Bound to Secrets by Nina Croft Read Free Book Online

couldn’t. I killed one of them and almost killed the second.”
    “And you blame yourself?”
    “Why the hell wouldn’t I blame myself?”
    She gave him a small smile. “Because it’s not your fault. You didn’t do this to yourself.”
    He opened his mouth, no doubt to argue, and then snapped it shut again. He paced some more. Finally, he stopped and a wry smile tugged his lips.
    “Yeah, we’re a couple of life’s victims.”
    Maybe she was, but anyone less like a victim than Connor McNair, she had never seen. He was so big and powerful. He was still pacing, the muscles of his shoulders bunching as he moved. Then he stopped, and stretched, raising his hands above his head, baring a strip of olive skin at his waist. Heat flickered to life inside her and she couldn’t take her eyes from him. Her mouth went dry. She’d never felt like this, restless and confined. As though part of her wanted to move but the rest wanted to stay exactly where she was and fill her eyes with him.
    He turned suddenly and caught her staring.
    “What?” he asked.
    When she didn’t answer, his gaze dropped from her face, to slide over the rest of her. She peered down. Her nipples pressed against the thin cotton of her T-shirt and she fought the urge to wrap her arms around herself, hide from him. She glanced back up; he was watching her, a dull flush across his cheekbones, his dark eyes heavy lidded. Then he shook himself and looked away.
    She ran a hand through her hair; it was almost dry now. Usually, when she felt like this, she’d go for a gallop on Dubh, but she reckoned the pony had made himself scarce when Connor had arrived.
    “You want to go for a walk?” she asked.
    “Walk?”
    “You know, that thing you’re doing backwards and forwards right now, but outdoors.”
    “Yes.”
    Outside, the sun was still shining and she raised her face to the warmth.
    “You know,” Connor said. “When I first arrived here, I thought this was the most depressing place I’d been in my entire life.”
    “And now?”
    “Now… it’s growing on me.”
    Maybe he would stay a while.
    He took her hand. In her whole life, she couldn’t ever remember walking hand in hand with anyone. His palm was warm and hard against hers and he stroked her hand with his thumb almost absently as they strolled. Tingles shivered through her arm at his touch.
    His legs were much longer, but he slowed his pace to match hers and they walked together easily.
    “What do you want from life?” he asked.
    The question startled her. She’d actually been contemplating how to ask him to kiss her. She’d never really considered what she wanted before. It seemed foolish when her choices were so limited. Why torment herself with what could never be?
    Now she made herself think about the answer. What did she really want?
    “I don’t want to be alone anymore.” But that wasn’t enough. “I want to feel safe and I don’t want to hurt anyone else.”
    He nodded. “I want you to come back with me.”
    At his words, she halted, her brows drawing together. “Back where?”
    “To London.”
    She stared into his face. “How can I go to London? I hurt anyone I get close to. You felt what I did to you. I can’t stop it.”
    “Just hear me out. I’d sedate you for the journey. Sebastian is building a room, based on the implant technology. We think when you’re inside, you won’t be able to reach out to anybody. You won’t hurt anybody.”
    She chewed on her lower lip forcing down the hope threatening to bubble up and overtake all her good sense. Her mother had told her not to trust anyone, but she’d already trusted Connor with many of her secrets. Could he really make it safe for her to be around people?
    “What have you got to lose?” he asked.
    Maybe because hope was such a dangerous thing. If she tried this and failed, how would she ever face coming back to this lonely existence?
    “And then what?” she asked.
    “Then we find out what they did to you and