Burned Deep (Burned 1)

In his seductive voice, he asked, “Are you ready to give me everything I want from you?”

I stared at him for endless seconds, my breathing coming in sharp pulls.

I had not expected the gauntlet he’d thrown down.

“Ari.”

He clearly was not a man to let any opportunity slip through his fingers.

Though I was still breathy and lost in a lust-induced haze, I said, “We’re even with Kyle.” Since I’d let Dane go down on me—something that was hugely personal in my book. And I’d followed his other request, so we were more than even. “Yes, I am ready. I refuse to be circumvented, though. You have to give in return. I want to know what’s going on at the Lux. With you.”

I didn’t let him off the hook, somehow feeling I had enough power at the moment. He was still hard, still had lust and need raging in his eyes.

“I’m not accustomed to bargaining,” he said, not at all pleased.

“I can believe that. But there’s too much at stake for me to be lax about this. The things you’ve already done to me … the way you make me feel … this is all too much to not ask for something in exchange. To not know exactly who I’m involved with—what I’m involved in.”

He glared unyieldingly. “You might not like all the answers.”

“Maybe not. But I still need them.”

“There’s something I have to deal with right now. It’s urgent.”

“I gathered that.”

Neither of us moved, just stared at each other. Deeply disturbed by the torment suddenly eating at him, I reached out a hand and smoothed the crinkle between his brows. Didn’t seem to help much. I could see his mind churned with what appeared to be ominous thoughts, if the hooded look in his eyes was any indication.

It was a bit insane how easily he shifted gears. But when you had so much riding on a multibillion-dollar venture and whatever the hell was transpiring between us, I supposed that was natural.

Finally, he stood and handed over my clothing. I dressed quickly, which was no easy feat because I felt liquefied from the explosive climaxes.

“So, what’s happened?” I asked, thinking of the call he’d taken.

“Beavers chewed through the security wire on the north end, by the streams.”

My brow crooked. “Beavers?”

“We’ve lost camera monitoring capability throughout the property. We have to rewire.”

“That sounds painful. At least it’s not an infestation of rattlesnakes and scorpions.” I shuddered.

“Not a fan, I see.”

“I’m terrified of both. Like, nightmare terrified.”

“We don’t really have that problem this far north.”

“I know. That’s one of the reasons I like it here.”

“Anyway, this will be an extensive undertaking. But a necessary one.” He shook his head and looked a little lost in thought … that dark place in his mind where he sometimes went.

“Dane?” I had no idea what else to say, but—

A quick rap on the door startled me. I jumped.

Dane broke free of his trance. He put the phone in his pocket and buttoned his shirt. Then he stuffed the hem into the waist of his pants and held out his hand. “Come on.”

I gazed at the hand that had brought me so much pleasure just minutes before. At this point, it made no sense to deliberate over the intimate gesture. But I did. Because there was something ominous in his eyes, similar to when we’d been in the bar and I’d turned to find him staring at me after Kyle had flirted.