“What made you feel as if you had to run?” He waited. She squirmed. He refused to release her captive gaze. “I know they shot you because of me. I know they came after you—”

She shook her head. “It’s the children,” she blurted and then clamped her mouth closed tightly.

“Children?” he echoed. “Are you afraid for our children? That these monsters might come out of the woodwork and try to harm them? Because I can protect my own.”

She shook her head again. “If you lose control of your leopard, he might react the way my grandfather’s leopard did. He might hunt them. Try to kill them. Or hurt them in some other way.”

He was silent for what seemed forever. He didn’t wince, although he knew her fear was that he might harm them in some terrible loss of control.

“I’m not capable of harming one of our children, Evangeline. You’ll just have to take my word for that.”

She took a breath and tried to ignore the way his thumb brushed caresses back and forth over her jaw. Each touch sent a million little darts of fire racing through her body. The blood in her veins felt thick and hot.

“What if I don’ meet your expectations and you need . . . more?”

His thumb stopped moving. “More?”

She tilted her chin at him. “Yes. More.”

“I can’t promise you easy, solnyshko moyo, but I can promise you there will never be another woman. I’ll spend every day doing my best to make you happy. I know you’re afraid, I know that, but I’ll take care of you. There isn’t ever going to be a need for more because you’re all I want.”

“Alonzo.” She swallowed his name. “Fyodor. I might not be any good at sex. You clearly are.” Sex was the last word she wanted to utter in that room. Not with the bed only a few feet away. Not with his bedroom just on the other side of the passage.

“That’s your fear?” He looked amused. His golden eyes glinted at her, the blue flame flickering through the ice.

She tried to step away, but his hand tightened and his head bent toward hers. Not fast. Slowly. Infinitely slow. She stared into his eyes as his head descended. Anticipation was in her mouth. His taste. His touch. She craved his kisses. She stood very still, waiting, her heart pounding. Needing him. Needing the feel of his mouth on hers.