He rubs his cheek into my hand, but before he can say anything, my phone rings. I shut my eyes and sigh, annoyed at the intrusion. Damn this phone. I ought to start putting it on silent.

I lift it from the table where I’d left it and see the caller ID.

Damien

“I’M FINE, JONATHAN!” Aaliya speaks into her phone, her eyes on me. “Damien is taking good care of me, I promise!”

My lips purse on hearing her convince yet another man to not worry about her.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” she chuckles. “It’s horrible weather. You won’t be able to reach me no matter how hard you try. So, relax okay!”

Bloody hell! If Jonathan was in front of me right now, I swear I’d have punched his face.

She twirls a strand of her hair around her finger. “Yes, of course, we will catch up in London, whenever you say.”

I tune out of their conversation and stare into the fire. That Christmas story is one I don’t recall telling anyone ever except perhaps Gabe or maybe Jonathan. I surprised myself by opening up to Aaliya. She’s practically a stranger to me, yet my soul senses a connection to hers. How can this woman understand so much about me in such short an acquaintance?

I exhale a tortured breath. How does she know exactly how I feel? How does she understand I feel lost and so alone? And I have changed. That I’m not the same man I was five years ago. I woke up from the accident knowing I was different. There’s a void in my mind that screams inside me like a raging storm. But somehow, being with her makes that vacuum quiet. She calms the tempest in my mind by making herself the focal point of my attention. She calls to something deep within me that I can’t even explain to myself.

I observe the play of emotions on her face as she speaks and suddenly her eyes flash to mine. Need roars inside me, beating like a drum through my blood and I know in that moment that I’ve never wanted another woman as much as I want her.

She ends the call with Jonathan and walks back to where I’m standing near the fireplace.

“Sorry about that. But Jonathan has this misguided notion of being my protector.” She gives a half shrug.

“You do have a fan following. First Gabe and now him,” I shoot back at her, nettled.

Amusement shines on her face at my angry rant. She calmly says, “Gabe’s a good friend and like I told you earlier, I can handle Jonathan.”

I take a step closer to her. “Jonathan Wright is wicked as sin. You should know better than to entertain him.”

“Maybe I like wicked,” she says, tilting her head up to look at me.

“Stay away from him, Aaliya.”