Page 41 of Possession

“Close the door.”

His abruptness takes me aback for a moment. Christian is usually so calm, and so sweet, but right now–not so much.

“What’s wrong?”

“Why are you grilling Gage about the missing food?”

“Because I’m the head cook now and it’s his job to order supplies and mine to keep track of it.”

“That’s not why, and we both know it.”

“Christian–”

“Listen, Lena, I fucked up and told you a few things that I shouldn’t have. That’s on me. But I need you to let them go. You can’t start snooping around the club like you’re some private detective.”

“Just tell me everything about Parker, and I won’t have to.”

“What? Hell, no!” He takes a few steps closer to me. “No, Lena. Leave it alone. Your brother won’t like it.”

“Hunter isn’t thinking straight. I’m just trying to save his relationship. Megan will never forgive him if he permanently hurts Parker, and those two are about to bring a baby into the world.”

“Parker deserves whatever he gets. You don’t bite the hand that feeds you. You just don’t.”

“Parker saved her from Naomi’s dad, though.”

“You’re twisting the story a little. That’s not exactly what happened.”

“All I know is no matter what part he may have played in her abduction initially, if Parker hadn’t found her when he did, Megan would be the one in a basement somewhere in Lousiana.”

When I get upset, I sometimes cry. Not an ugly kind of cry but my eyes tend to water up which is exactly what I’m doing right now.

When Christian reaches a hand up toward my face, using his thumb to rub a tear away, my eyes close from the soothing feel of his skin touching mine.

“Calm down; I don’t like to see you upset like this.”

“I don’t like it either.”

Without even thinking, I wrap my arms around his waist and hug Christian. My head rests on his chest, and I smell sandalwood and hints of musk. But once his body grows instantly taut, I realize I’ve made a huge mistake.

“I’m sorry,” I apologize as I try to create a reasonable amount of distance between us again. “I shouldn’t just go around hugging random people,” I laugh awkwardly.

“I’m just some random person to you?” he says in a lower voice than usual as he grips my upper arms, keeping me in place.

I blink twice.

And my tongue feels as if it’s grown three times its size.

“No,” I say in a mousy voice that I barely recognize. “No, you’re not.”

“Don’t ever apologize for hugging me, Lena.”

“Um, okay.”

“Ever.”

“Okay.”

“And Lena?”

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