The Midnight Hour - Brenda Jackson [110]
He would ignore the fact that she had told him to go to hell, after saying a couple of other not-so-nice words. He would even ignore the fact that she had kneed him-in the groin. According to what Trevor and Ashton had told him while they had been covering his land earlier, expectant women had a tendency to have emotional moments. He would chalk this up as Tori having hers.
And from the look of things, she wasn't through. He leaned against the door and braced himself when she stopped pacing and turned to him. Fire was still in her eyes. But he thought she was beautiful when she was mad.
"You cannot tell me what to do, Drake. I am not a soldier under your command. I am a grown woman and if I want to fight, then I will."
"No, you won't, Tori. You have more than yourself to think about. Think of the baby."
She tossed hair from out of her face, threw back her shoulders and took a stance that let him know she was ready for round two. "I am thinking about the baby. This is my fight as well as yours and there is no way you can keep me out of it."
"Wanna bet?"
She glared at him. "But what you're asking is unfair. Why do I have to be the one to stay behind and man the security room? I want to be part of the action."
"Listen, Tori, your job will be an important one. With the remote controls Trev, Ashton, and I will be carrying, I need you watching the monitors, being our eyes, so we don't walk into an ambush or something."
"But that's not what I want to do."
"And like I said, you don't have a choice."
"And if I refuse to cooperate?"
He crossed his arms over his chest after thumping the back pocket of his jeans. "I have keys to the basement, Tori. It has a steel door with a state-of-the-art lock. Don't tempt me to use it. It should hold you rather nicely until we're through dealing with Cross. Like I said, you're staying behind."
"Like hell I will."
He smiled. "It doesn't matter to me if you consider it hell or heaven. You will not be leaving this house."
"And I'm supposed to stay here, paint my nails while you, Trevor, and Ashton are getting shot at? If you think that then you have another thought coming, Drake Warren."
"Then I have another thought coming and here it is, Tori: I told you what I need you to do. Ashton, Trevor, and I will be too busy with Cross to have time to worry about you, and-"
"Worry about me! I know how to take care of myself, Drake. I'm an ex-marine, a self-defense expert. I can shoot better than-"
"I've heard enough," he growled, coming after her, catching her off-guard. His hands closed around her wrist and his legs blocked hers so she couldn't try a karate maneuver on him. He lifted her, pinning her smaller body under his muscled one to the wall. His control had snapped. He had to keep her safe. He had to. He would die if anything happened to her.
"Dammit, listen to me, Tori," his growl going deeper. "I love that baby you're carrying and I love you. I love you so damn much that if anything were to happen to you, sweetheart, I couldn't make it. I couldn't stand to lose you twice. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
Tori heard the anguish in his voice and saw the turmoil in his gaze, stark fear that if he didn't take such drastic measures to protect her that history would be repeating itself.
She also saw the love shining in the depths of his eyes and a shudder ran through her. He loved her. He'd told her that he loved her.
"Drake."
The soundless whisper of his name from her lips only pushed him even more over the edge. His hips pushed against hers and she gasped at the hardness, the thickness and the size of the erection that was pressing into her stomach. Automatically she opened her legs, needing him inside of her; needing the assurance that everything would be all right and this would not be the end for them.
Drake inhaled deeply and she knew he'd caught