Hearts in Darkness (8 page)

"Yes, sir, I understand. I already let ‘em know."

The fireman walked around Makenna and returned to the animated conversation between his buddies and Caden.

"Raymond, will you watch my things? I need to use the restroom."

"Of course, M.J. You go right on ahead."

Makenna walked across the lobby, the click of her heels against the marble floor sounded intrusively loud. A tingling sensation at the back of her neck made her swear Caden was watching her, but there was no way she was going to glance behind her to check.

She stepped into the bathroom, and the door closed slowly behind her. The mirror drew her eyes immediately. She groaned at how tired and rumpled she looked. Her hair curled in every direction, wrinkles creased her skirt, and her collar lay askew from how she'd just thrown on her jacket. She shook her head and veered into a stall, wondering if Caden would still be out there when she was done or if he'd leave with the firemen he clearly knew. She wasn't sure what she'd dread more: him waiting for her and the awkwardness between them remaining, or him being gone. Her stomach fluttered and clenched in nervousness and hunger.

Makenna washed and dried her hands and then gathered up the back of her hair in a handheld ponytail. Leaning forward over the sink, she turned the cold water on and drank long relieving gulps right from the faucet.

Her bathroom visit made her feel a little better. She took a deep breath as she yanked the door open and walked back out into the lobby.

His friends gone, Caden was leaning against the reception desk talking to Raymond.

She blew out a deep breath. A wave of utter relief rushed through her body. He hadn't left. He'd waited.

Then again, what else would a Good Samaritan do?

He smiled as she walked up to them, though this smile was nothing like the face-transforming one he'd given her after she'd blurted out her opinion of him. This smile was tight and uncertain. She worried over what it meant.

Ugghhh
, she groaned silently.
This is so ridiculous! How did we go from the best conversation of my life to...this?
Makenna decided her fears must be well founded—he must be worrying about how to let her down after...everything. Her deep sense of disappointment was probably out of proportion, but she couldn't help feeling it. She sagged under the weight of it.

Caden scrambled to collect her bags for her. She thanked him as she took them one at a time and hoisted them over her shoulder. They said subdued good nights to Raymond and soon found themselves standing out on a wide sidewalk in the little urban enclave of Rosslyn, just across the river from the heart of D.C. The night air was cool, refreshing. At the end of the block, a line of four Dominion Power trucks idled, their yellow lights circling and flashing.

"Um...” she began, as he said, “Well..."

They both chuckled.

Caden cleared his throat. “Where are you parked?"

"Oh, I take the metro. It's just two blocks that way.” Makenna gestured behind her.

Caden frowned. “Is that such a good idea?"

"Oh, yeah. I'll be fine."

"No, really, Makenna. I don't like the idea of you walking to the metro and waiting in the station alone at this time of night."

Makenna shrugged, feeling warmed just a little by his concern.

"Let me take you home. My Jeep's just down the street here."

"Oh, well, I don't want to—"

He reached forward and grasped her hand. His touch provided almost as much relief as the water had earlier. “I'm not taking no for an answer. It's not safe for you to be walking around at this hour by yourself. Come on.” He tugged at her gently, still allowing her to make up her mind.

"Oh...okay. Thanks, Caden. It's not too far."

"I know.” He threaded his big fingers between her smaller ones. “Not that it would matter if it was."

She looked up at his profile and smiled. He was a lot taller than she was, and she liked tall men. He glanced down at her and squeezed her hand.

Caden led her around the corner of her building to a side street. He paused at a shiny black Jeep with no top and opened her door for her.

"Thanks.” She reached inside and set her bags down on the floor of the passenger seat on top of a baseball glove. Her skirt made it a little difficult to get up and in. She blushed as she hiked it up a bit.

Caden shut her door and a moment later filled the driver's seat next to her. The Jeep rumbled to life. Makenna braced herself against the door as Caden pulled a U-turn out of the parking space. The breeze picked up tendrils of her hair and made them dance across her face. She quickly gathered the length of it in her hand to keep it from blowing too much.

"Sorry,” Caden muttered as he turned onto the street fronting her building. “I go without the top whenever I can,” he said in a low voice. “More open.” He shrugged his shoulders.

As realization of what he was saying hit her, Makenna opened her mouth. But she couldn't find the words to tell him how brave she thought he was. So she just said, “It's okay. The air feels great."

Soon they were flying up Wilson Boulevard, the string of green lights and mostly empty streets making the trip quicker than usual. Sitting on his right side, Makenna had her first opportunity to really see the full extent of the long crescent-shaped scar that began over Caden's ear and jagged back to the edge of his hairline on his neck. In the flashing streetlights, she could tell the scar tissue didn't grow hair, making the curve of it stand out against the surrounding dark brown.

Caden must've sensed her gaze, because he glanced over at her and quirked a lopsided smile that made her stomach clench in want and disappointment that their evening was moments from ending.

A few quick turns later, the Jeep pulled into the circular drive of her condo complex. Makenna pointed out the entrance to the residences. Caden eased into a space adjacent to the lobby door.

The usually calming sound of the central fountain bubbling was just discernible over the Jeep's idling. Makenna took a tired breath as the weight of the day pressed her back into the comfortable leather seat.

It was time to say good-bye.

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Caden hadn't stopped cursing at himself since she'd disappeared into the bathroom. Somehow, he'd fucked things up with Makenna. Now she was acting distant and uncertain and even a little shy around him. And even though he hadn't known her very long, all of these seemed out of character for the Makenna he'd come to know and...really like.
His
Makenna was warm and open and confident. He had the distinct feeling he'd done something to clip her wings. And he was pissed as hell at himself, especially because he didn't know what to do to fix it.

And he was running out of time.

At least she'd agreed to let him drive her home. He spent the drive thinking about what to say to her and how to say it. Her stare didn't help his concentration. There was no avoiding the clear view she'd have of the ugliness of his scar. Plastic surgery when he was fifteen had smoothed out the worst of the tissue and mostly restored a natural hairline at the back of his neck, but it was still big and obvious and often made people first meeting him uncomfortable because it was hard to avoid looking at. It didn't help that the curved, thin line of ruined skin couldn't grow hair, which made it stand out even more. He thought of the damn thing as his first tattoo—it certainly stood out as much as any of his colorful ink.

He let her have a good look, though. Because he didn't look normal and never would. And though she seemed to accept everything he'd revealed to her so far, he knew he could be a lot to take on board. He wanted her to be sure. So he only smiled over at her. He took out his tension on the gear shift gripped tightly in his right hand.

There was little he could do to drag out the trip to her condo. Even in mid-day traffic, it was no more than a fifteen-minute ride from Rosslyn to Clarendon. And, of course, when he wouldn't have minded some red lights, every one was green.

The Jeep idling at the curb, Caden shifted in his seat. “Makenna, I—"

"Caden—” she started at the same time.

They both smiled weakly. Caden swallowed a groan. Makenna's hair was windblown around her shoulders and her eyes looked tired, but she was so damn pretty. “You first,” he said.
Chicken shit.

"Thanks for keeping me such good company tonight.” She gave him her first genuine smile.

Hope filled his chest. “It was my pleasure, Makenna."

She nodded and reached down to grasp the straps to her bags in one hand while her other went to the door handle. Caden's jaw clenched. “Okay, then, I guess...good night, then.” She engaged the handle and pushed the door open.

His stomach rolled. She shifted herself and hopped down onto the sidewalk, then turned to drag her bags behind her.
What the fuck, Caden, stop her. Tell her.
“I'd like to—"

She shoved the door shut, drowning out his words, and leaned against the open window. He swore she looked sad but wasn't sure, just didn't know her facial expressions well enough to read them. Yet.
Please let there be a “yet."

"It's okay. I understand."

Caden gaped, then pressed his lips into a tight line.
Understand? Understand what?

She tapped her hand twice against the door interior. “Thanks for the ride. See ya."

"Uh, yeah.” He ran his hand roughly over his scar as she turned, slung her bags over her shoulder, and walked across the wide sidewalk toward the brightly lit windowed lobby.

Uh, yeah? uh, yeah?

When she was almost to the door, Caden threw the Jeep in first and pressed his foot on the accelerator. He pulled out into the drive. The growing distance from Makenna felt so damn wrong that Caden stopped in the middle of the street and looked back over his shoulder.

Makenna was standing in the lobby. Watching him.

He growled.
Fuck. This.

Caden slammed the transmission into reverse. The tires screeched against the pavement as he jolted the vehicle back into the spot. He pulled forward just as gracelessly to straighten out. He wrenched the keys from the transmission and smacked the headlights off and heaved his body against the door, which he slammed shut.

Stalking around the back of the Jeep, he glared up at Makenna—glaring not so much at her as at his own idiocy for not making things right before the eleventh goddamned hour.

Her eyes widened. Her lips froze somewhere between a smile and an O. She pushed and held the door open for him.

And he hoped for all he was worth he was correctly reading the desire on her face.

He crowded right up into her space, pressed his body against hers—trapping her against the glass of the door behind her, plunged his hands into her hair until he was cupping the nape of her neck, and devoured her lips with his.

He groaned at the goodness of touching her again, like this. It was the first time anything had felt right since he'd held her on his lap in the elevator.

Anticipation stole Makenna's breath—and then Caden did with his forceful kiss.
Oh my God oh my God oh my God he came back! He came back!

His demanding tongue tasted so damn good, and his piercing bit deliciously against her lip from the aggressive way he pursued her over and over. His hands tugged and massaged at her hair and neck. He just surrounded her. The difference in their height made Caden lean down over her. The way he forced her head back commanded her to open up to him. With the metal handle of the door pressing into her back, she felt completely enveloped in him, in his ardor, his scent. The world dropped away. There was just Caden.

Her hand fisted in his black shirt. He stepped closer. They panted. Their bodies heaved against one another. She moaned at the possessiveness of his grip. There was nothing shy or tentative or questioning about the way he was handling her. She felt claimed. She felt euphoric.

A tantalizing sound somewhere between a purr and a growl erupted from low in his throat. His hands continued to grip her, but he leaned his forehead against hers and pulled his lips away. “I'm sorry. I couldn't let you go."

"Don't be sorry for that,” she rasped and swallowed. “Never be sorry for that."

"Makenna—"

"Caden, I—"

He clamped his lips over her mouth, their noses smashing. This time his sound was very clearly a growl. “Woman,” he said against her lips, “would you let me talk already?"

The longing and frustration in his voice made her smile. She nodded. His lips quirked against hers, and he kissed her again, a series of quick pecks against her full mouth.

By the time he finally started to talk, Makenna felt a little dizzy. His breath was sweet against her face. His stubble chafed at her cheek. He bored those deep brown eyes into her, pinning her against him in every possible way.

"I've never...you're just...” He heaved a sigh. “Aw, hell. I like you, Red. I want to be with you. I want you to argue with me some more. I want to lie in your arms again. I want to touch you. I...I just..."

Hope and happiness filled and warmed her chest. He'd come back for her. He wanted her.

Smiling, Makenna reached a hand up behind her neck and grabbed one of his. He hesitated to release her, but finally let her pull his hand around to her mouth, where she pressed a big open-mouthed kiss onto the head of his dragon. She grinned up at him. “Come upstairs,” she breathed. “I make a mean omelet. And I'm starving."

Her
smile finally returned to brighten his face. He squeezed her hand and kissed her forehead. “Okay. I could definitely eat."

When Caden stepped away to allow her to turn back into the lobby, Makenna immediately missed the hard heat of his body all against hers. She squeaked when he grabbed at her bags, jerking her back a half step.

"Let me,” he said as he pulled the straps away and slung them over his shoulder.

My Good Sam.

Out of habit, she stepped to the bank of elevators and pressed the button. This late at night, the door dinged and opened immediately. She turned to assess Caden's reaction before stepping in.