Page 10 of Drilling Deep

It sounds miserable, a voice echoes in the back of my mind.Everything without Cora sounds miserable.

I grunt, shaking my head of those thoughts. I’m just not used to having a woman on board. That must be it. I’m rough around the edges, even for some of the hardened men I work with. It makes sense that I wouldn’t know how to behave around someone as precious as Cora. Dammit. Not precious.Particular.I’m not thinking straight. My words are all jumbled, even in my own mind.

After another five minutes, I decide to go looking for her. I don’t like the image of her crying in the bathroom or cabin alone.

I only make it a few steps outside my office before seeing her. More accurately, I see that fuck-head Peter talking to her. Not just talking, he’s leaning into her, hovering over her, with one hand resting on the wall next to her head.

Red floods my vision, but I take a breath until the rage subsides ever so slightly. Cora is tense and presses herself into the wall, trying to put distance between herself and Peter.

I stomp down the hall, closing the distance between us in a handful of long strides. My hand wraps around Peter’s shoulder, and I rip him away from Cora, who looks up at me in relief. Can’t say anyone has ever been relieved to see me, and I’m not sure what to do about the fierce feelings that stirs up.

“Whoa, what the hell, man?” Peter spits out before turning to see who grabbed him. When his eyes meet mine, the fucker stands down. “Sorry, Titan. I didn’t realize she was your girl.”

Instead of correcting him, I growl, stepping between Cora and Peter. The scrawny redhead looks between Cora and me, then shrugs before walking away.

Taking a deep breath, I turn to Cora, who is still leaning against the wall. She blinks up at me, her bottom lip caught in her teeth as she nibbles on it. God, she’s too young for me. Too damn innocent. She’s only ever known a life of light and luxury, while I’ve been filthy with dirt and grime since the day I turned eighteen.

The longer I stare at her, studying the shades of emerald, moss, and sage swirling in her irises, the smaller our differences grow. Cora has this… energy about her. I don’t even believe in that spiritual, aura, chakra nonsense, but there’s no other way to explain it. I’m drawn to everything about her.

I’m not sure what comes over me, but the need to touch her can’t be denied. We can’t be together, not that she would ever think of me that way, but I can have this moment.

I watch my hand move on its own, tucking a few strands of her silky, white-blonde hair behind her ear and then cupping her cheek. I marvel over how soft her skin is, how pale and pure it looks against my stained skin and rough hands.

Green eyes peer directly into my soul, and for the first time in my life, I wish I were good with words. I wish I could explain why I’ve been so erratic around her, why I can’t seem to get anything right when she’s near. I hardly know the reason myself, though it’s becoming clearer the more time I spend with her.

“Are you okay?” I rasp, brushing my thumb against her cheek, right under her eye. I notice a few red splotches on her face, indications that she’s been crying.Fuck, that hurts.

Cora nods, then looks away from me, breaking our contact. I drop my hand, shoving it in my pocket before I do something else, like weave my fingers in her hair and pull her in for what is sure to be a devastating kiss.

“I’m sorry I snapped,” I continue, not knowing how else to move past this. “I was concerned, and then just…” I sigh, trying to find the right words. I can’t very well tell her I was distracted by her stunning curves.

“It’s okay. I get it. I can be… a lot. Too much, I’ve been told.”

She wrings her hands in front of her as her shoulders drop. It breaks my non-existent heart to see her like this, and I’m not sure how to help. The first step is getting her to trust me.

“Cora, are you afraid of me?” I ask, my voice low and subdued. I hold my breath, waiting for her answer.

She shakes her head no, making more wisps of her hair fall from her ponytail and frame her face.

“Good,” I grunt.

The corner of Cora’s lips curl into the sweetest smile. “You’re kind of like a grumpy cat,” she says softly, her cheeks turning pink at her admission.

“Is that so?” I’m intrigued. I find myself wanting to know how her mind works and what she truly thinks about me.

“Yup,” Cora confirms, nodding once as she smiles at me. “You put on a good front, pretending you don’t want anyone’s company. You might even hiss now and then, and I could see you using your claws if you feel threatened. But deep down, you want what everyone wants.”

“And what’s that?” I ask, hanging on her every word.

“A safe place to call home.”

I’m not sure how to respond to that. This woman hardly knows me, and yet she somehow spoke directly to a raw wound I’ve carried around for half my life.

“How… what?” I stutter out.

“Nothing. Never mind,” she’s quick to say.

I want to demand that she tell me more and explain exactly what I am and how she sees me. Something tells me I’m not ready to hear the truth.

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