Page 86 of Tamed

Shock was written all over her face. “But isn’t the whole reason I’m a prisoner here is because youdidn’twant me going anywhere near the Hamiltons?”

“It was.” I held her gaze. “I was wrong.”

Abruptly the shock disappeared, her green eyes dancing instead. “Would you mind saying that again? And let me get my phone. I want to record you saying the words ‘I was wrong’ for posterity.”

I let out a breath, watching delight flicker in her eyes, the tension coiling inside me loosening. She was so beautiful when she teased me. I was half-inclined to let her. “What? And have you play it back to me at every opportunity? I don’t fucking think so.”

“Spoilsport.” She became serious again. “But is it true, Cal? You really organized a meeting with my grandmother?”

I lifted my hand, cupped her face, her skin silky and soft against my palm. “Yes. Tomorrow night at Arcadia.”

“Arcadia? Seriously?”

“It’s neutral ground.”

“Okay.” This time the amusement in her gaze was wicked. “So, I’m meeting my grandmother at your glorified sex club. That’s not awkward at all.”

I pinched her cheek, feeling a smile tug at the corners of my mouth. “Behave,” I murmured. “It’s not a sex club.”

“Well, we had sex there.”

“Little girl.”

She grinned then turned her cheek against my palm. “Thank you. I just…thank you.”

Such a simple thing to say, yet I could hear the emotion in her voice. This meant a lot to her, this was important. A heavy warmth gathered in my chest. I hadn’t realized I was capable of giving joy to another person, let alone her. I hadn’t thought I’d even care. But I did care. It seemed making her happy was important to me.

What? You think that makes you worthy of her? You’re not and you never have been.

I shoved the thought away. My worthiness or otherwise had never been the point; she was mine regardless. I could enjoy her gratitude though. Because thiswasfor her. Not for me, not for Ten and not for Atlas. Not for my company.

This was entirely for Isabel Fox.

She looked up at me, her gaze fierce with an emotion I couldn’t quite read. “You mean a lot to me,” she said. “You know that don’t you?”

The warmth inside me become hotter, burning in my chest. It was dangerous, her feeling something for me, because she shouldn’t. I could look after her, protect her, give her pleasure, buy her anything her heart desired, but if she wanted anything emotional from me, I couldn’t give it to her. Iwouldn’tgive it to her.

My heart was dead, and I’d killed it years ago.

I stroked her cheek, relishing the silken feel of her skin. The way she looked at me was addictive, but despite how much I liked it, I had to be clear about what she could expect. “Don’t turn this into something it isn’t, Isabel.”

Her gaze narrowed. “And what exactly what am I turning this into?”

“I can’t be important to you,” I clarified. “I can’t be someone you care for. I’ll be your daddy, your protector. I’ll be your lover. But I can’t be anything more. So, if you’re looking for a boyfriend, or a partner or a husband, you’ll have to look elsewhere.”

Little sparks glittered in her eyes, that fierce emotion turning into anger. “I don’t believe I ever said I was looking for any of those things, but okay.”

I’d hurt her, but too bad. She had to know. “Maybe not now, but you will at some point.”

“Except I can’t look elsewhere, can I? Because apparently, I’m yours and will be for some indeterminate length of time. And I don’t imagine you’ll be happy with me finding someone else.”

Little witch. Trust her to zero in on the essence of the problem. Which was no, I wasn’t going to let her find someone else. I’d claimed her and I’d likely destroyed one of my closest friendships because I wanted her; there was no coming back from that. Plus, there was the intense possessiveness that surged inside me at the thought of her being with another man. That would happen over my dead fucking body.

So, if you can’t have her, no one can?

Jesus, this was why I couldn’t get any more involved with her than I already was. That darkness in me, that jealousy, that possessiveness, was already hungry. The fury that had ensured that when I put Old Nick down, he stayed down.

My father’s blood ran in my veins and what he did, I was more than capable of too. I couldn’t expose Isabel to that.

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