Chapter 13

Pepper stared up into Wyatt’s face a long time, her body at war with her mind. Could she trust him? Did she dare? If it was only her, but there were three little children who had been locked in laboratories all their lives. She was making a decision for them. When Wyatt was close to her, when his mouth was on hers, she couldn’t think reasonably.

Right now, his body was hard and aggressive. She could see the warrior in him, a predator who hunted the swamps and bayous, went out on his missions and came back with more scars, but triumphant. He was a throwback to the Vikings she’d read about in the history books. He appealed to her on that level.

Who was she kidding? He appealed to her on every level. She’d grown up in a world where everyone was deceptive and wanted something from her. Not just her, the babies. She hadn’t been able to give them any kind of life. She hadn’t even known what she wanted for them until she’d entered Nonny’s house. Until she’d seen the love Wyatt had for his grandmother.

Wyatt’s face changed from that of a challenging conqueror to sweet, and she knew instantly she was in trouble. She tried to move, but he’d pinned her against the wall and he hadn’t so much as rocked back when she pressed her hands against his chest.

“Baby, listen to me,” he said, his voice so gentle she closed her eyes against it, needing to shut him out. “You’re just scared. We’ve added two more men into the mix, one of them a natural-born scientist. I understand that, but it isn’t something we can’t take care of together.”

Reluctantly, Pepper opened her eyes and let herself drink him in. Her obsession. Her addiction. Her savior. But was he real? She’d never been so scared in her life. She’d faced guns and knives and even one of Braden’s supersoldiers, but Wyatt… Wyatt disarmed her with kindness and his voice, and sex.

“I’m scared for the children and I’m scared for you as well. This can’t be a coincidence, you know that, Wyatt. It’s too much. Too intense. How can I go all this time, being around so many men and never feel anything at all? Not even a ripple of excitement. Not even when they were training me. I didn’t want any of them to even look at me let alone touch me.”

“That doesn’ upset me in the least, knowin’ you aren’ lookin’ at other men.”

She took a breath and confessed in a rush. “And then I saw you. Out there in the swamp, beatin’ that man for what he did to your grand-mere. I was alone, afraid and I’d been shot. So had Ginger. I knew I had to get both of us help, but I couldn’t look away from you. I couldn’t. And that terrifies me because I don’t put anyone before the children. I shouldn’t have stopped to look. My heart shouldn’t have beat faster. I shouldn’t have gotten damp and my breasts shouldn’t have felt swollen and achy when you were exhibiting such a penchant for violence, but it happened.”

He groaned at her description. “You’re killin’ me, honey. Don’ use words like ‘damp’ and ‘achin’ breasts,’ not when I can’ do anythin’ about it.”

“Don’t you see? That’s how I feel, and then you offer me everything. The entire world. Just like that. When you kiss me, I can’t think. I want you and nothing else. Why is that, Wyatt? I’m supposed to be the one that can use sex as a weapon, but I’m the one caught, not you.”

His hand drifted over her face, his touch so gentle she ached inside. “God, baby, they really did fuck you up, didn’t they? You don’ know who to trust. I’m standin’ in front of you and you’ve been inside my head, and you’re still so scared you can’ see me.”

Tears burned. “The babies, Wyatt. I have to consider them first. Who else is watching out for them? If I can’t think when I’m kissing you, when I’m standing this close to you, I have to question that.”

He dipped his head and pressed kisses along her jaw, blazing a trail to the corner of her mouth. “You are questioning it, Pepper. I’m standin’ right here with a hard-on the size of Texas pressed into your hot body and you’re still askin’ questions. Your brain is workin’ just fine. It’s gone in the wrong direction, but you’re still thinkin’.”

He tipped her chin up. “Look inside me, sugar. I like it when you’re inside my head. I don’ mind. I want you to feel safe with me.”

His grin sent a slow roll through her stomach.

“Of course, not safe in the sense that I’m not goin’ to jump you every chance I have. But Pepper, you need to know I’d protect you and the girls. They’re my daughters. I’m all about family. If you don’ know anythin’ else, you have to know that about me. We made a decision together to keep them safe…”

Her head went up, her eyes flashing at him. “Even from him? Your scientist friend? You’ll keep them safe from him?”

Wyatt didn’t look away from her steady, accusing stare. He didn’t even flinch. “I brought Trap here deliberately because he’s a man who can help me figure things out. He’s brilliant. Those girls can’t grow up segregated completely from society. We don’ want that for them. That means, Pepper, we figure out how to keep them from killin’ someone accidentally. Trap can do that for us. He’d never turn them into lab animals. Give him a chance. Trust me enough to know who is goin’ to have our backs.”

His body was so hard and hot, not giving an inch. Her own body had long ago betrayed her. “Wyatt, are you like me?” She watched his eyes, terrified of the answer, but she had to know. “Can you do what I do? Is that why I can’t resist you?”