Chapter 13

January 16th

5:11 P.M.

How couldhe do this to her?

Locking her up like she was a prisoner.

Scarlett was fuming as she circled the room in another futile attempt to find a way out.

Tate had lied to her.

Played her.

Even though it shouldn't, knowing that cut way too deep. It left wounds on her heart. Because it didn"t matter how many times she told herself she had imagined that connection and that Tate didn"t like her much less feel anything for her, her stupid heart wouldn't get with the program.

It wasn't even that her body found him attractive. That she could definitely ignore. It was the fact that every time she was around him, she got the warmest, flutteriest feeling in her stomach, and her heart felt like it was swelling until it was too big for her chest.

She hated it.

Every time it happened it was like life was taunting her. Like it was whispering in her ear, you know that man you thought could be the one, well he's not, he doesn't even like you.

Did life think she was stupid and didn"t know that already?

All those lies he'd told to lull her into a false sense of security so he could convince her to follow him there felt like a dozen knives buried in her back.

Worst of all, he still thought she was a traitor.

Why else would he lock her up?

A scream of frustration bubbled through her and erupted to fill the space, and she took the stairs back to the top, hammering her hands on the door until her throat ached from screaming, and her hands were bruised and bloodied.

Before her mind could spiral down the path of wondering whether her team had been lying to her as well, the door swung open.

Caught off guard, Scarlett stumbled backward.

If it wasn't for a pair of hands reaching out to grab her, she would have tumbled all the way down to the bottom of the stairs.

That moment of relief evaporated in an instant when she looked up to see Tate.

He was back, but what did that mean for her?

What was he going to do?

Was he taking her into custody and handing her off to whatever agency wanted to deal with her? Or was he going to hand out his own brand of punishment?

Fear and fury warred inside her, but she straightened her spine and met his gaze directly. "I hate you," she said simply.

Did he wince at her words? Scarlett wasn't sure, she was vibrating with anger, breathing hard, and her pounding pulse echoed too loudly in her ears for her to figure out anything else.

"I know you do," Tate said with a weary sigh. His gaze raked over her, taking in her disheveled appearance and her bloodied hands, and his eyes narrowed. "You didn"t take a shower. Or get any sleep. Did you eat something? Why didn"t you even change your clothes?"

He was kidding, right?

What part about being locked up against her will did he think would be conducive to taking a shower and having a snack?

Just as she was about to spit out every bit of venom that had been growing inside her these last however many hours since he locked her up and left, Tate spoke first.

Spoke the last words she imagined him saying.

"Scarlett, I owe you an apology. Actually, I owe you several."

That took a little of the wind out of her sails. A little. Not all. "Yeah, you do, buddy," she muttered.

When she went to breeze past him, needing to be out of the claustrophobic space before she lost her mind—locking someone who had recently been held captive into a small room was not a good idea—Tate stopped her.

Ready to fight, do whatever it took to not get put back in that room, Scarlett was already pulling back her arm, ready to strike him when his chuckle halted her.

"Hold up, little fighter, I was just going to give you this." He held up a shiny new key, and when she shot him a confused look he added, "It's a key to the apartment. I'd like us to stay there together so nobody looking for you will find you, but I don't want you to feel like you don't have my trust. This way you know you can"t get locked in here again."

Weariness suddenly assaulted her. She just wanted this to be over. She didn"t want to have to worry about Raul sending men after her. Didn"t want to be considered a traitor. "Wait, you said nobody who's looking for me will find me here. More than just Raul?"

"I"m sorry, Scarlett. There's a warrant out for your arrest." Tate's voice was gentle, and he'd said he wanted her to hide out here. Actually, he'd said that they were going to hide out here together.

Together.

Why?

Rubbing at her temples, she looked up at him through her lashes. "I don't understand why you"re staying. Why you"re not turning me in. You"re risking your career and your freedom."

Why on earth would he do that for her when he didn"t even like her?

"Can I make you something to eat while we talk?" he asked.

Curling her fingers around the key when he placed it in her palm, Scarlett weighed her options. With law enforcement, every defense agency, and the weapons trafficker hunting her, she wasn't safe out there. Tate didn"t like her, and he'd betrayed her by planning all along to bring her here and lock her in, but he was offering her protection anyway.

And risking a lot to do it.

With a tired nod, she turned and clutched the key as she headed back into the apartment. With Tate here it felt that much smaller, but oddly less claustrophobic. This man threw her system completely out of whack, and she didn"t really understand why.

Didn"t understand him either.

"What about grilled cheese sandwiches?" Tate asked as he headed for the kitchenette.

Honestly, she didn"t care what they ate. It had been … much too long since she'd last eaten, and yet she had zero appetite. "I"m not all that hungry."

"You need to eat, Scarlett. You haven't had anything since at least the night you went home, that's forty-eight hours ago now, and you've been running on adrenalin ever since. Food, we talk, then you"re going to go take a hot bath and get the sleep you need."

There was authority in his tone, and she got the feeling arguing about anything was pointless.

For now, at least, she was going to take the path of least resistance.

"Fine. Grilled cheese is okay with me," she said, sinking into a stool at the breakfast bar.

"Once I've got the food cooking, I'll take a look at your hands."

Glancing down at her hands as they rested on the counter, she saw her knuckles were bloody, more wounds to add to her growing collection. She felt like one big, throbbing, bloody mess, battered inside and out.

"First off I need to apologize to you for blowing you off after the night we spent together," Tate said as he prepared their food. "I shouldn't have done that, and I definitely shouldn't have pretended I didn"t know you that day at the grocery store. Truth is, you scare me, Scarlett Madden."

Surprised by Tate's honesty, her gaze darted up to look at him. "You"re scared of me?" she asked incredulously.

"You aren"t afraid of anything, Scarlett, not even getting hurt. You put yourself out there, wear your heart on your sleeve, you trust your gut in a way I haven't been able to do. You don't let the possibility of getting hurt hold you back, you just go after what you want, and I respect the hell out of that. Truth is, I"ve been scared to fall in love ever since I was a kid because my parents loved each other so much they didn"t have room in their hearts for anyone else. Not even me. I never wanted to risk being so dependent on another person that if I lost them I could no longer function. But you … you got under my skin."

Unsure if that was a compliment or an insult, Scarlett cocked her head and studied the man cooking in the kitchen. "So, you hate me for that?"

Tate's sigh was as weary as she felt. "No, Scarlett. I never hated you. I resented you for making me feel things I didn"t want to and reacted badly. I'm truly sorry for that. No excuses. I was a jerk. And I"m sorry for not trusting what I knew about you to be true and thinking even for a second that you would be a traitor. I let some … family stuff cloud my judgment, and that was unfair to you. I"m sorry that I left you here today. I had to go into Prey, and I couldn't risk taking you there knowing there's a mole. I … don't know what to think when it comes to you, Scarlett. But I know that when you"re around, I feel different, and when you"re not I can"t stop thinking about you. I don't deserve your forgiveness but I"m asking for it anyway. Do you think you can forgive me for treating you so badly?"

January 16th

5:26 P.M.

He had laid allhis cards on the table.

After thinking over it all day, Tate had come to the conclusion that he had to find the courage to see through this thing with Scarlett. Wherever it ended up leading him.

Now he had to wait and see if she was willing to give him a chance.

A chance to … what he wasn't quite sure yet.

All he knew was that Scarlett held nothing back. Allowed her childhood of being neglected and abandoned to fuel her and make her go after what she wanted harder. Unlike him. He'd used his childhood as an excuse to wave the white flag of surrender and hide.

Shame.

That's what the comparison made him feel.

While he had no idea what would happen between him and Scarlett, he wanted at the very least to earn her forgiveness. If he couldn't convince her to risk her heart on him again, after he had rejected it and her at every turn, then he understood. Completely. But he needed to prove to her he was sorry and get her forgiveness. Maybe then he could respect himself again.

Only she hadn"t said anything.

Was just sitting there staring at him like she didn"t quite believe he was real.

No wonder after the way he'd treated her. The only time she'd seen the real Tate was on that night they spent together. She'd seen the Tate he didn"t allow anyone, not even his teammates, to see. But if he told her that he doubted she would believe him. Because the Tate she had the most experience with was the cold, hard man who would do whatever it took to protect himself and his heart from ever being rejected again.

Assuming Scarlett's silence was her rejection of his apology, he turned, ready to go and get the first aid kit. At least he'd make sure her wounds were taken care of. Then feed her and make sure she got the rest she needed. Then he'd do whatever it took to clear her name and make sure she could live her life freely and without fear.

"Tate."

His name falling from her lips stilled him. Did he dare to hope?

"It's easier to forgive you for treating me like a traitor. That I can understand, it's everything else …" her voice trailed off but she didn"t need to finish her sentence.

Truth was, their childhoods had been alike in many ways.

Just because he hadn"t been pushed to become something he didn"t want to be, and his parents had been around, at least physically, they weren"t available emotionally. There but not there. Not in any way that mattered.

"Can you give me a chance to make you understand? Show you that I wasn't running from you but myself? That I acted like a jerk out of a sense of self-preservation?" It was a big ask, he wasn't denying that. Nor could he promise her he'd never be a jerk again. But he could promise he would do everything in his power to overcome his fears rather than letting them control him.

"I … I could maybe … try …" Scarlett said slowly, looking up at him with uncertain eyes.

A win as far as he was concerned.

And so much more than he deserved.

"I'll take it," he said quickly, making her smile. Just a tiny smile, but better than the lost look that had been on her face a moment ago. Turning off the grilled cheese, he wanted Scarlett to relax so she could keep her food down, he reached out and took her hand, careful not to press too hard against her battered knuckles. "Can you let me take care of you? Just for tonight."

One night to show her the man he could be.

The man he wanted to be.

Was it enough?

No.

That was the simple answer. He'd been a jerk to Scarlett for months, there was no way a single night could change anything. But at least it was a start.

"Umm … I guess …" Scarlett said, sounding uncertain, but the smallest hint of pink stained her cheeks, and his mind immediately went to all the ways he could take care of her.

"Hey." Hooking a finger under her chin, he nudged until she looked up at him. "I don't bite, Scarlett. At least not unless asked," he added with a wink.

Her cheeks went from pink to flaming red in a heartbeat, and Tate threw back his head and laughed.

Damn, it felt good to laugh.

Taking the first step had been hard, but now, earning Scarlett's forgiveness and learning to let someone get close to him was easier than he'd thought it would be. Did he think it was going to be all smooth sailing from here on out? No. But he was at least out on the water, the rest he could figure out as he went.

"Come here." Scooping her up into his arms, he carried her into the bathroom. For a small apartment they'd put in just in case one of them needed a place to crash, they had spared no expense. The room was floor-to-ceiling tiles, with a huge walk-in shower, and an enormous jacuzzi tub.

Now he set her on the counter beside the sink and turned on the tub. Leaving it to fill, he returned to Scarlett, stripping her leggings and sweatshirt off her. She didn"t protest him removing her clothes, but when he stripped off his own her eyes grew wide as they roamed his body.

There was no need to worry about their attraction fizzling out, from the looks of things, he didn"t think either of them could ever get their fill of the other.

It was earning Scarlett's trust and then her heart that was going to be a challenge.

Grabbing a washcloth, he ran it under the water in the sink, knelt before her, and carefully picked up one of her feet. They were muddy from walking around without shoes, and given the freezing temperatures, she was lucky there were no signs of frostbite.

As he cleaned first one and then the other, guilt swallowed him whole.

He should have made sure she had shoes.

Should have taken her somewhere to buy some rather than having her walk all night in the cold in bare feet.

"I'm sorry, Scarlett," he whispered.

"For what?"

"For letting you down again."

"We were running for our lives," she reminded him.

No excuse.

With both feet cleaned, he turned his attention to her hands. They fueled his guilt just like her poor dirty feet had. Locking her in here might have been the best move safety-wise but it sucked boyfriend-wise.

Boyfriend?

Was that what he wanted to be?

As he smoothed the cloth over her split knuckles, Tate realized that there was a huge part of him that really did want to give things with Scarlett a chance. It was terrifying but kind of in an exhilarating way.

"Sorry for leaving you here," he said, meeting her gaze as he set the cloth down. "I truly believed it was the best move in terms of safety, but it still wasn't fair of me. Not after you'd been kidnapped. Not ever."

"If you"d explained it to me, I would have agreed," she said softly.

"Other than my team on an op, I never trust people to agree with me," he told her truthfully.

Scarlett nodded slowly. "Okay, then apology accepted."

Dropping a kiss to her forehead, he turned to shut off the water, the bath was filled, and he was ready to put her in it and let the hot water soothe her tense muscles. Picking her up before she could stand, Tate carried her to the tub and set her down, then climbed in behind her.

"You"re taking a bath with me?" she asked, clearly surprised.

"Miss a chance to touch every inch of your smooth, soft skin? Not a chance, sweetheart."

Her blush was the most adorable thing ever. Everything about her was sweet and adorable and sexy enough that he was already rock hard by the time he settled her between his spread thighs and picked up a loofah.

Taking his time he cleaned her back, careful of the healing wounds from the whip and the gunshot wound that thankfully didn"t look red or inflamed. His touch slowed further when he moved to her front, brushing the loofah across her stomach before sliding it up to her chest. He circled one breast and then the other, grinning when Scarlett let out a breathy moan and her head tipped back to rest against his shoulder.

He brushed the loofah across first one nipple and then the other. The contact of the rough material against her pebbled nipples drew another moan from Scarlett and he did it again just to hear the sound.

Then he brushed it down her stomach and grazed it across her center. Her hips rose to meet the featherlight touch, but he was already moving on to her legs. Bending her knee up so he could reach her foot, he cleaned it again, then moved up her calf and to her thigh. Before he moved onto her other leg, he once again swiped the loofah across her bud.

"Tate," she moaned, the sound a thread away from a desperate plea.

"If you want more you"re going to have to say it out loud, sweetheart," he told her. No way was he going to take advantage, but he also wasn't going to deny her anything she wanted. He wanted to be the person Scarlett trusted to always be there for her, to never leave like everyone else in her family had.

"I … I want you to … touch me. To make me feel good, to make me feel safe, to make me feel like I matter."

The whispered words made his heart ache. "Oh, baby, you matter. That was the problem. From that first night, you mattered. I've been running from that truth for months, but no more. You matter, and that's a good thing."

With an arm wrapped around her waist, Tate shifted them both so they were on their knees. He knew he had Scarlett positioned in the right spot when she groaned and wiggled her hips.

The flow of one of the jets was aimed right at her bundle of nerves, and his fingers stroked her skin as they gripped her hips. "Are you on birth control?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah," she said, looking at him over her shoulder through heavy-lidded eyes.

"I"m clean, condom or not?"

"I"m clean, too, I've never done it without a condom before."

"Me either, sweetheart." He'd never wanted to either. But right here, right now, with this woman, he didn"t want anything between them.

"No condom," she whispered.

This time not wanting to make her wait for a single thing—Scarlett had been waiting long enough for someone to make her feel important—he lined up and slid inside her.

It felt like coming home.

Like all his life he too hadn"t felt important, like he mattered, but with Scarlett, they both … belonged.

Caught between the jet sending water pounding right onto her bud, and him behind her, gripping her hips as he thrust into her, from this angle grazing the spot inside her he knew would soon have her seeing stars, Tate set a steady pace.

Didn"t take long for Scarlett to cry out, her internal muscles clamping around him, setting off a chain reaction as pleasure shot through his body.

Nuzzling her neck as aftershocks of pleasure zinged through his body, Tate touched a row of kisses down the slender column. "You matter, Scarlett. Never doubt that. You matter to a lot of people, and you matter to me."

Absolute truth.

Truth he'd tried to ignore and deny.

But he couldn't any longer.

Didn"t want to either.

But even as he fell a little harder for Scarlett, a voice was taunting him at the back of his mind. A dangerous man was hunting Scarlett and there was a warrant out for her arrest.

What happened if he fell for her and lost her?

Would it destroy him as losing his mother had done to his father?