by Sharon Kay
Damn. He cleared his throat, needing to get his thoughts straightened out. “I’m sorry again about last night. Walking out like that was a dick move.”
She dropped her arms. “No, don’t be sorry. The whole thing was sort of…unplanned.”
“And I enjoyed it, but—”
“I know. It’s complicated.” Her voice was soft, with an emotion he didn’t like, that sounded a lot like regret.
“Ria…” He paused, having not spoken about Lottie for so long, the words stuck in his throat. Ah hell. There was no easy way to say it. “Maybe you know this, but I had a mate. Centuries ago. She died because of my Watcher duties.”
Big blue eyes gazed up at him with compassion. “I’m so sorry.”
“The mate bond is indescribable,” he murmured, hating her sad smile but hating the past more. “Was indescribable. It’s gone now, obviously.”
“I’ve heard Gin and Mathias talk about it, and other mated pairs. I can’t begin to imagine it.”
He stood silently, his own thoughts echoing her spoken words. There was a long while that he couldn’t imagine living without his mate, didn’t know how to get to the end of each day. The raw pain of loss, of having half your soul ripped out, had brought him to his knees. He’d coped through his work and a lot of Tarsa rum. He’d barely slept, because when he closed his eyes he saw Lottie’s face.
But that was when he was a hundred years old. Now, seven long centuries later, he stood with a woman whose smile rivaled the sun and whose scent soothed his ravaged heart. Possibility hung in the air. Just like the possibility of the sword. If there were a chance, he needed to explore it. He’d almost lost her to the damn Serus toxin. And irrational though it may be, the thought of another man’s hands on Ria made him furious.
He’d learned to trust his instincts. And this instant, every cell in his body was tingling with only one female’s name.
Time to see where this goes.
C
HAPTER 6
“I’M SORRY,” RIA REPEATED, BECAUSE she didn’t know what else to say. Arawn was just standing there staring at her, his eyes haunting and mesmerizing at the same time. Touching him seemed inappropriate after he’d broached the subject of his former mate. But touching was what friends did to comfort each other.
Were they friends?
She was so confused, she honestly couldn’t answer the question.
He raked a hand through his hair. “You deserve to know why things are complicated.”
She waited, holding her breath, not wanting to do anything that might change this moment.
“I like to spend time with you. I want to do it more.” He fixed his dark eyes on her, locking her in place with the intensity of his stare. “But this is new territory for me.”
A cautious breath escaped her lungs as she tried to process his words. “Is that a warning or an invitation?”
A low growl stirred in his chest. “Both.”
Her body stirred. If anyone could make spending time together sound like a recipe for unpredictable wildness topped with tummy flips and snarls, he could.
“Okay.” Her brain cells gave up their capacity for rational thought as amber light banked in his eyes. He stepped closer and her body kicked into overdrive. Heartrate, breathing, and hormones all soared into the stratosphere. Heat and promise rolled off him, blocking anything else.
She swallowed, not quite sure what was happening, only that she’d get more of his very limited time. Because he wants to. He stood there, barefoot again, so tall she had to tilt her head back to meet his eyes. Mouthwateringly sexy in a T-shirt that stretched tightly across his chest and outlined those gorgeous pecs she’d been pressed against last night. Gods, he was perfect.
His growl morphed into a low rumble that she felt in her chest. “Ready?”
“Um…” Ready for what? Was he going to kiss her again? Her fingers twitched to touch him.
“We should run this thing.”
Oh. Her cheeks heated as she came back to the moment. “If you’re ready to get beaten.”
He shook his head but grinned. “You’re tough, but you can’t beat me.” He stepped away, putting three feet between them. “Ready?”
“Ha. You’re going down for that. I mean….shit.” She winced at the accidental double-entendre.
His molten stare raked her from top to bottom. “Is that a warning or an invitation, Princess?” His soft echo of her words belied the hunger radiating from him.
Yes. No. Gods, he short-circuited her mind. She squeezed her eyes shut for a brief moment. “Run. We should run. Now.”
He gave a low chuckle and turned to the course. “Get ready.”
With monumental effort, she pushed all thoughts of his body and talented mouth to the back of her mind. Time to focus, to show him she could keep up and get back to work soon. She stood behind the white chalked starting line and assessed the first challenge, which was a twenty-foot rope climb up and back down.
He counted down from three to one, and they sprinted to the ropes. It was a standard hand over hand climb, and with his superior upper body strength he drew ahead. But the next obstacle was a narrow balance beam over a pit. And Ria had kick-ass balancing skills.
She had the fleeting thought that Caine probably planned to fill the pit with something, either water or mud, but hadn’t gotten a chance yet. Didn’t matter, she wasn’t going in there. She hopped off at the end of her beam, neck and neck with Arawn.
They vaulted over obstacles and slid under others, climbed pyramids and jumped through jagged wire hoops. Sometimes she drew ahead, sometimes he did. She reached the last obstacle first and raced up a series of narrow steps. Caine had set up another balance challenge, this one thirty feet in the air. She mounted the last steps and blinked.
This looked too easy. It was eight inches wide. Not the four inches she expected—
Shit. As she looked, sections of the wooden beam disappeared. Then they’d reappear, but a new section would fade. One part, right in front of her foot, disappeared.
She dipped a toe and met…air. So that meant it was actually non-corporeal. Not just concealed with magic.
At the top of the identical structure set up ten feet away, Arawn gave a low chuckle. “Got to hand it to Caine. Guy’s getting good at this.”
She focused on the path. This challenge would be about balance, calculation, and jumping. She studied the beam, trying to determine a pattern to the voided spaces.
Dammit. It was random. She was going to have to go more cautiously than she wanted. The space in front of her reappeared and she moved onto it.
In the air to her left, Arawn leaped over three spaces and landed solidly. Shit, was he guessing or had he figured out something she hadn’t? She moved one more space.
Arawn jumped three more. Ria’s competitive instincts burned. She so wanted to beat him. No one ever did in sparring. Occasionally someone beat him in target practice or running, but this course was her best shot.
Up ahead, a space reformed after being vacant. It was five spots up—a long jump, but she could do it on the ground. Go!
She hurtled through the air, expecting to land on solid wood, but met…nothing.
Shit! How had she missed? A grunt tore from her throat as she plummeted. Only one thing could stop her from slamming into the ground.
Drawing on the magic deep in her blood, she launched into a spin. At once, she felt her power surge through her, centering her body, correcting her wild descent. She tucked her arms into her chest as everything around her merged into a blur of colors and shapes.
Her feet touched down, and she slowed before she created a hole in the ground like a power drill on magical speed. She stopped, opened her eyes, and found herself looking into the dark, concerned eyes of Arawn.
“Nice recovery.” He blew out a breath.
“I can’t believe I missed! I was sure I had it figured out. I am so going to kick Caine’s ass in the ring.” She pushed a stray tendril of hair out of her
eyes.
“Guess that means you’re okay.”
“Never better. Except I really wanted to beat you.”
“Almost did. And your spin works fine.”
“Yep.” She pulled one arm across her body to stretch her shoulder. “I can always count on that.”
“I hope so.”
Indignation flared. “What do you mean, you hope so?”
“I mean, we didn’t know how much or to what extent the Serus toxin would affect you.” He rested his hands on his hips. “Your ability gives you an added advantage in a fight. I don’t want you to lose that.”
She knew he was concerned. They all were. But all this concern was starting to smother her. “I feel good. I’ve had a month of rest. I’ve never been better. Or stronger. In fact,” she drew a deep breath and then released it, “I feel like running. Try to keep up.” She took off like a shot, running across the edge of the open area and into the thick tree cover that formed the border of the HQ grounds.
You’re pushing him. But she couldn’t stand still in front of him, couldn’t go through another series of cautious twists and turns, this time with emotions instead of barricades. After this morning’s punishing run, she wouldn’t go far. And anyway, he would come after her.
She knew it. The mischievous demoness inside her reveled in glee, couldn’t wait to be brought to the ground by the biggest, strongest, most dangerous male she’d ever known.
The ground thudded behind her as his huge body pounded closer. He wasn’t trying to be quiet—this wasn’t about stealth. It wasn’t even a race. This was pursuit in its purest form.
His breath skated hot against her hair and his voice growled at her back. “Never run from me.”
She ignored him, though she knew the effect her sprint would have. If he had an ounce of desire for her, he wouldn’t be able to resist a chase. Pouring more energy into her legs, she tried to edge ahead—
Big hands circled her waist, lifted her and flipped her around so she was over his shoulder. Ass in the air, breath knocked out of her lungs from the impact with his body. “Ooph!” Her head bounced against his back and she clutched him tightly to prevent it from happening again.
“Okay!” she yelled. “You win! Put me down.”
“Not yet.”
“What?” She shrieked and wiggled, trying to get free. She could’ve been Houdini and it wouldn’t have worked.
“Not yet,” he repeated, and slapped her backside hard.
“Ow!” It didn’t hurt, but she’d bet she looked damn undignified. She thumped his back with her fists.
Five minutes later he slowed near the sound of bubbling water that echoed off the trees. They were at a stream that formed the edge of Watcher land, and were in a thick cluster of old oaks and elms. High above, the tree canopy parted to let sunlight filter down to the water.
He shifted her to his front, slowly sliding her down his body. Marking her with his scent. “Never run from me.” His voice carried a rough, wicked promise and he held her close. “I will go after you. Every time. I’ve tasted your mouth. And running after you makes me want to do so much more once I catch you.”
Her breathing was shaky, not from running but from being in his arms. From being caught, held, marked, and warned. It was too much and not enough. “I wanted to get caught,” she whispered.
“I know.” His mouth crashed to hers, stealing her gasp and setting a match to her barely contained need.
She moaned into his mouth, clutching his shoulders as he swept his tongue deeper, tantalizing her with velvet lashes. Her breasts brushed against his chest. His erection teased her through the thin fabric of her workout pants. Thick and long—and so close. Her core ached for contact. She reached down to stroke him.
A powerful hand yanked hers away. “Not yet.” Snarled words at her ear, then her arm was held behind her waist. He bent her backward, kissing her collarbones and down along the neckline of her tank top.
She lost herself to his dominance, hanging on with one hand still at his brawny bicep. He thrust one muscular thigh between hers and she couldn’t suppress a cry of pleasure. She felt owned and claimed, even though this was just a kiss. Or was it? Logical thoughts weren’t happening in her brain right now as she happily drowned in the bliss that only Arawn could provide. She rocked her hips, desperate for more and drunk on the male whose lips grazed the swells of her breasts. “Oh gods, Arawn,” she moaned.
He brought her body forward, straightening her, and she kept her grip on him. She was a wobbly mess of need and damn it, she never wanted to let go of him.
“The things I want to do to you,” he murmured. His hands skated up her arms, leaving goosebumps in their wake. He traced the straps of her top, skimming down the neckline, and fisted the cotton at her cleavage. “Right this goddamn second.”
“Yes,” she breathed, shaking with pent up need and unable to form more than one syllable words. “Do it.”
Arawn yanked down with both hands, freeing her breasts. The fabric stretched and stitches popped, but fuck it. He’d buy her new shit. It was worth it, for the fuck-me view of Ria’s heavy, round tits in his face.
Generous, ripe mounds tipped with swollen pink nipples. Fuck. Even sexier than he could have imagined. He dragged the back of his hand down one, knuckles rasping, and her body shuddered. The stiff tip puckered tighter before his eyes.
“You like that.” It wasn’t a question. Her eyes were heavy lidded, her breathing erratic. He rubbed his thumb back and forth across her nipple and she moaned. A needy, sweet sound that had his dick throbbing.
She ground her body on his thigh. Gods, he loved that she was being so free, not hiding her desire or holding back from him. Her arousal perfumed the air and his cock responded, painfully rubbing against his track pants, fighting to get inside this perfect female.
But not here. Much as the wild side of him wanted to fuck her outside, leaving the scent of their combined sex here and any other place he wanted to in the whole fucking realm, he wouldn’t take her that way today.
He would, however, taste, lick, and suck her breasts until she couldn’t speak a coherent sentence. And he thought with some smug satisfaction, she was halfway there. He lowered his mouth to circle his tongue around one stiff peak.
Her whole body jerked and she dug her nails into his biceps. “Stop teasing me,” she gasped.
“I need to taste you.” He growled against her flesh. “Make you feel what I can do to you.”
“I already feel you.” She flexed her hips forward into his cock, which was pushing at the waistband of his pants.
“Naughty girl.” He groaned and cupped her, massaging her fullness and flicking her nipples. He tugged them between his fingertips. “I can’t wait to make you come just from my mouth on your tits.”
Her head dropped back. “Oh gods. You—”
“Shh.” He froze, hands at her hardened nipples. Every sense ratcheted to high alert as the subtle sound of approaching footsteps reached his ears. His fighters were stealthy, but he always heard them before he saw them. “We’re not alone.”
“W-what?” Beautiful blue eyes blinked through a fog of need and she looked around.
He pulled her clothing back up and over the overflowing mounds he so badly wanted to bury his dick between. Fuck him to goddamn hell. “Not an enemy. One of ours.”
“Thank the gods Mathias is out on a job, so it can’t be him,” she muttered as she tucked herself back into place and leaned forward to adjust all that sexy flesh. Her bra and tank now had a distinctly stretched out gap that hadn’t been there before.
Not that Arawn minded the extra glimpse of skin. He did frown at her not wanting to get caught by her brother. They were all adults, for fuck’s sake. Then again, if Arawn had a younger sister, he’d be protective of her no matter how old they were. “He’s not back yet.” He shoved his cock down, hoping whoever it was wouldn’t read too much into the two of them alone out here.
She straightened and looked over he
r shoulder. “I hear it now,” she murmured.
Five seconds later, Jude strode into view, eyes widening for a fraction of a second as he spotted them. “Hey.” He stopped and clasped his hands behind his back. “Didn’t know anyone was out here.” His eyes flicked from Arawn to Ria.
Arawn studied his soldier, noting his observant but submissive body language. And more important, his lack of inquisitive looks or flared nostrils. He stifled a grin. His whole assembly of Watchers seemed to espouse the rule of not messing in the commander’s personal life.
“How goes your patrol?” Arawn asked.
“All quiet.” The blond male looked Arawn in the eye. “No signs of trespass or even curious creatures poking around.”
“Good.” The location of HQ had been compromised in the fight with Elegia, so patrols had been stepped up. They’d need to move soon, but Arawn had too much shit to deal with at the moment.
“We ran Caine’s new obstacle course,” Ria said to Jude. “That ending section is tough.”
“Yeah?” Jude grinned. “I’m running it as soon as I wrap up this shift. I’ll see you later.” With a wave, he jogged off into the trees.
Ria folded her arms and gave Arawn a sly smirk. “Busted.”
“Yeah.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “We should get back though.”
She nodded. “I know you’re busy.” She grabbed his hand and her eyes glinted with mischief. “But that was a nice way to pass the time.”
“Hell yeah.” He yanked her closer for a quick kiss. His body wanted her, but so did his mind. She fascinated him on all levels. “I want to know everything about you.”
“Oh.” She blinked and those eyes widened. “You know a lot already.”
“But not all,” he murmured, threading a hand into her hair.
A grin quirked at the corners of her mouth. “That may be one of the few times I’ve heard you say you don’t know something.”
