Blackwolf's Redemption

“I’m sorry if I led you on,” she whispered.

Another word, he was going to say to hell with everything and gather her in his arms, and where would that get him? She’d wanted to have sex and then she’d changed her mind. The last thing he needed was another round of yes-no frustration.

Sex was only sex and he could get it elsewhere. That moment he’d thought what was happening with her was something special….

Foolishness, nothing more.

She’d barged into his life, but soon things would be on track again. The thing was to get through what remained of the night, drive her to Bozeman and move on with his plans.

“Jesse?”

“Yeah.” His tone was polite. He patted her hand, got to his feet. Whatever she was, she was more trouble than he needed, never mind the soft words of apology.

“You should have left me on that ledge.”

“Trying for sympathy?”

She flinched; he knew what he’d said was unkind, but look where being kind had gotten him.

“Trying for the truth,” she said as she stood up beside him. “If you’d left me there, life might have been simpler for the both of us.”

He gave a brittle laugh. “Too bad you didn’t tell me that this morning.”

“Would you have done it, if I had?”

“Damned right,” he growled, and then he sighed. “No. Hell, how could I?” His mouth twisted. “I couldn’t even leave you to freeze in that bedroom a little while ago.”

Her chin came up. “I would not have frozen.”

He wanted to smile; he liked hearing that edge in her voice again, but what he needed was to keep things at the status quo. A little distance. No more letting his body’s needs get in the way of things. “Well, I guess we’ll never know.”

She nodded, her chin still lifted in defiance…and then, without warning, the tears in her eyes spilled down her cheeks.

“I’ve been horrible,” she whispered.

“No. You haven’t. You’re just upset and—”

“Horrible,” she said again, and he forgot everything he’d just told himself about her barging into his life, about getting through the night, about sex just being sex. He forgot everything, gathered her into his arms…

And kissed her.

The kiss was gentle and soft; it transcended whatever anger still smoldered within him.

“Sienna,” he said softly, and she shook her head, kept her lips against his until he framed her face with his hands. At last, he lifted his head, wincing when he saw her tear-stained eyes, the fragile skin beneath them looking as bruised as crushed lilacs. “Baby, forgive me. You were right, I took advantage of you and—”

Lightly, she lay her fingers over his mouth.

“You didn’t take advantage. I told you the truth. I wanted you, too. Being in your arms made me feel safe.”

“Ah. You’re good for a man’s ego.”

He said it with absolute solemnity. She blushed. Then, as he’d hoped, she smiled. The sight made his heart lift.

“I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. What I meant was—”

“You don’t have to explain.” Jesse wrapped his arms around her and drew her close against him. “And you’re right. I’ll keep you safe, I promise.”

Silence. Then she spoke in a small, soft voice.

“What if you can’t? What if there are some things that—that even you can’t protect me from?”

She could feel the sudden tension in his body.

“You’re afraid of more than the storm,” he said.

She buried her face against him.

“Tell me what it is.”

She shook her head.

“Is it that guy, Jack? The one who deserted you?”

What she heard in his voice frightened her. “No,” she said quickly, looking up at him. “Jack’s nothing. What I told you before was the truth. He doesn’t mean a thing to me and he didn’t desert me, I promise.”

Jesse’s eyes searched hers. Finally, he nodded. “Okay. Scratch Jack from the picture. Then, what are you afraid of? Tell me.”

She wanted to. Carrying this incredible secret was getting harder and harder.

“Sienna?”

“I want to tell you. But—but it’s too crazy….”

“Try me.”

She hesitated. “You promise you won’t think I’ve lost my mind?”

“You’re asking this of a guy who paints his face and rides out to watch the summer solstice?”

That won him another smile. Amazing, how good that made him feel.

“Okay.” Still, she hesitated. How did she say this? How did you tell someone you were from a different time?

“Sienna?”