by H. C. Brown
"Rio?"
"Sorry, I was miles away. You know, I've never tried a burger; they don't have them where I live."
He pushed the books under his arm and headed for the exit, then held the door open for her. She giggled and the sound was like a tinkling of bells.
"Not had a burger? Hell, Rio, have you been living on the moon?" He followed her through the door and fell into step beside her as they walked to the Night Owl.
"Close."
The tavern hummed with low conversation, music drifted down from black boxes set high on the wall. While they waited for a table, Rio pondered on his visit to this realm. Human technology puzzled him. The people trapped in those magical flat boxes worried him at first, then the elevator—well he had conquered it soon enough and understood the practicality of climbing great heights with ease. Those phone contraptions, which allowed Humans to speak to each other over long distances, had proved to be useful. The coffee machine was a personal favorite, as well as the shop in the hotel that sold chocolate and all those brightly colored candies. He would inform Blaise of all these wonders. In fact, apart from the embarrassment with the harlot, he quite enjoyed this Human London.
Aria leaned against him and touched his arm, putting his body on full alert.
"Have you ever had waffles and ice cream?" she said, her breath brushing his cheek as she whispered into his ear.
"No, can't say I have, but if they are a dish and you recommend them, I'll give them a try."
Her laugh made him smile and so did watching her walk away from him, toward the table, with a sexy swing to her hips. They removed their coats and sat staring at each other. Rio cleared his throat and glanced at the menu.
"I usually order meat and vegetables. To be honest, I haven't enjoyed anything I've eaten lately, unless you include chocolate."
"What do you eat at home?"
Hell, she has me backed into a corner already.
"Well, I have a very large family, so our table is filled with many different dishes, savory and sweet. So I enjoy a lot of variety. It's difficult because Hu— you use different words to describe food."
He paused, thinking madly about what to say next. She tapped her lips with her index finger as if evaluating his words, and then smiled sweetly.
"You know, you speak English very well. I wouldn't have known you were a tourist, apart from that slightly continental accent. I'll order for you, if you like?" Rio drew a breath and held it; he had absolutely no idea what she was saying. Continental? Tourist? He nodded in agreement, letting his breath whistle out between his teeth.
"I think that would be very nice, Aria. Please order many dishes for me to try, and don't worry, I have many paper pounds to exchange for the food."
Aria grinned. Lord, was he for real? True, he was fantastic looking. No . . . sinful looking, and he had a gentle manner for such a big man, but what the hell? He could read, could hold an intelligent conversation, but was lost in a restaurant! She picked up the menu and when the waitress returned, she ordered burgers, fries, onion rings, milkshakes, coffee waffles, and ice cream with maple syrup. As the meals arrived, she chuckled at his expression of delight and encouraged him to try everything. Watching him eat and order more food saw the afternoon stretch into evening. When they finally stepped outside into the freezing night, snowflakes brushed her cheek and dusted Rio's hair.
"May I escort you home, Aria," he said, taking her hand. She looked up into his eyes and wished this afternoon could go on forever. She wanted to say yes, but knew Aldis would lose his mind if she turned up with a man in tow. She indicated to the line of taxis a few yards away. "You can walk me to the taxi rank."
His warm fingers brushed her cheek and she trembled.
"I want to see you again. I believe there is a special connection between us. I would like to get to know you, Aria," he said, bending to brush her lips with a gentle kiss.
"I've had a lovely time with you Rio." Thank you, God.
"Would you consider having lunch with me tomorrow?" he said, touching her hair.
"Yes, I'd like that."
"Would you like me to pick you up? If you give me your address I will be there at say, twelve thirty."
You are just too smooth. What sort of a fool do you think I am to give you, a complete stranger, my address? In any case, Aldis would probably shoot you. She shook her head firmly "No, that's fine; I'll meet you at the restaurant."
"I'm staying at the Bridge Hotel, Knight Street; it has a fine restaurant. It's also a public place where, I'm sure, you'll feel safe with me. Are you sure, you wouldn't like me to send my car to pick you up?"
Aria nodded and gave him her best professional smile. I'm not going to let you think I'm that easy.
"No, thank you Rio, I'll meet you in the hotel foyer tomorrow at one." Rio took her hand and brushed his warm lips over her knuckles. The air crackled around them, humming with sexual electricity. He walked to a taxi, opened the door and stood to one side.
"At one tomorrow, Aria," he purred, looking deeply into her eyes. Aria slid inside and turned to watch him saunter down the road, admiring his wide shoulders and slim waist, she sighed . Hell he looks just as good walking away.
* * * * *
The following day, Aria ran into the kitchen of her small, two-bedroom home. Balling her hands into fists, she pressed them into her waist and glared at Aldis.
"No, no, no. Not a snowflake's chance in hell."
"It's not safe, Aria. Wait until your medication arrives and then I'll escort you." She picked up a saucepan and banged it on the kitchen bench.
"I don't need medication; there's nothing wrong with me. I went to the doctor's for a full check up for my work's insurance. The doctor said I'm in perfect health. I won't take any more pills and you can't make me. And, if I decide to go to lunch with a man, I will. I'm twenty years old and that's old enough to have a man in my life." He lifted his hand and glared at her, his face red with fury. She stepped back, saucepan in hand. Not far enough. He swung, and pain shot through her jaw. The metallic taste of blood flowed into her mouth. Lifting the heavy pan in defense, she struck out. The thick metal hit home and her hand vibrated with pain. She slumped against the wall, the room moving in and out of focus. Aldis folded over, hitting the floor with a sickening thud.
"Oh my God!"
She stumbled to the sink to splash cold water on her face, and then glanced over her shoulder at the crumpled heap on the floor. She must get away. Leaning heavily against the wall, heart thundering, she crept unsteadily out of the kitchen and into her bedroom. She glanced into the mirror and cursed; she would be meeting Rio with a red welt across one cheek.
Dragging a suitcase from under her small bed, she took a deep, steadying breath then emptied her small cupboard and nightstand. Her meager possessions barely filled the single suitcase. She pulled on her coat and headed for the door. Damn him. She turned and headed back into the kitchen. He lay in a pool of crimson blood, moaning streams of abuse. She stepped over his heaving body and marched into his bedroom, dragged a small box from under the bed and flipped open the lid. Aria gazed down at the neat bundles of notes, royalties from her books. Aldis always insisted on her cashing the checks and giving him the money for safekeeping. She opened his nightstand, removed a pair of socks, and stuffed them full of notes, but left a nice pile in the bottom of the box. I'll not be greedy and selfish like him. She tied the top of the socks into knots and pushed them inside her handbag, then picked up her suitcase and headed for the door. The wind hit her cheek with a lash of icy pain and tears stung the back of her eyes as she made her way to hail a taxi at the end of the street.
* * * * *
Rio stood at the window of the Bridge Hotel, watching the sleet pound the traffic. The strange, noisy vehicles intrigued him, especially the long metal things swishing back and forth across the windows against the continuing burden of ice. The Humans streamed by seemingly unconcerned, many holding multicolored mushrooms over their heads. One of these st
range adornments turned inside out, showing its metal bones. He chuckled. Only fools would carry such a lightning rod in a storm. Aria stepped out of a taxi; she carried a heavy square bag and another hanging by a strap over one shoulder. His stomach cramped, her distress hitting him like a brick to the gut. Rushing to the spinning glass door, he met her as she stepped into the foyer. Anger surged through him; inside, his cat screamed at the sight of her bruised cheek. He walked toward her and snatched the bag from her hand, pushing down his rage.
"Aria . . . ."
"Hey, Rio," she replied and looked up at him with large, sad eyes. "Do you think I could get a room here, just for the night?"
He ignored her question and pressed his fingertips to the bruise on her cheek.
"Who struck you? Give me his name, Aria."
"Really, it's none of your business."
Rio growled and she reacted instantly by stepping away from him. He poured his glamor over her. Trust me. Then he reached out and took her arm.
"It's okay, I'm sorry. The thought of someone hurting you . . . it makes me angry."
"Thank you for your concern but I'm okay. Right now, I need a room; I had to leave my home. It's not a problem; I'll go and look for a flat tomorrow." Rio took her hand and led her toward the desk. Her ice-cold fingers closed around his hand and his cat purred. He leaned casually against the carved wooden counter and smiled at the clerk.
"I want to speak to Mister Nox."
The clerk handed him a telephone and he listened to Nox speaking miraculously from inside the device.
"What?"
"It's me, Rio."
"Yeah, so why use the phone when you have a perfectly good mind to send me a message."
Rio glanced down at Aria, who had moved closer and was looking up at him with big, round eyes.
"Aria's here and she's injured. I need to organize a room for her for awhile; can you arrange something?"
"Sure, you're really something, Rio." He chuckled. "I can't wait to hear how you arranged this. Give the phone to the hotel clerk."
Rio signaled the clerk and waited. He rested his arm around Aria's slim shoulders and she nestled against his side. This small reaction caused an overwhelming shudder of response in him. He glanced down at her. So tiny . . . . Anger welled up; who dared to lay a hand on her? He would find out who hit her if it took all night. The clerk returned with a room key and pushed it across the table to Aria.
"Room 899. Mister Nox has approved a three-month stay with all expenses, Miss d' Lion. I hope you'll enjoy your stay."
Rio turned her around and led her down the hallway.
"Come, I'll show you how to work the elevator."
"Did he say a three month stay? I can't afford to stay here that long, Rio." She stammered as the elevator doors shut.
Rio grinned and pulled her closer, pouring his glamor over her to sooth her distress.
"Nox will pay for everything, so stay as long as you like."
"Why would he do that? He doesn't know me. Who is this Nox person? Is he a friend of yours?" she replied, lifting her head to stare into his eyes. The elevator stopped with a bump and the doors slid open on the eighth floor. Rio stepped back to allow her to pass.
"Yes, a good friend. He knows your books, Aria. Don't worry; Nox can afford to pay for everything you need. He's most generous, and would be hurt if you refused his kindness."
Aria bit her bottom lip. The closeness of this amazing man made her stomach flutter. Hell, he smelled like sin—decadent, dangerous, delicious sin. For some reason, she trusted him. Maybe it was those deep, amethyst eyes. Damn, were they for real? She gazed up at him as they reached the door to her room. Perhaps if she played the damsel in distress she may just land this hunk. Funny, the way her bruised face had caused such a reaction. He seemed genuinely angry someone had hit her. It was not as if she really knew him; hell, they had only met yesterday.
Her hand trembled as she pressed the key card into the slot. The door clicked open, she walked inside, and stopped in awe. A luxurious suite spread out before her. A thick, midnight blue carpet covered the floor. Against the far wall, an open fireplace spread warmth with a roaring fire. Large sofas, a dining table, and double doors leading to a private bedroom completed a room fit for a king.
"Oh, Rio this is too much. I can't expect Mister Nox to pay for all this." She turned to see him sauntering into the bedroom and placing her suitcase on the massive bed. Her stomach gave a nervous flip but she drew a deep breath and followed him, hovering at the door. He turned and grinned at her.
"You'll be safe here, Aria. Now, you must be starving, would you like to go down to the restaurant or would you be more comfortable if we eat here?" Aria inclined her head. Go down to the restaurant or stay here and have you all to myself . . . hmm?
"Would you mind if we stayed here?"
"I'll order a variety of dishes, wine and coffee," he replied and went to the phone beside the bed and ordered room service.
* * * * *
Sitting as close as possible, Rio watched Aria eat. This close, she resembled a porcelain doll, as if each feature of her beautiful face had been crafted by an artist. He would gain great pleasure taking her to his bed; to slide his hands over her peach fuzz skin would be a delight. Reaching up, he touched a curl caressing her cheek. She turned at once to smile at him. They're being together seemed the most natural thing in the world. He remembered Blaise's orders, to kill this unique creature, and his stomach tumbled into free fall.
His cat roared its disgust at the idea. He glanced away, knowing instinctively his eyes had changed. The cat liked Aria; in fact, his constant urgings for him to lick her all over were becoming monotonous. Gods, if he could morph, his nose would repair in a second. But his cats roar would draw attention in such an establishment, and there were benefits to losing his sense of smell; he did not have to endure the Human stink. Rio refilled their glasses with the fine Pinot Noir and lifted the ruby red liquid to his lips. The rich, aromatic flavor coated his tongue. He leaned back in his chair and smiled at Aria. "Tell me about the book you claim gives details about shape-shifters and faeries."
She pushed away from the table and grinned at him happily.
"It's here; I brought it with me. I'll show you," she said, bounding into the bedroom and opening her bag.
She returned, plunked the ancient leather bound book on the table and pushed it toward him. He winced. His fingers caressed the gold lettering, the worn spine and drifted across the yellowing parchment leaves. A tingle of awareness ran up his arm and he sent a silent prayer to the Lady.
"Open it; it's a story about a goddess who married her cat. His name was Arious and he turned all the cats in his kingdom into shape-shifters. It tells of the Fae and how they move between realms . . . that's what they call dimensions. And, about the powerful magyck the Fae have . . . and it says the King of the Faerie can bind a Human to him for life! It's full of information. Spooky stuff, but look how old it is . . . it must be true."
Hardly able to take a breath in the presence of such a relic, he stared at the book for a long time, wondering how she managed to translate the ancient text. For only Pride and Fae could read the Lady's primordial transcripts.
He lifted his gaze to her flushed excited face. Hell, there was no way he could destroy her; she had no idea what she had done. Letting the breath out in a wheeze, he shook his head.
"How did you come by the book, Aria?"
"My uncle . . . well he isn't really my uncle. Aldis brought it to me; he said he couldn't read it, the print was funny or something, but I read it easily." Rio examined her face, peach fuzz skin, large almond shaped emerald eyes, a button nose, and moonbeam curls spelt faerie in any realm. Without doubt, Fae blood ran in her veins, this was the only conclusion, if she could indeed read the text. The lack of pointed ears could easily be the work of a Druik knife.
"Tell me about your family. This Aldis, is he the scum that struck you?" She cast her eyes down and her cheeks flushed.
Rio dropped his voice to a whisper, pouring more glamor over her.
"Aria, you know you can trust me." He touched her cheek, then she nodded, keeping her eyes fixed in her hands. "Tell me what happened."
"It's not the first time he's hit me. He owns me, Rio," she said, lifting her chin. "He said I must pay back a family debt. The books about the shape-shifters are part of it; he wants to expose them to the world. Let everyone know of the danger these beings pose to us. When this is accomplished, he promised he'd let me meet my parents."
"Who are?"
"I don't even have a name; I don't know anyone from my home except Aldis. He's always promised if I did as he said, he would take me home. This time, he was angry because I arranged to meet you. You see, he wants me for himself." Rio growled, fighting his cat for control. "Did he touch you against your will?" He watched her downcast gaze, her hands gripping the cloth of her skirt and knew the answer. He lifted her chin and brushed her lips with his thumb.
"He'll never touch you again, honey."
She touched his face and tilted her head to brush his lips. A warm glow flowed through him with such a soft gentle kiss. Her lips fluttered like angel's wings across his mouth, her sweet breath laced with wine. He stilled as if she were a wild creature and one wrong move would send her scampering away.
Aria pressed her mouth to Rio's full lips, inhaled his fragrance and a rush of need hit her like a train. He remained as still as a statue. She pulled back and gazed into his eyes. "I'm sorry . . . I didn't mean to presume . . . ." He stroked his hands up her arms and cupped her face. The rough pads of his thumbs caressed her lips and his eyes glowed with passion.
"Oh, honey, you don't know how much I want to kiss you," he purred Breathing heavily, she slid off the chair and straddled him. His eyes widened and she laughed. "Well, kiss me, because I want you too, Rio." Her face burned, cupped in his large hands, and his mouth closed over hers, sliding, devouring. Lust ran through her, igniting every feral instinct, racing out of control with every swipe of his delicious tongue. Needing to be closer, Aria rocked against him, bringing a groan from Rio's lips.
