Into the Lair

Chapter Eight

Eli Chance let himself into the bedroom he shared with Tyana and glanced over to see her propped on the bed, her casted leg elevated on a pillow.

She looked up, her eyes flickering with both welcome and wariness she still hadn’t shed when it came to him.

She kept it interesting which was one of the things he liked most about her. He damn sure never had to worry about being bored.

“Glad to see you found your way back to bed, sugar.”

She rolled her eyes, but he could see the pain and fatigue etched in her brow.

Not waiting for an invitation, he stretched out beside her, careful not to bump her cast. Her body settled comfortably into his, and he felt her go soft around him.

Enjoying the quiet and stillness, he brushed his lips across hers, tasting her mouth with his tongue.

“Jonah tells me you’re getting tired of me already,” he murmured.

Her eyes widened and she stared at him in horror. “He said what?”

He chuckled. “You’re way too easy, sugar.”

She frowned, but he saw a glimmer of guilt before she looked away.

“Ah, so you did put him up to getting rid of me.”

“Hell,” she muttered. “It wasn’t quite like that.”

He lifted one brow as he trailed a finger down the softness of her cheek. “So how is it? Come on, Tyana. We’ve always been honest with each other. Don’t start holding out on me now.”

She sighed and slumped back into her pillows in defeat. “I’m just not used to all the hovering, Eli. Don’t take it personally. This whole relationship thing is new to me. I don’t handle convalescence very well.”

He laughed. “That’s an understatement if I ever heard one. Okay, so I’m getting on your nerves.”

She gazed curiously at him. “You don’t seem offended.”

“Should I be? I’m assuming you don’t want to get rid of me on a permanent basis.”

“Don’t be stupid,” she growled.

He grinned. “I love it when you get cranky.”

He propped his head in his palm and let his other hand wander down her midriff, enjoying the way she tightened beneath his fingers.

“So what’s up, Tyana?” he asked softly. “What’s really going on here?”

There was a flash of vulnerability followed by a quick masking of her features. The tough exterior he was so used to pushed itself outward until not a trace of uncertainty remained.

And then just as quickly, as though she made the conscious decision to let him see inside, she crumbled, and she closed her eyes.

“I hate this,” she said honestly. “I hate not being able to face you as an equal. I hate being out of action. I hate not being able to help D. I want to go after Esteban so damn bad, and instead I’m stuck here with you babysitting me while Mad Dog and Jonah play the indulgent older brothers. It sucks!”

Eli knew better than to tease her at this point. He touched her chin with one fingertip to gain her attention. Her green eyes locked with his. He could read the conflict loud and clear. He understood it because he’d feel the same damn way in her position.

“So Jonah wants me to hook up with Tits and meet Ian and Braden in Austria instead of Paris, at the safe house he’s arranged. As soon as Ian checks in again, I’ll head out.”

Instead of looking relieved, Tyana grimaced. “You know he did it for me,” she muttered.

“Sending me on a pussy errand? Yeah, I know he did. He wasn’t any happier about it than I was. But we both love you, so I guess we can both suck it up.”

She visibly winced. “Christ. Now I feel about an inch tall.”

Eli took pity on her and leaned in to kiss her. “Quit being so hard on yourself, sugar. I knew when we started that things wouldn’t be easy, and our issues wouldn’t be resolved overnight. We’re both too used to doing things our own way.”

Tyana kissed him back. Not gently because that just wouldn’t be her. She took possession of his mouth like she owned it. Hell, he loved that. And he did belong to her.

When she pulled away, her eyes were glazed with passion, kind of foggy. “I’m not being fair. This has been so much more difficult for you, Eli. Having to cede control to Jonah, to someone you don’t fully trust yet. Having to rely on Falcon for the safety and wellbeing of your men. In your position, I know I couldn’t do it. Neither could Jonah. He’s too much of a control freak. And yet we all expect you to make sacrifices because you were dumb enough to fall…to get involved with me,” she finished uncomfortably.

He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling at her slip. She’d never said she loved him. Nor had she really acknowledged that he loved her. Hell, he couldn’t remember if he’d ever said the words either, mainly because he knew how uncomfortable they’d make her.

It was enough that she was here with him. They were together. She was having a difficult time adjusting, but never once had she hinted that she didn’t want to make it work.

He could be a patient man when the end result was worth it. Tyana was.

“I’ll be gone for a while,” he said casually, ignoring the awkwardness of her rambling. “Why don’t you hang out with D and recover so we can go kick some Esteban ass together?”

Her eyes flashed and brightened and a broad smile lit her face. Trust her to get all excited over the prospect of a good fight.

And then she sobered and touched his cheek with her slender fingers. “I want you to come back, Eli. I hope you know that. It’s not that I don’t want you here. It’s just that I hate for you to see me this way. So helpless. I hate seeing me this way.”

He captured her hand and kissed the tips of her fingers. “I won’t be going immediately, and don’t worry. You’re going to have to do more than whine to Jonah to get rid of me.”

She growled under her breath. “I didn’t whine to Jonah.”

He raised his eyebrows and quirked his lip at her. “Oh? That’s not the way he tells it.”

“Rat bastard,” she muttered.

“Oh, and Tyana? I assure you, Mad Dog and Jonah will be every bit as watchful as I am. So don’t get any crazy ideas.”

She actually looked disappointed.

“Now, you want me to carry you downstairs so you can drink and smoke weed with the other fools?”

“Carry?” she sputtered. “I’m down but not dead, Chance.”