Flexing my fists, I throw the first punch, hitting him square in the jaw. His head swings back but he recovers fast. Lunging at me, he attempts to grab me into a headlock, but I dart out of the way in time. Dante has never been an intelligent fighter. While he has a few inches and more than a few pounds on me, I have always been more than capable of holding my own. Relying on brute strength, he reacts without thought, and it’s usually easy to gauge his every move. He may have the upper hand when it comes to sheer muscle power, but my critical thinking skills and fast reactions more than balance it out.
As if on cue, Dante swings a low blow, aiming for my gut. I jump back, out of his reach. Grinning, I taunt him as we slowly circle one another. I throw a punch, he throws one back, and so the merry dance begins.
“I must protest,” the director says, attempting to come between us. Dante’s elbow digs into his jaw, effectively ceasing any further intervention. The guy’s slight frame slides across the floor, his head hopping off the wooden slats as he makes his journey across the center of the stage. Sadie audibly gasps, and I take my eye off Dante for a split second. It costs me.
My body slams into the floor as Dante looms over me, fists clenched and ready to go to town on my face. Angling my head, I narrowly avoid the blow. The second one comes at me faster impacting the side of my jaw. An instant throbbing pain zings across my cheek. I barely feel the next one, and then Dante is gone. Shaking my head in an attempt to clear my blurry vision, I sway precariously as I try to straighten up. Dante lets out an inhuman roar that chills me to the core.
Staggering to my feet, I shift unsteadily and whip out a hand to support myself against the side of the stage. As I blink my vision clear, I stare shell-shocked at the image of Dante holding Sadie mid-air, pinned painfully at the throat. She is desperately clawing at his hand as his mocking face sneers in distasteful amusement. My heart falters in my chest as I dart to them. I yank him off her again, way more forcefully this time.
The fight continues, back and forth, until I get an opportunity which I don’t hesitate to take. Dante falls over an upturned chair and I pounce, leveling blow after blow on his head and torso, unleashing all my fury in a vicious unyielding assault. A screeching, creaking sound alerts me to imminent danger. Dante is lying bloody and dazed on the trembling floor. I climb to my feet and urgently scan the stage for Sadie. Spotting her stumbling down the stairs, I run after her, quickly scooping her up into my arms. As usual, an amazing feeling of contented bliss washes over me, and I inwardly sag in relief.
Sadie is exactly where she belongs: Right at home in my arms.
Screams and cries flood the air as I flee, signaling the extent of the crumbling chaos left in our wake. Father is going to be furious when he hears about this. But I couldn’t give two shits about that now. I have one singular goal in mind: To get Sadie safely away from here.
***
The cave is pitch black as we enter. Gushing water slapping ceaselessly off slate rock is the only sound in the space, apart from our mutual ragged breathing. The musty scent punctuating the air is strangely comforting. I flick the light switch, hoping my shoddy electric job holds up. A multi-colored rainbow of lights burst to life, dancing an exotic dance across the stone walls.
As I watch Sadie, a pulse point in the center of my heart beats faster and faster. Her neck is elongated as she looks up and around, surveying the cave from every angle. Joy and awe radiate from her eyes, and sheer raw emotion threatens to unravel me. I have wanted to bring her here so many times! Despite the mitigating circumstances that led to this moment, I’m ecstatic that she’s finally sharing in this with me.
Constantly battling my feelings is weighing me down. I don’t know how much longer I can continue to ignore my heart’s desire. I want to be with her. So badly it physically hurts. She peeks at me, a shy smile on her beautiful face. “What do you think?” I ask, nervous for her approval.
“Christmas lights?” She arches a quizzical brow.
“I had to improvise.” My tongue feels dry in my mouth. I’m not sure exactly why it’s so important that she likes my man cave, but it is. This is a special part of me, one I don’t ordinarily share with anyone else. My breathing stutters as I wait for her reply, vulnerability eating me from the inside out.
“I love it.”
Her smile widens and I grin back at her, relief palpable on my features. “Are you thirsty?” I crouch down in front of the meager box of supplies.
“Yeah.”
I remove two waters and two protein bars. Pickings are slim. I hand hers over. “Sorry, that’s all I’ve got to eat.”
“It’s perfect, thanks.” A light blush creeps over her cheeks.
I brush the tips of my fingers against hers, and the contact elicits a flurry of delicious sensations from head to toe. I want to hold her hand, loving how small it always feels in mine, but I don’t want to risk scaring her off. Honestly, being in her presence is the worst form of self-inflicted torture there is. Whenever I’m with her, I’m fixated on finding sly ways to touch her. I love touching her. I love the feelings it invokes in me. Noting the many ways in which her body responds in kind, I’m pretty certain she feels it too.
I have no doubts anymore about what this is.
She is my Eterno. I’m convinced of it.
Of course, it’s quite possible I’m self-delusional, or rocking a one-way trip to insanity. But my gut tells me I’m right, and my instincts have never let me down before.
I get that it’s unusual, and unprecedented, but Sadie is the only girl for me. I’d stake my life on it.
“Come, sit.” I sink into the beanbag, tugging her into the one alongside me. She yelps and everything inside me locks up. “You are hurt.” I frown. “Let me take a look.” I grip the edge of her shirt, but her hand instantly restrains me. A soothing warmth creeps over the skin on my hand and I stifle a moan.
“I’m fine.”
She shoots me one of her defiant looks. The one that says “I know how to take care of myself, and you need to let this go.” Her quiet confidence only adds to her charm. Though she often discharges an air of meekness, Sadie’s no pushover, and it’s one of the things I really like about her. She’s complex, and I’m enjoying peeling back the layers. I suspect she’s a real force to be reckoned with and she only reveals her true persona to those she can trust. Gradually, she’s letting me in, and my enchantment is deepening the more I get to know her. I want her to trust me. To know she can count on me. For anything.
“You are so stubborn,” I tease, unscrewing the cap from my bottle of water.
“I’m stubborn?” She looks incredulous. “Have you not looked in the mirror recently, dude?”
Tipping back my head, I roar laughing, more than amused. I love this playful side of “us.”
“You’ve a lovely laugh,” she blurts out, her cheeks darkening as soon as the words leave her mouth.
“I do?” I continue teasing her.
“Yep.”
She bites the corner of her lip as she stares at me through hooded lashes, her look a contradictory mesh-up of timidity and bravery. The red flush on her cheeks matches her luscious lips, and I can’t avert my gaze. My eyes zoom in on said pouty lips, wondering—not for the first time—what she tastes like. Saliva pools in anticipation in my mouth, and my stomach is tied up in knots. A rush of desire builds behind my eyes as every part of me tingles with longing. The invisible cord connecting us fizzes with excitement. All the time I’m staring at her lips like a man starved and possessed.
She meets my gaze with a similar hunger, and it almost undoes me. My craving for her is at an all-time high, and the last vestiges of my resistance fade away. “You are beautiful, through and through,” I tell her. I lean in closer, inhaling the fruity scents of her signature smell. Strawberries and peaches with a hint of vanilla. Sweet and fresh. Innocent. Pure Sadie. How I wish I could bottle it and keep a piece of her with me at all times.
She shifts closer and my heart pounds har
der in my chest. This is crazy insanity but I’m powerless to stop. I try to convince myself that I’ll only take one taste, one kiss, to either prove or disprove my Eterno theory, but I recognize bullshit when I hear it. One kiss with a girl like Sadie will never be enough.
I zoom in on her lips as they draw nearer, and I’m like a junkie in need of a fix. A hypnotic charge zings through the tiny space between us, developing in intensity as we close the gap. She closes her eyes, and I raise my hand, sweeping my fingers across her lips. They are soft and moist, and she emits a gentle exhale, her breath warming my skin. At the same time, every last trace of resistance takes a hike, and I’m almost floored by the strength of the emotions eddying inside me.
I’ve been in denial for far too long. I can’t hide what I’m feeling any longer.
“Ala beatra.” The words spill out in my native tongue, and I’m glad she can’t decipher them. Once you utter those words you can’t take them back. Not that I ever want to. I love you. I say it in her language now, repeating the sentiment silently over and over in my head as I seal the secret in my heart. One day, I hope to be able to tell her out loud.
Closing my eyes, I press my mouth against hers, and fireworks detonate inside me. She kisses me back, and its feather-soft and sweet. Just like the giver. A greedy moan escapes my mouth as I pull her in closer to my chest, exerting more pressure on her lips.
Her arms snake around my neck as she pushes into me, her small, lithe body pressing against me strategically. Desire spirals out of control as I tilt my head and devour her mouth in frenzied need. She matches me, kiss for kiss, and we are clinging to each other, finally giving in to weeks of pent-up emotion. The taste, smell, and feel of her surrounds me in a hazy cloud of fulfillment, and the electrifying charge surges brightly, glorifying our connection, magnifying it a thousand-fold. I have all the proof I need, beyond a shadow of doubt.
Sadie is my Eterno intended.
She is it for me, as I am it for her.
For all eternity.
Now, all I have to figure out is a way for us to be together.
KEEPING HER SAFE
This scene is from Chapter 19 of Saven Deception, and it’s the morning after the scene in the auditorium with Dante and the cave scene where Logan and Sadie shared their first kiss.
“I’d like an explanation for your behavior yesterday. There better be a good reason for drawing attention to yourselves in such a manner,” our father says in that carefully controlled voice of his. Calm on the outside, he fixes Dante and me with a stern look, and I know he’s itching to yell at us. He’s only holding back because Neve’s here. And she’s only here because she also has a vested interest in protecting Sadie.
I’ve thought of nothing else since I spoke briefly with my father last night. He was rushing to a meeting, so there wasn’t time to fully update him, only to ask that he smooth things over with the powers that be to ensure there are no consequences for the three of us. At this juncture, I don’t feel like there’s much choice but to reveal who Sadie is to me. Otherwise, father may jump to the wrong conclusion. He hasn’t stopped pestering me about choosing a preferred earthen, and it’s the sole reason why I’m persisting with the endless merry-go-round of dates. Purely to keep him off the scent for the time being until I figure out a way of safely conveying the news that Sadie is my Eterno. That will nip the conscience transfer issue in the bud. But it doesn’t solve the Dante dilemma.
Once he discovers who and what she really is to me, he will use her to discredit me. Or worse still, up the ante on his stalking campaign. I can’t subject Sadie to that, so until I figure out how to diffuse the ticking bomb that is my brother, I need to keep her at arm’s length. A challenge that seems insurmountable after yesterday.
My lips twitch as the memory of our hot make-out session resurrects in my mind. Hella, she felt so good in my arms. Like we truly belonged together. I touch my mouth, recalling the taste of her as her lips moved against mine. Closing my eyes, I can almost smell her beside me. Like sunshine and rainbows. Pure golden and imbued with such inherent goodness and happiness. The way Sadie makes me feel is indescribable, and she’s changing me, in ways I never could have imagined. I feel different around her. Like I want to be a better person, a better man, to be truly worthy of her. The most powerful sensation sweeps through me, and it takes considerable willpower to stay focused in the moment.
“Am I boring you, Logan?” my father asks, his suspicious eyes keenly observing me.
Dammit. I totally zoned out. I clear my throat. “Of course not, Father. I—”
“We both wanted the same part,” Dante interjects before I can offer up any explanation. Father quirks a brow. Dante shrugs like it’s no big deal. “It’s Romeo and Juliet. Who doesn’t want to be Romeo?” He shoots me a sly look. “Especially against the girl chosen to play Juliet. She’s a sexy little thing. Damn fine kisser too.”
Though I know he’s said this to deliberately bait me, I can’t control my temper. I take a step toward him, growling under my breath. Neve places a firm cautionary hand on my arm.
Father is looking at both of us as if he wished he could disown us. He pushes off the table he’s been leaning against and crosses his arms formidably. “Let me get this straight. You were publicly fighting over playing Romeo and over some girl?” He shakes his head in disappointment. “You,” he says, glaring at Dante, “I’d expect that of. But you”—he jabs his finger in my chest—“that sort of behavior is unbecoming of the heir-apparent. You are lucky I intervened before they broadcast the fight. Honestly, Logan, what were you thinking?”
I’m expecting Dante to pipe up about Sadie, but he’s uncharacteristically quiet. What’s he up to now? “I’m sorry, Father. It won’t happen again.”
“Who’s this girl anyway? Could she be the one?” he asks me.
“No!” Neve screeches, a little too obvious for my liking. “She’s a star.” Neve purses her lips in disgust. “Totally beneath Logan,” she scoffs with a dismissive wave of her hand, and I’m in awe of her natural acting ability. Perhaps she should have auditioned.
“Logan?” My father cocks his head to the side, awaiting my response.
A series of accustomed flaming tingles rip up and down my spine and panic grips me. I look over my shoulder and spot Sadie peeping in the corner of the window. What the hell? Haydn clutches her arm. “Get her out of here now!” I glare at him as I throw out the silent message, hoping he picks up on my puissant dissatisfaction. Sadie can’t be seen now. Not when it looks like the situation has been sorted without revealing her identity or her importance to me.
Father sighs loudly. “Logan!” he snaps, reclaiming my attention. “What in the world is wrong with you!” Neve flinches at the aggression in his tone. Reaching out, I lace my fingers in hers and give her a reassuring squeeze.
“Sorry, Father. I’m just a little distracted today.”
“Get your act together, son. This is no way for the crown prince of Saven to behave. And you,” he says, pointing at Dante. “Stop antagonizing your brother. I warned you before you came to Earth what would happen if you attempted to sabotage this mission. Toe the line or I’ll haul you back to Saven.” He walks toward the door, meeting clearly concluded. “Inform the director that you are both no longer interested in the part. And forget about that girl, and focus on finding one that is worthy of you.”
“As you wish, Father.” We all bow reverentially.
I slump against the wall as soon as he exits the room. Exhaling loudly, I pin Neve with a wary smile. Dante looms in front of me, a gloating look on his face. “You owe me, brother dearest.”
I harrumph. “I owe you nothing. And stay away from Sadie. If you ever touch her again, I’ll kill you with my bare hands.” I rise, squaring up to him. Although he has a few inches on me, he doesn’t intimidate me.
He smacks his lips and my fists clench at my sides. Neve quickly steps in between us. “As much as I love a good fight, you need to quit, both of you. You
only just got out of one mess. Don’t create another.” She places a palm on each of our chests.
Dante runs his tongue over his lips. “Sadie’s a great kisser. May have to go back for seconds.” I lunge for him as he falls back, laughing maliciously. Neve throws out an arm to block me, beseeching me with her eyes. “If you run to Father with any more tales, I won’t hesitate to fill him in on how fixated you are on her. This is your last warning,” Dante snarls.
I’m straining toward him, hands balled into tight fists, ready to let loose on his smug face.
“Stop. Let him go. Think about Sadie.”
Neve says the only thing that could halt me in my tracks. She’s right. Keeping Sadie safe is my sole priority. And the only way I can do that is by keeping my distance. Oh, I’ll be watching over her, like I have been these last couple of months, but she won’t know it. My heart twists in pain at the knowledge of what I need to do.
Dante slips out of the room, whistling cheerily. I slump to the floor, dejected and heart sore and disgusted at what I have to do next. Sadie may very well hate my guts forever after this. But what choice do I have? If staying away from her is the best way of protecting her, then I’ll hurt myself to keep her safe.
SHE’S MY ETERNO
This is the scene from Chapters 22 and 23 of Saven Deception, where Jarod and Sadie sneak on board the Subvee going to the secret underwater worker colony.
My spine stiffens as all-too-familiar feelings race through me. Pleasant tingles give way to rising alarm. You have got to be kidding me! I jerk my head around, peering at the Subvee we’ve just disembarked from.
“What’s up?” Haydn asks, a puzzled expression on his face.
“Sadie’s here.” I send the thought to his mind, far too afraid to confirm it out loud.
His eyes pop wide. “Are you sure? How?”
“I feel her. She’s close. Most likely still on the ship.” He curses under his breath. “I don’t know what the hell she’s playing at, but this is beyond stupid. She has no clue how dangerous it is! I bet that idiot is involved.” Anger and another stronger emotion stab me as sharply as a knife. I don’t trust Jarod or his agenda, and I hate the way he’s always sniffing around her, ready to pounce the minute I mess up. Which is pretty often these days.
The Logan Collection Page 3
