The Hunted (The Chronicles of the Hunter Book 1) (8 page)

CHAPTER ELEVEN

His idea of a safe place
turned out to be his rooms. Or, what he called a cabin. It was located in the middle of a long hallway, above the shower room by at least two floors. Only he called them decks. The flights of stairs were termed ladders. Halls were called passageways. Bulkhead was the name for wall. She knew all that now, because he’d informed her in whispers. Despite telling him she wasn’t interested in a career at sea.

Especially not on this vessel.

The entire ship exuded luxury, but it hadn’t been put to good use with the color scheme. From the hall of beige-ness, he’d led her up a ladder to a passageway of barely-colored sage green. Then they’d traversed a bluish span of hall that made his skin look sallow. That’s when he’d gotten hyper-vigilant. Spent all kinds of time checking the path before proceeding. Continually glanced behind. Always keeping her in his shadow, like an extension of himself. They finally reached these rooms located in a passageway with such a pale pink tone it probably rated ‘distinct pallor’ in any mime’s face-painting box.

And she was lost.

Kane had stopped beside a nondescript pinkish-toned door. Lifted his hand. Placed it flat on the wall at his shoulder level. That was interesting. She could just make out framework around a panel. Her eyebrows rose as a pale light emitted about his hand, apparently scanning his palm. After a distinct click, the door opened inward an inch or so.

Okay, LeeAnn.

This was the stuff of movies.

And pretty darn cool.

Kane pushed against the door, slit it open enough to slither through. Brought her with him. The door closed automatically, barely missing her heels. He turned back, leaned his forehead against the door, and sucked in a large breath. She heard another distinct click of the locking mechanism.

He exhaled. Spine-tingling words came with it. “Oh. Thank heaven. We made it.”

“Kane?”

He pulled her into an embrace that sent massive warmth. An unbelievable sense of joy. Exhilaration. His heartbeat was heavy. Full. Easily heard with one ear pressed to his chest. LeeAnn tried to move even closer, loving every second. Being in Kane’s arms was paradise. Heaven. Nirvana. All rolled into one. Her earlier claim of tiredness evaporated, leaving awareness. An itch of interest. All kinds of heart-pounding emotion. And Kane just stood there. Looking down at her. He still wore dark glasses. She watched her reflection while the silence grew.

And grew.

She licked her lips. He groaned.

“I broke every rule bringing you here, love. But I didn’t know what else to do. I couldn’t leave you.”

Love?

Her knees quivered and she would have fallen if he hadn’t been supporting her. His mouth neared hers. His breath meshed with hers. LeeAnn leaned upward, connected their lips, and held the cry inside. Ecstasy slammed through her. Joy. Happiness. And then he lifted his head. Nuzzled her nose. And sent a shaft of light right through her with his words.

“I love you.”

LeeAnn gasped.

He shook his head slowly, back and forth. Several times. “I know it’s too soon. I know it’s impossible. I know it’s a huge mistake. I know all that, and yet it doesn’t change anything. I didn’t expect this. Don’t deserve it. And still can’t stop it. I love you. I do. I don’t know how it happened...or why. I only know I love you.” 

This time, his kiss stole her breath. Her sanity. And her heart. They were both shaking when he lifted his head away, and sent a groan so raw it brought tears to her eyes. She held to him until it ended.

“Kane?”

“I just wish love was enough.”

She lost her breath. Her heart felt like someone had it in a big fist and was squeezing their fingers about it. “You’re joking. Right?”

“I need to set you down.”

“Why?”

“And I need you to walk away from me. Understand?”

“No.”

“You will.”

“But...why, Kane? Why?”

He didn’t answer. He set her down with a lurch. His arms fell away. LeeAnn didn’t move for long moments while her heart absorbed something heavy. Painful.

He put his hands on her shoulders and turned her around, placing her back against him. And then she lost that contact as he moved away. It took a few moments to see anything. More time passed as she used her sleeve to dab at her eyes, sopping up moisture that shouldn’t even be there. She hadn’t even known him before 4:58 this morning! She couldn’t possibly feel love for him, too. And yet, she knew what he spoke of. It was a physical ache to watch him move farther and farther away from her, until he almost disappeared in the dimly lit, grayish color scheme. The tone seemed appropriate somehow. It matched how she felt.

Exactly.

LeeAnn faced a sea of grayness. There wasn’t one window to break it up. Nothing contrasted. It was difficult to decipher what was furniture and what was floor. There was an old-school phone on a table beside a same-shade gray couch. Kane picked it up. Despite his request, she followed as if there was a rubber-band around them and it had flexed too far. He lifted the receiver.

“Yes. Kane. Yes. One.”  He hung up. Looked down at where she hovered about six inches away. “LeeAnn, this is too close.”

“Give me one good reason why.”

He looked over her head as if debating something. She had to guess since he still wore his glasses. And then he looked back down at her.

“I must go. Get dressed.”

“You’re leaving me?”

“I will return. I promise.”

“Look. Kane. Come on. Please? I’m in way over my head here. You can’t just announce that you love me and then leave me!”

He’d untied his belt. Walked from her toward a gray-toned door at the back of the room. He pulled an arm free from the robe before turning to face her, and that just made him look like a Grecian statue with a toga draped on it.  

“Don’t move,” he said.

The door shut behind him. Silence descended. It was an eerie silence that lifted goose bumps along her skin. LeeAnn sat on a sofa. What she wouldn’t give for a book right now! Something to take her mind off the image of him. Shedding his robe completely. A magazine would even work. Heck, she’d even go for a pamphlet from a doctor’s waiting room. Graphic and gory. Anything to take her mind off—

“I’m back.”

LeeAnn was slack-jawed as Kane dropped onto the couch opposite her, denting it with his bulk. He’d been gone mere moments. Or she’d lost all concept of time. He was dressed in black again. Black denim. Black t-shirt. Black sunglasses. He had his hair pulled back tightly and secured this time. She’d never seen anything as perfect.

“What?” he asked.

“You.”

“What about me?”

“You’re...um. Beyond gorgeous. I can’t help noticing.” 

He colored and looked away for a moment. That was cute.

LeeAnn considered him. “Oh, come on, Kane. I can’t be the first woman to tell you that. I refuse to believe it. I mean, really. Do I look that gullible?”

“Yes.”

“Oh. Great. I look gullible? But that should come as no surprise. I’m here, aren’t I?” 

She stood. Shoved one side of her robe farther across the other. Yanked her belt tight. Did her best to glare down at him. It didn’t help that he was almost her height when sitting. Nor, that he truly was the most handsome thing she’d ever seen. It really didn’t help to remember their lovemaking session. And especially his follow-up declaration of love. That alone was guaranteed to soften her glaring ability. LeeAnn sighed.  

“Sit down, baby. Please? I am going...to try to explain things. I don’t think I can do it with you glowering at me. Please?”

LeeAnn sat. Folded her arms. Did her best to look like a certified public accountant facing an agent from the IRS. At an official audit. “Okay. I’m listening.”

“I don’t know where to start.” 

He ran his hands down his thighs. Hugged his knees for a fraction. Slid his fingers back up his legs. It might be a nervous gesture, but it caught her glance. And that sent sparks shooting through her lower belly. She shifted slightly.

“The beginning.”

“Which one?” he asked.

“Which one? The first one. How about birthplace. Where were you born?”

“South Carolina.”

“Raised?”

“Same.”

“Really? I would never have guessed.”

“You wouldn’t?”

“You haven’t got a trace of a southern accent.”

“That’s because I haven’t been there...for a long time. A powerfully long time.”

“Okay.”

He folded his arms, matching her stance. His move sent all kinds of muscle definition bulging into view. The guy had immense arms. LeeAnn looked there. Suffered a distinct tremor. And somehow managed to move her gaze back to his sunglass lenses.

He uncrossed his arms. Put his hands back atop his thighs. That just moved her attention. He had such massive thighs. And a really nice bulge at his groin. LeeAnn tried her best not to move or act like she’d noticed. She felt the blush burn her cheeks, but otherwise thought it worked.

“I...was the outdoors type. Water sports. Mud-bogging. Hunting. Fishing. Camping. You name it. I was into it.”

“Sounds fairly normal so far. I mean, I’ve never been to South Carolina, but I’ve seen the ads. Watched documentaries. Been to movies.”

LeeAnn slipped a lock of hair over her shoulder. Adjusted the collar of her robe where it had gapped. Decided against re-tying the belt.

“This isn’t working. Perhaps you’d better get dressed, too. I can’t concentrate.”

She looked down at her robe. She was concealed from her throat almost to her ankles. She looked back up. “How much more do you want me to wear?” she asked.

“A lot.”

“Do you have anything in my size?”

“Probably not.”

“Well. If you want me to wear one of your shirts...you just let me know. But I have to warn you. That’s gonna be very revealing without a bra.” 

He gulped audibly. LeeAnn nearly laughed. Hearing his declaration of love had altered things considerably. Made this a lot more potent than it might otherwise have been.

“I really wanted to be a SEAL,” he blurted out, changing the subject completely.

LeeAnn lifted an eyebrow. “The Navy Special Forces kind of SEAL?”

He nodded.

“Well. That couldn’t have been hard. You were probably top man on the recruitment list.”

“Took me six years to qualify.”

“Six years? You? No way.”

“It was a new program. I was young.”

“Okay. So. You’re a SEAL. That explains a lot.”

“No. I’m not a SEAL. I
was
a SEAL.”

“Was?”

He nodded.

“Okay. So...what happened? You had an injury that forced your retirement? After which, you joined a group of mercenaries? And now you spend your time hunting bad guys?”

He shook his head.

“You don’t look like the kind of guy who’d go psycho and get booted out of the service.”

“I’m not.”

“I give. Tell me. Why aren’t you a SEAL any longer? You’re fit. Young. Extremely capable. And you’re...um. Really skilled.”

She actually got the words out without stammering. That was a surprise. He took a deep breath. It expanded his t-shirt. LeeAnn’s gaze dropped to his chest. She sucked on her bottom lip. She couldn’t tell his expression due to the stupid dark lenses, but she definitely heard his groan.

“You need to stop that,” he informed her.

“Stop what?”  LeeAnn gave him her best innocent look before tipping her head down and adjusting the terrycloth covering her lap. She picked at an imaginary speck as she waited.

“This is not working, either.”

“You really know how to beat around a bush, Kane. You know that? Your parents must have pulled their hair out trying to pin down where you’d been when you came home after curfew.”

“Did you ever study names?” he asked.

“What?”  LeeAnn’s head came back up. He looked serious.

“Your birth name. LeeAnn. Do you know what it means?”

She gave him her ‘CPA-listening-to-a-lie-from-a-client’ smile before replying. “Yes. It means my grand-mother was named LeeAnn. As was her mother before her.”

“Lee means ‘dweller by the wood’.”

“I’ll take your word for it. But how do you know?”

“I’ve had...a lot of time. I met someone named Lee. He has a few strange quirks. I wondered why, so I did some checking. Grew interested. Wondered if a name had any significance. And consequence.”

“You have a bookish side? That’s—um. Wow. I’m almost speechless here.”

He pulled his head back a little. “Are you making fun of me?”

“Oh. Never,” she replied.

“I think the name Ann means ‘graceful.’  Or perhaps it would be better phrased as ‘full of grace’.”

“So, my name means I’m a graceful being from the woods. I sound like a fairy. Nice. But not remotely accurate. Look, Kane. You and I are opposites. I’m the indoors-type. Basic hermit version. I’ve been called a workaholic. And when I’m not working, I’m usually reading. I have a hard time even getting to the gym. That is the farthest thing from a fairy I can imagine.”