Forbidden (Blood Ties #7)

Was she vegan?

Was she sick?

I stilled, standing over the stove. What if meat made her ill? What if any animal products did that?

Shit.

I snatched my cell from the counter and started typing a list. Fruits, vegetables, dairy-free butter and spreads. By the time I was done, my housekeeper had a message a mile long. I lowered the cell, then turned my attention to the oatmeal, searching the cupboards and the refrigerator for anything I could use.

I cooked the oats and added nutmeg, then spooned it into a bowl and topped it with sliced fruit. Soft slaps of bare feet snagged my attention. I jerked my gaze upwards and terror moved in, watching her step closer. “I smelled food,” she said carefully, her gaze flicking to the bowl.

“I…” I started. “I hope you’re hungry.”

Her belly gave a howl. The sound was loud and constant, causing me to push the bowl toward her. She glanced at the laptop as she slid onto the stool and pulled the oatmeal toward her. But if she cared about the MacBook, she hid it well, turning her attention to annihilating the food in front of her.

“Ooo…hot,”she hissed.

“Careful,”I snapped, striding closer. “The milk isn’t cold. It’s long-life, and all I had.”

Between gaping mouthfuls, she muttered. “These are thebestoats I’ve ever had in my damn life.” She attacked again, scooping up the fresh peaches I’d sliced and shoving them in her mouth.

She ate like she was starving.

I’d never seen anything so goddamn mesmerizing.

Beautiful even.

I’ddone that. I’d fed her like that. The best oats, that’s what she’d said. The best oats she’deverhad. “I can…I can cook you more if you’d like?”

I heard myself say the words, and yet it wasn’t me. I didn’t care, not about others and certainly not about her.

She gave a hint of a smile. It was just a flicker. Still, those dark brown eyes seemed toshine.“Sure, that’d be good.”

I slid my cell from the counter and tucked it into my pocket as she unleashed a deep, guttural moan and rubbed her belly. “Jesus, I don’t think I’ve ever eaten anything so damn fast in my life. I feel like I’m about to explode.”

The motion drew my gaze as she tugged the black t-shirt higher, revealing her soft belly underneath. She stiffened, then lifted her gaze and tugged the shirt into place.

“Don’t.” I met her gaze. “Don’t do that.”

“Don’t dowhat?”

I rounded the counter, yanked the shirt, and tugged the damn thing upward until it not only revealed the swell of her belly, but the scars under her breasts as well. I froze, staring at them. One looked like a…like a knife wound, another a burn.

She shoved backwards. “Get thefuck off me.”

I let her go, unable to do anything else.

She almost slipped as she scurried off the stool and stumbled away from me. “Don’t you fucking touch me. Do youhear me?Don’t you fucking dare.”

Oh hell no. This wasn’t happening.

I would not let her hide and cower and hate.

She could direct that at me…

But not herself.

Not anymore.