Page 49 of Shadowed Hearts: Frost
A soft thud echoes from down the hallway, barely perceptible, but my head snaps toward the sound before I can stop the reaction. My entire body tenses, ears straining to categorize the noise.
When I turn back to the screen, Kade's expression has changed. Something knowing flickers in his eyes.
"I'll update you if anything changes." My finger already hovers over the disconnect button.
"Keep us posted," Kade replies, his eyes saying more than his words.
Alina leans forward. "And Frost? Don't let that protective instinct cloud your judgment."
I cut the connection without responding. The screen goes black.
My mind is already shifting to the next consideration as the soft pad of bare feet on hardwood draws my attention. Vanessa emerges from the hallway, the hem of my shirt falling almost to her knees, leaving her legs bare. My throat tightens.
I turn abruptly, moving to the kitchen and focusing on the coffee machine with laser precision. Measuring grounds to the exact gram. Water temperature: 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Brew time: 4 minutes.
Vanessa watches silently as I work, her presence prickling along my skin. She approaches, arm reaching past me to adjust the settings. Her skin brushes mine. Every muscle in my body goes rigid.
"Mind if I..." Her fingers dance over the controls, disrupting my carefully calibrated process.
"Too bitter," she explains, a small smile playing at her lips.
I grit my teeth, torn between correcting her and an unfamiliar urge to let her continue. She moves to the cabinets, opening them without hesitation. My perfectly aligned mugs and glasses shift as she searches.
"Do you alphabetize your spices?" she asks, peering into my meticulously organized pantry.
"Yes." The word comes out clipped, terse.
"Of course you do." Her laugh is soft, melodic. It grates against my nerves and yet... I want to hear it again.
She continues her exploration, leaving minor chaos in her wake. A mug slightly out of alignment. The coffee canister shifted from its designated spot. Each disruption sets my fingers twitching.
But there's something else. A warmth spreading through my chest as she moves through my space with such ease. As if she belongs here. The thought is as unsettling as it is appealing.
Vanessa casually opens my refrigerator, leaning in to examine its contents. My eyes lock on her, tracking every movement. A fierce wave of possessiveness rushes through me without warning, catching me off guard with its intensity.
I've never felt this powerful urge to claim, to protect, to hold something—someone—as only mine. This isn't just about protecting an asset anymore.
This is something far more dangerous.
Morning light filters through the blinds, casting thin stripes across my living room floor. My tactical watch reads 0647. I've been awake for twenty-three hours straight, but fatigue hasn't touched me.
Vanessa curls up on the couch, legs tucked beneath her. The sight of her in my clothing triggers something primitive in my brain that I refuse to acknowledge.
My secure tablet chimes with an incoming call. I tap the screen, connecting it to screen propped up on the coffee table.
"Morning brief," I tell Vanessa, my voice clipped.
Kade's face fills the screen, his expression all business. Alina sits beside him, her notepad already in hand. My jaw tightens at the sight of them together, not from jealousy, but from the casual intimacy they display. The ease of their connection.
"Situation report," Kade demands without preamble.
Before I can answer, Vanessa bounces up from the couch she was lying on and plops down beside me, close enough that I can feel her body heat radiating against my side. The scent of coconut and vanilla invades my senses.
"Hi!" She waves enthusiastically at the screen. "Oh wow, you're really pretty."
Alina's eyebrows rise, surprise flickering across her face before a small smile forms. "I like her already, Frost."
Kade's expression remains calculating. "Your assessment of Echo's capabilities checks out. You're authorized to maintain the alliance."
