“The kid lost his tail on the highway with that stuntman driving of his,” Rome added. “Happy now?”

I relaxed, but only slightly. “So how did you find me?”

“I’m a better tracker than most.” There was no smugness in his tone, only cold, hard truth. “I told you to stay at the apartment, Belle.”

My chin tilted, and I know I radiated pure stubbornness. “Hello, did you see the place? It was kind of smoky in there. Not to mention that cops and firemen were on their way.”

“If you hadn’t tried to escape,” he growled, “that wouldn’t have happened.”

“I needed time to think. Alone. Not that I got any,” I grumbled. “Listen. We can talk about how stupid you were in locking me up later. We’ve got to do something to protect Tanner-the boy who drove me here.”

“We?” His brows did that arch thing again, an action I was coming to hate.

My jaw clenched, and I glared at him. “Fine. Be that way. Act like a child. I’ll do it on my own. I’ll find him and I’ll protect him.” I covered my eyes with my right hand, losing my bravado. “I should have made him stay here.”

“You should have done a lot of things.” Rome plucked at the sheet, his fingers brushing my calf, my knee, then my inner thigh. It was a casual touch, and all the more sensual because of that.

I shivered, licked my lips, but didn’t move or voice a protest.

“Don’t worry about the kid.” His voice emerged hoarse, strained. “I’ve stashed his car, and he’s now sleeping in mine.”

My muscles released their viselike grip on my bones as relief coiled through me. “How-”

“Some of us actually know what we’re doing,” he interjected drily.

“That’s totally unfair!”

“Temper, temper.” He tsked again.

“You better watch how you talk to me.” Glaring, I leaned forward and pointed my finger at his chest. “You asked me for help, remember? I can assure you this is not the way to go about getting it.”

Without warning, his hand snaked out and gripped my wrist. The touch was electric, erotic. “I’ll let you do a lot of things to me with your finger.” His voice dipped low. “But poking isn’t one of them.”

Warm tingles invaded my bloodstream, slipping between my legs and rubbing in all the right places; I gulped and jerked from his clasp. Happy place, happy place. “I, uh, need to know some things about you so I can make an informed decision about what I should do.” There. A perfectly safe, nonsexual, nonthreatening subject. “Where are you from?”

All hints of emotion drained from his features, leaving him with a blank stare. He remained silent.

I tried again. “How old are you?”

Nothing.

“How old is your daughter?” Again, nothing. Grr. “I can’t trust you until I know exactly how you think I can help her.”

“Your abilities,” was all he said, but a flash of guilt filled his eyes for a split second.

There had to be more to it than that, but I didn’t press him. Stop stalling, Jamison. You’re going to trust him. Unfortunately, he was my only option at this point, and I was finally ready to admit it. Though I’d fought against it, denied it, hated it, he’d been my only option all along. I didn’t know how to hide myself (obviously). I didn’t know anything about tracking people. My talent was getting pissed and accidentally burning stuff down. Can I get a woohoo?

“Once you learn how to use them,” he added, and there was that flash of guilt again, “you’ll be exactly what I need to ensure my little girl’s safety.”

“Fine,” I sighed. “I’ll work with you.”

He ran his tongue over his bottom lip, an action more sensual than he’d probably meant it to be. “Maybe I need to rethink working with you. You’re trouble, baby. A lot of it. And trouble I don’t need, especially from someone who’s this reluctant. It’d be real easy to knock you out, take you in and wash my hands of you.”

Eyes slitting, I squared my shoulders and straightened my back. “It’d be real easy to smoke you right now.” That was, if I could still summon fire. I was mad at him, but no flames were appearing. “You’re really starting to piss me off.”

“I’m trembling.”

“You need my skills, Rome. Once I figure out how to use them, that is.”

“I’m not so sure you’re trainable anymore,” he said flatly.

“So you’ve changed your mind in the last three seconds?” How’s that for a twist of the ironic? I now needed to convince my captor to allow me to accompany him. My fists tightened over the sheet, bunching the material. “You can’t do it on your own or you wouldn’t have asked me for help.”

“A moment of weakness, I assure you.” He shrugged, but the nonchalant movement couldn’t mask the hard, determined glint in his eyes.

“Liar. You were willing to help me escape rather than take me to your boss, and that goes against your orders. You need me. Desperately.”

Silence stretched between us. Sizzled. I didn’t allow myself the luxury of looking away and easing the tension. His intense eyes studied my features, gauging, measuring. Too bad my new powers didn’t include reading minds.

“I said it before, but I’ll say it again. You’re no good to either of us until you learn to use and control your powers.”

Duh! I tossed up one of my hands. The other remained locked on the sheet. “Just how am I supposed to learn? It’s not like I can peruse the classifieds for a superhero coach. It’s not like I have a lot of time, either. We’re kind of on the clock here.”

He covered his eyes with the crook of his arm. “I’ll practice with you, and we’ll just have to pray we don’t destroy the entire world in the process.”

Would he be a hands-on coach?

The stray thought drifted through my mind, and I frowned. Hello, my name is Belle Jamison and I have a potty brain. Geez. Wait. Rome ’s delectable mouth was moving. He hadn’t stopped talking. I hated when I lost track of a conversation.

“-we track down Dr. Roberts, we’ll have a better understanding of your abilities.”

Since finding the bastard doctor had been on my To Do list, I eagerly agreed to Rome ’s plan. “Do you have any idea where he is?”

“Not yet.” Pause. He shook his head, dislodging several dark locks of hair over his forehead. “God, I can’t believe I’m doing this. I should just set myself on fire right now and save you the trouble.” Another pause. “I once allowed myself to be taken captive so I could get inside a para-prison and help another agent break free. I was tortured unmercifully, but I have a feeling that will seem like a vacation compared to this.”

I didn’t like the thought of him imprisoned, beaten up, bleeding. Weird. “I’m not that bad,” I grumbled.

“Baby, you’re worse. Get dressed. I’ll be waiting in the car.”

I didn’t move. “Where are we going?”

His gaze raked over me, lingering on my breasts, the juncture of my thighs. Heat flared in his eyes, so scorching my skin nearly caught on fire. Breath seared in my throat. “We’ll be going to bed if you don’t get dressed,” he said, his voice laden with wicked intent.

Unbidden, my gaze traveled the path his had taken. I was completely covered, but the sheet was see-through. Even in the moonlight, my nipples were clearly outlined, as was the dark triangle of hair between my legs. I gasped. “You should have told me I was giving you a peep show!”

“What, and let you end it? Do I look stupid?” He turned away from me. “Hurry up. The sooner we’re out of here, the better.” His legs kicked over the side of the bed, and he stood.

Before I could blink, he strode to the door and opened and closed it without a single noise. Not a whoosh of air, not a squeak of a hinge. He was gone, as if he’d never been inside the room. I knew better, though. I still tingled. Still fought for breath.

I scrambled up, and my knees almost buckled. Would Rome always have that effect on me? Would my body always ache for him? Would every feminine part of me always weep for him?