Page 84 of Protector Unmatched

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Quietly, Pearce opened the door to the Cloud Room that had been assigned to him and stepped inside. Daphne had retired an hour earlier, and he didn’t want to wake her in case she was already asleep. It turned out she wasn’t, though she’d gotten out of her street clothes and was sitting on the bed, wearing a terrycloth robe.

“Hey,” he said, and gave her a hesitant smile. “I thought you might be asleep already.”

And hadn’t he secretly hoped for exactly that? So he didn’t have to have the conversation he knew he had to have? But it was time for Daphne to know the truth. He didn’t want to go into the next battle carrying a lie on his shoulders. If only he knew how to tell her.

“I can’t sleep.” She swung her legs over the side of the bed and rose.

He walked toward her and stretched out his arms, but she didn’t walk into his embrace. “You’re worried about tomorrow. You should stay here.”

She shook her head. “It’s not that.” She swallowed hard as if her throat was too dry.

He motioned to the door behind him. “If you’re worried about all the vampires in the house, don’t be. They’re good people. They’re not a danger to any of—”

“No, they’re not,” she interrupted, and looked him in the eye. “But you think I am. You think I will kill you. You believe that, don’t you?”

Stunned at hearing the words come from her mouth, Pearce froze for a split second, before his schooled hand made an automatic movement—that of pulling his dagger from its sheath at his waist.

Daphne gasped and slapped her hand over her mouth, tears already welling up in her eyes. “Oh my God, you do. You do think that I’m gonna kill you. You believe Winter’s vision. You believe I’m a murderer.” Sobs tore from her chest and burst over her lips, while tears ran down her cheeks in little rivulets that threatened to become rivers.

His heart broke for her, and he quickly put the dagger aside. He didn’t want to upset her any more than she already was. “How do you know about Winter’s vision?”

“I overheard you and Logan. I didn’t mean to… I just wanted to find the bathroom.” She wailed again. This time the sobs ripped through her body like spasms.

He couldn’t stand it any longer and pulled her into his arms. He pressed her to his chest and rubbed up and down her back, trying to calm her. Was this really the reaction of an assassin upon finding out that her intended victim knew what was going to happen? It couldn’t be. What he felt from Daphne were deep emotions, terrible distress, genuine anguish.

“Please don’t cry, babe,” he murmured into her hair.

She lifted her head and looked at him with tear-stained, puffy eyes. “But how can you even be with me if you believe in this vision? How can you stand the sight of me? How can you sleep with me?”

“How can I not be with you? How can I not share your bed? Make love to you? How can I stop myself from being close to you?” He sighed, and for a moment, he didn’t know how to continue, but he knew that if there was still a chance to change the outcome of the vision, it could only be brought about by the truth. “Winter’s visions are always right, but they can change depending on the actions we take. I’d hoped that when we met, when we got to know each other, that my helping you would change the vision. That whatever makes you kill me in the future will never come to pass.”

Daphne slowly pushed against him, and he released her from his embrace. “So, us meeting, it was all…”

He nodded. “A setup. I was invisible when I stole your wallet. And I made sure I stood behind you in the checkout line so I could help you out of the problem that was my doing in the first place.” He looked away, not proud of his prior actions.

“And you slept with me only so you could change—”

“No!” He whipped his head back to her. “No, don’t ever think that. What happened between us, the attraction, the sex, the chemistry, that’s all real. I never expected that. When the others found out, they warned me. But I was in too deep already. I realized you were in trouble, and I was only too happy to help you sort out that mess with your brother, and then with his fence Vasili. Those things, yes, I did partially because I hoped to gain your goodwill so you’d never think of killing me, but primarily because I hate to see you hurt, physically or emotionally.”

He caught himself reaching out to caress her cheek but pulled it back before he could make contact.

“Oh, Pearce, you should have told me.” More tears started rolling down her cheeks. “I could have told you after our first night together that I would never hurt you. I hate seeing anybody in pain, even my no-good brother, but you, oh, Pearce, it would break my heart to hurt you.” She shook her head and sobbed again. “Killing you would mean ripping my own heart from my chest. Don’t you understand that? Can’t you see that? I love you, and I’d never do anything to lose you.”

Pearce’s heart began to thunder in his chest. Had Daphne really just declared her love for him? He pulled her into his arms. “Oh, babe.” He pressed a kiss to her lips. They were salty from her tears, but sometimes the truth didn’t taste sweet. “Screw the vision, Daphne. I believe in you.”

However many days, or months, or years he had left, he would spend them with Daphne. And every night they would fight the vision from coming to pass by loving each other. Because as long as Daphne loved him, she wouldn’t hurt him. He believed that. He knew it was the truth.

“We’ll fight the vision together,” he promised.

Daphne’s tears dried, and she slung her arms around him. “Yes, together. We can do it, my love, I know we can.”

She started tugging on his shirt, and he helped her pull it over his head. Her hands on his chest felt good, reassuring, right. And her lips tasted of love, of affection, of trust. He drank it all in, soaked up everything she wanted to give him.

When he felt Daphne attempt to undo the button of his pants, he did it for her and pushed them down, kicked off his boots, and rid himself of his socks. Daphne was already stripping him of his boxer briefs, and before he could pull her back into his arms and press his lips to hers again, she was already kneeling in front of him and gripping his rock-hard cock.

“Fuck!” he said on a stunned gasp.