vs swayed slightly, its stabilizing struts groaning. Emergency lights flickered across their control panels, casting intermittent red shadows across the ground.

She pulled her hand from Sy’s grip, already reaching for her tablet. Her fingers flew across the surface, pulling up the unit’s readings. But the numbers didn’t make sense. The sensors showed normal background levels despite the tremors she felt through her boots.

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