My blood boiled. I took a step forward until we were once again toe-to-toe. “It wouldn’t have changed anything? My best friend died that night!” My whole body was shaking now. The adrenaline was still pumping through my veins from the kiss, and now this. All my emotion bubbled to the surface, and I was powerless to stop it. “I should’ve been with her, but where was I?” I shoved at his chest, but it was like trying to move a brick wall. “Where was I, Caspian? When Lyric took her last breath, where was I?”
His nostrils flared as he looked down at me, but he never made a move. He never said a word.
“I was withyou.” I spit the word as if it were laced in venom. “I left with you. I could have saved her. I left her there, and now she’s gone.” The first tear spilled over my cheek, followed by another, and another. “You couldn’t just leave in peace, could you? You had to drag me out of that place like some kind of caveman. You had to ruin me before you left.” All of the emotion, all of the rage, that I’d been holding in for four years was finally clawing its way out. I needed thisthen. That was why I’d gone to his house. I needed to set it all free.
But he was gone.
He ran.
He took the coward’s way out.
But he was here now, and one kiss didn’t wipe away years of questions.
We stared at each other for what felt like an eternity. Caspian towered over me. His presence was predatorial and intimidating, but I wasn’t afraid. His features were still every bit as beautiful as they were when he was younger, just more defined now, more mature. My heartbeat calmed as I studied the sharp edges of his jawline, his full lips and fierce golden-brown eyes the color of whiskey. My heavy, rapid breaths slowed to steady and controlled. The tears began drying on my cheeks but I never moved to wipe them away.
“I deserve answers,” I said, finally. My voice was softer and more composed now.
“You do.” His voice was as smooth and silky as it has always been.
Finally. Progress.
He took a step forward, and his gaze darkened. He took another step, forcing me to move backward. Then another. Until my back was once again pressed against the door, and then Caspian slowly slid his hands up my arms, stopping at my shoulders.
Every muscle in my body tensed, and my breath caught in my throat. I pressed my hands against his chest to stop him from leaning in any closer, but he ignored my protests.
His hand skated across my collarbone then wrapped around my throat.
I reached up and grabbed his wrist, and he squeezed, applying just enough pressure to send my heart rate spiking. My insides tingled as wetness pooled between my thighs. God, I was fucked up. Good girls weren’t supposed to want bad things, and Caspian was very, very bad.
He leaned his head down, touching his cheek against mine. My breath stuttered. My anger was entirely dissipated and replaced with white-hot need.
His smooth voice was more of a growl, and his breath danced against my ear when he spoke. “You want answers? Fine. I’ll give them to you. One: Lyric was going to die—whether it was that night or another one. Stop thinking you could have saved her. Her death was inevitable. Two: You’re lucky it was me who dragged you out of that place and fucked you that night. Trust me, sweetheart. It could have been much,muchworse. Three: We were going to happen. You have always been mine.” He reached his other hand between my legs and cupped my pussy. “That was also inevitable. And four…” He tilted his head so that we were face-to-face. My body was humming, making it nearly impossible not to grind down against his hand.More.“You don’t get to give your soul to the devil then ask for it back.” He tightened his grip on my throat then opened his mouth and swiped his tongue across my lips.
I parted my mouth, asking for more, and a sinister grin spread across his face.
He let go of my throat then took a step back, dropping his hand from between my legs. “That’s enough for today.”
Enough? He gave me nothing. I knew no more now than I did before.
“You don’t get to do that.” I shook my head and pointed a finger at his chest. “You don’t get to walk in here and uproot everything that I’ve planted, then leave me with half-assed answers and call it a day.”
“You don’t know what you’re asking for, Tatum.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m trying to protect you, for fuck’s sake.” There was an edge to his tone that would have sent a shiver of fear down anyone else’s spine. Not mine. I wasn’t afraid of him. Not really.
“I may not have figured out much else, but you know what I have learned in the past four years?”
He lowered his hand and raised a brow.
“I don’t need you toprotectme anymore.” I straightened my shoulders, boldly meeting his stare. “I’m capable of protecting myself. Especially from guys like you.”
He tilted his head, just a hint to one side, and his jaw twitched. “Tatum…”
The weight of his stare made my legs weak. I took a deep breath and swallowed back the sharp pang of hurt that wrapped around my heart. “Go.” I pointed at the door as I stepped to the side.
He took a step toward me, sending a bundle of nerves jolting to life in the bottom of my stomach.
“Get. Out.” My voice cracked.
His gaze lingered for a moment as though he were trying to see if I was bluffing.