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.His voice was dangerous.“Tell me what’s wrong so I can fix this.What scared you?”Luna glanced to the vending machine and back to him.She couldn’t seem to calm enough for words to come out.She closed her eyes and willed herself to relax.After several deep breaths, she opened them and glanced back to the machine.“Bryan—at the diner.I don’t know if he saw me.”Cato shot up to his full height and a deep rumble poured from his throat as he glared in the direction she’d indicated.He glanced back to her and his eyes morphed from glittering evil to soft and comforting.He plucked her from the seat and she wrapped herself around him again.“Which is your room? Give me the key, baby.”Luna pointed then dug into her pocket and handed him the key card.With long, effortless strides, he was at her door and shoving himself inside.He set her down and grabbed the black duffle she’d swiped and threw it on the bed.“Hurry, get your things.If he knew where you worked, he’ll be here soon.” He pulled the dresser draws open and started stuffing her clothes into the duffel.Luna scrambled to the bathroom and started gathering as much as she could carry in her arms and threw it on the bed.She made two trips before she had it all.Quickly, she dug under the mattress and pulled her art supplies and journal out.Hesitating, she lifted the mattress again and retrieved his shirt.She handed them to him and blushed when he recognized the material dangling from his hand.She tried to ignore his grin and ran to the closet.She yanked everything off the hangers, wadded them in a ball, and shoved them into his arms.Dropping to the floor, she searched under the bed and pulled out a plastic sack filled with her precious figurines.She wrapped a few towels around it and carefully placed it inside the bag.She looked up to Cato.“My figurines.They’re very special to me.”He nodded and asked, “Is that everything, sweetness?”She glanced around the room one last time and nodded in agreement.Cato grabbed the handle of the duffle and pulled her close with his other arm.“Walk fast, baby.”Luna clung to his arm and tried to keep up with his long strides.He placed the duffel into the back of his truck and lifted her into the passenger seat.She struggled to put the seatbelt on as she watched him lope around to the driver’s side.Cato jumped in, reached over, and palmed the back of her neck.She gasped when he pulled her sideways and her shoulder pressed against the seat.Her head was almost in his lap.She looked up just as his face was bathed in bright light then quickly faded back to shadow.“Stay down,” he said ominously.“Does Bryan own a silver Lexus?”Luna whispered, “Yes,” and felt her stomach roll.She heard the growl of Cato’s truck when he turned the ignition and watched the stars moving across the windshield.Her breathing restarted when the motel sign came into sight and passed by the driver’s side window.She felt the truck sway to the left before the engine growled and picked up speed.“Can I get up now?” She felt strong fingers press lightly into her neck and stroke gently across her skin before he released her.“Yes, sweetness.We’re gone.”Luna lifted herself upright and turned to look at his profile.His eyes flicked several times between the rearview and side mirrors before he turned his head toward her.Her chest tightened at the look of hurt in his incredible blue eyes.Reaching out, he grasped her twisting fingers and squeezed lightly.“Why did you leave me, Luna?”Chapter 24Looking down at the broad hand covering her fingers, Luna tried to formulate a reasonable response for her actions without sounding like a petulant child.She opened her mouth several times but couldn’t seem to find the right words.“Look at me, sweetness.”Moving her gaze back up, she blinked a few times when he smiled at her.He was breathtaking.“I’m not mad, baby.You just scared the shit out of me, that’s all.You can tell me.How can I fix this?”Luna glanced out the back window.The further away they were from the motel, the stronger she felt.She leaned heavily against the seat.“I think you just did wonders at fixing it when you saved my ass back there.I can’t let him take me.I should’ve listened to you.It’s my fault.”Cato released her hand and white-knuckled the steering wheel.His jaw was doing the gravel chew again.“It’s not your fault.Never say that.He needs to leave you alone and I’m going to see to that, but I know you left because of something I said.What scared you so badly that you couldn’t talk to me about it?”Heaving out a sigh, Luna looked out the windshield so she wouldn’t have to see his look of disgust, or worse, pity.“It was my journal.I heard you tell your friend about it.It’s very personal and I was angry that you’d read it.Bryan found it once and he never let me hear the end of it.He said I was twisted and needed help.”“He’s an idiot.Yes.I found it, but I never opened it.”Luna shot him an incredulous look then frowned.“You never opened it?”“Never.”“Why not?”Cato glanced at her, his eyes serious and searching.“I had no right.You’d been violated enough.It would’ve been wrong.”“Then why did you say that I was insane and had a vivid imagination?”Cato’s brows drew together in confusion and he glanced to the road.“I never said you were insane.” Suddenly his eyes widened and he glanced over to her.“No, baby.That wasn’t directed at you.Kallon and I were talking about something else.I was referring to you when I mentioned a vivid imagination.I saw the first two pictures in your sketch pad.The pride lion and the mountain peak view.They’re absolutely beautiful.Only someone with an excellent imagination could have drawn them so realistically.I felt like I was there.It was amazing.”Luna felt warmth suffuse her chest when she read nothing except honesty within his eyes.She gaped at him.“What planet are you from?”* * * *Cato felt the blood drain out of his face.This wasn’t a conversation he wanted to have while traveling down the road at seventy miles an hour.He swallowed hard and croaked out, “What do you mean?”Luna shook her head and continued to stare at him
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