Page 17 of Forbidden Bonds
“People I’d rather not talk about.”
I’m naked. Why did I undress? That’s right, I’m in heat and I couldn’t stand my clothes.
Do not present!
“I’m going to take care of you,” he says. “Not because you’re in heat. Not because Lucian dumped you here. But because I want to. And if you want that, too.”
I’m too far gone to read his mind. All I have to go on is the earnestness in his eyes and an unexpected sense of nobility in his actions. He hasn’t fallen upon me like a savage. I can smell his arousal—it’s driving me crazy. But he’s also in control of himself, and that centers me when I’m so utterly lost.
His eyes slide to the pile of clothes I’ve left on the floor. “You weren’t dressed like you were in my brother’s nightclub, nor like the staff who work there,” he says slowly. “And my brother’s not exactly the kind of man people just bring omegas to. He said you were important, and you agreed with him when I asked you. Very, you said.”
His eyes are on me, his jaw tightening as they linger on the scars.
Tear spring at the back of my eyes. I’ve no idea why.
“Hey.” He cups my chin. “I’ll help you as best as I can. I know you’re not thinking straight. But maybe, we can start with exchanging names before…” His smile turns rueful, and he gestures at the pile of nesting material. “You know… before… I’ll go first. I’m Rhett Banner.” He grimaces. “My mother was into recreational drugs. My brother always jokes that she had a bad hit when it came to naming me.”
I choke out a laugh. My body is on fire and weeping slick—sweat is trickling down my back—but somehow his words, his easy humor, quiet the franticness gripping me.
“Larissa,” I say. “My name is Larissa Olsen.”
The moment the words leave my lips, I recognize my mistake.
Chapter Nine
Larissa
He jerks back like I’ve slapped him. I almost reach for him, but he’s already up, one hand gripping the towel at his waist, knuckles turning white, as he rakes the fingers of his other hand through his damp hair and begins to pace, muttering, the words low and angry.
What have I just done? How do I make this right? It’s been ten years. I presumed nobody would even know about me—just another dirty little government secret. Either way, I wasn’t exactly thinking straight when I offered up my name.
Only, whoever Rhett is, he’s not an ordinary alpha, is he? He’s an associate of Ethan Black, maybe not directly, but his brother certainly is. Lucian, whom I already know is a ruthless criminal, must have connections and power to be able to hide me.
Before I can caution myself that this is a betrayal, I open myself to read his mind. All I get are jagged, chaotic impressions and emotions moving too fast for me to latch onto, but then they form into thoughts…You’ve got to be shitting me. How does this happen to me? What the fuck am I supposed to do now?
He definitely knows who I am.
A motherfucking mind reader!
He brings his pacing to a halt, and his head swings my way. Then a veil comes down over his eyes, and a door slams over the chatter in his mind. There is nothing. No noise. It’s like someone pulled the plug on a feed. I’ve been picking up his emotions ever since I walked into the room. His rut has been driving me deeper into heat. We were both triggering each other. And now it’s all just gone.
Cohen and Jenda both became experts at redirection to keep their thoughts off things they didn’t want me to know, or on things they did. Ethan did the same when he infiltrated the Uncorrupted base. But no one has ever completely shut me out. Not once. “How did you do that?”
Quiet, so very quiet. Nothing but my own thoughts bouncing back at me. The relief of not having to maintain my mental vigilance is profound.
My sob catches me unawares.
“Fuck,” he mutters gruffly, dropping to his knees beside me. “Why are you crying? Stop it. Please don’t cry. Jesus, Rhett! Could you be any more of a fuck-up?”
“I’m so happy,” I blurt out.
“You are?”
I fling my arms around his neck, sobbing uncontrollably, gulping in his scent. His arms tentatively circle me, almost like he’s afraid I might break. He draws me in, a tangle of messy limbs trying to crawl up him.
“Hush. Steady. It’s all right. It’s fine. You’ll be fine.”
It sounds like he’s trying to convince himself as much as me.
