“Is something wrong?”
At the sound of the deep, sensual voice, Denae spun around, forgetting her wound in her surprise. The pain struck instantly and caused her to gasp and try to grab for anything to stay upright.
She found herself in Kellan’s arms as he held her gently but securely. Denae gripped his strong arms while she absorbed the heat radiating off him. She looked up and was snagged in his celadon gaze, his lashes so thick and black they would have looked feminine on anyone else.
Her body responded instantly to his touch. Her blood pounded through her while a slow, steady heat settled between her legs. Denae couldn’t explain the irresistible and seductive attraction she felt for Kellan. It was there, as if it had always been and was just waiting for her to meet him.
As beautiful as his eye were, there were no emotions there. It was like a bucket of ice water thrown on her. Denae pushed away from him, trying to ignore the rigid muscles of his chest beneath her palms as she did.
“You can leave now,” she said as she faced the mirror once more.
“You’re pale.”
Denae gripped the sink again. “Yep. That tends to happen when a person is wounded and loses a lot of blood.”
“You should be feeling better.”
She lifted her gaze to look at him through the mirror. His words, combined with the way her wound looked as if it was a week old instead of just a few hours, made her scowl at him. “What did y’all do to me?”
Denae cringed as she finished. It had taken meticulous work on her part to eradicate all Texas twang from her speech, especially the y’alls.
“We tended to you.”
She turned to face him, making sure to move slowly so as not to pull her side. “What else did you do? I know how deep that wound was. I know I was bleeding badly.”
“The cave was dark,” he said and leaned a shoulder against the door frame before he crossed his arms over his chest.
It caused his shirt to stretch even tighter over the thick sinew. Denae had to look away. Damn him for looking good enough to lick from head to toe. “You just happened to be in the cave?”
“It is my cave.”
Her eyes snapped to him as she frowned. “Your cave? What does that mean exactly?”
“If I hadna been there, you’d be dead.”
“I think it would’ve been better for everyone if that were the case.” Denae faced the sink again and turned on the faucet. She splashed water onto her face, suddenly exhausted to the marrow of her bones.
She dried her face and spotted a brush. Without thinking, she unpinned her hair and let it fall around her. It was still damp in places as she ran the brush through it.
Denae caught Kellan watching her hand as she moved the brush through her thick hair. Something flickered in his eyes, some nameless emotion that caused her to pause.
When she did, his eyes jerked to hers and the coldness returned. For several tense seconds, they simply stared at each other. He made her edgy, as if there was an undercurrent of something primal and sexual she couldn’t grasp.
Denae wished she knew how to use her body as some agents did. Seduction wasn’t one of her skill sets, and it hadn’t been cultivated at MI5. If only she had paid closer attention to the agents who went undercover using their bodies, she might know what was happening to her now.
She returned the brush to its place and fidgeted, suddenly unsure of herself. The only time she felt such … restlessness was in Kellan’s presence.
Was he doing it to her on purpose? If so, it was a great tactic because it was working to perfection. Double damn him.
“Do I make you uncomfortable?” he asked.
She refused to make eye contact with him again, even through the mirror. “Isn’t that what you want?”
“Why would you think that?”
“Why are you in my room?”
“Is that no’ obvious?”
Denae shook her head and gave a rueful laugh. “I’ve already said I would tell you all I know of MI5’s plans regarding Dreagan. I don’t need someone watching over me. I doubt I could escape even if I was up for it.”
“You got onto our land and into my cave without us knowing.”
“I think we got lucky,” she said and started for the doorway, making sure to look anywhere but at him.
Just as she thought he might step out of her way, he blocked it, forcing her to look at him. “What were you searching for?”
“Anything. Everything. As I told you, they said I would know it when I saw it. That’s all I was told. When I asked why Dreagan was targeted, I was told there was suspicion. Matt knew more.”
“And you killed him.”
“It was kill or be killed,” she said through clenched teeth.
Her strength was waning fast. As if sensing it, Kellan moved out of the way and she walked the few steps to the bed and gingerly sat down.
“Cassie brought you pain medication,” Kellan said as he sat in the chair Con had vacated earlier.