All the pieces he’d been gathering for weeks now fell into place, and the picture that appeared was not a pleasant one. Abruptly, he set Bard on the floor and straightened. He didn’t need clarification right now, didn’t need to hear her say she thought he could ever be like the men who had taught her only fear. He needed to chase the shadows away before the shuddering flicker of light blew out again. “All right, that’s enough talk about the past for one night.”
In that one-shouldered halter top that reminded him strongly of the bathing suit she’d worn the night they’d met, she was entirely sexy and should have evoked a raging desire to take her upstairs to her bed in the loft, but the vulnerability in her wide eyes was once again too reminiscent of a frightened doe. When her lip quivered
