Read Cross for Free Online Page B

couldn’t do it. Just couldn’t.
    He pulled the door, closing it with a soft click.
    She was close enough to touch. And there was nothing else he could imagine doing.
    He held his arms out, uncaring that he probably smelled like sweat, dirt, and blood.
    She needed him.
    And deep down, where he didn’t even want to admit it to his bear, he needed to hold her more than he’d ever needed anything.
    She crumpled into his embrace. Her body fit against his as if she were made to be there. Every luscious part of her molded against him.
    He inhaled deeply, taking her scent into his lungs, letting it sit on his senses while his bear drew in her essence. She smelled like vanilla ice cream on a hot summer day by the lake.
    He and his bear processed and analyzed her scent. A faint telling of aroma spoke of attraction and desire. A part of Cross, especially his bear, rejoiced.
    Then they took in the other parts of her scent. Those were stronger, they told of the fear she felt. There was something else there—sadness, deep and desperate.
    What was on that flash drive? What could create these emotions?
    “Ariadne.” He pulled his head back, put his hand on her chin and tilted her face upward. He trapped her gaze with his, making sure she understood that he meant what he was going to say. “You have to trust someone—sometime. Surely you should know that if Fiona trusts Mae, and Mae brought you to me, I’d mean you no harm. It’s not our way to hurt anyone without cause.”
    Her eyes dilated, then contracted, the color like molten jewels. She drew a deep breath in, held it, her body stiffening against his, until finally she released it slowly. “Okay.”
    In that one word, Cross picked up the cost of what she was giving up. She had no control, no security, nothing. She was giving it all to him.
    I’ll be damned if I let her down.
    He already felt like he’d let Buck down. He should have heard shots, scouted for hunters… something.
    Yet at the same time, he knew, deep down, there was no way he’d have been able to anticipate what happened to Buck’s mother.
    No, he wouldn’t let Ariadne down. If it killed him, he’d keep from letting her down.
    “I—I was going to email it while you were digging. I couldn’t because the computer is password protected.”
    He admired her for owning what she did.
    “Let’s do it now.”
    “My flash drive is in there already.” She grimaced, making an I’m sorry face, and made as if to open the door, pulling away from his body.
    “One thing.” He held tightly.
    She paused.
    “No more lies. Promise?”
    She nodded. “And you?”
    Cross frowned. “Me what?”
    A bit more lip chewing. He used his thumb to pull her lip free of her even, pearly teeth.
    “No lies?”
    “No lies,” he affirmed, inwardly shaking his head at himself.
    How the hell will I manage that if she asks the wrong questions?
    His bear groused.
    “Okay. Let’s do this.” Her stomach rumbled. Her eyes widened, she slapped her hands over her midriff. “Sorry. Haven’t eaten.”
    “Damn.” He hadn’t even thought of eating; he’d been so caught up in the day. “Let’s feed you first.”
    “No.” Ariadne put her hand on his arm. “I may not be able to do it if I dwell on it much more.”
    Five minutes later, they were on the couch, he’d taken the flash drive out of the desktop, grabbed and booted up the laptop. While the processer did its thing, humming to life, he strode into the kitchen and grabbed a loaf of bread, cold cuts, and two bottled waters. He slapped a couple of sandwiches together and headed back
    Leaning forward, elbows on knees, chin on knuckles, Ariadne was staring at the laptop on the coffee table, her face a mask of sadness. She glanced at Cross as he handed her the sandwich.
    She shook her head. “I can’t. My stomach’s in knots.”
    Whatever the hell she was going to show him, it had to be bad.
    She put the flash drive in the USB port. Cross sat next to her, his sandwich still