His words tugged at her heart. She lay cradled in his arms and felt his warm breath fall on her throat.
Kyrian buried his face in her hair and breathed the sweet scent of her. He'd never felt as weak as he did just then and yet something about her presence gave him strength.
"You have your out-clause." Talon's words rang in his head. Once a Dark-Hunter found something to drain their immortal powers, they could regain their soul. It was something he'd never thought about before. Something he'd never dared dream about.
He could be human again.
Permanently.
But to what purpose? He was what he was. An eternal warrior. He loved his life. Loved the freedom and the power it gave him.
Yet as he lay there with Amanda nestled in his arms, bare skin to bare skin, he began to think of other forgotten things. Things he had banished to the deepest crevices of his heart.
Closing his eyes, he saw her holding Niklos. She would make a good mother.
And as he drifted back to sleep, a part of him knew she'd make a wonderful wife.
*
Amanda came awake to someone tracing slow, scorching circles around her breasts. She opened her eyes and looked down to see Kyrian's hand gently kneading her. He had his thigh buried between her legs.
Her heart pounded as he slid his hand down, over her stomach, while he nibbled her neck with his long, pointed teeth.
"Are you going to bite me?" she asked.
His laughter vibrated down the column of her throat. "No, love, I'm going to devour you."
Rolling onto her back, she looked up and saw his eyes were even greener than before. They were a light, gorgeous, vibrant green. She reached up and ran her finger just below his right eye. "Why did they change color?"
"When I lost my Dark-Hunter powers, my eyes went back to their human color."
She frowned at him as she vaguely recalled the color from her dream. "This was the color of your eyes before you lost your soul?"
He nodded, then dropped his head and suckled the hollow of her throat.
"Should you be doing this?" she asked as she ran her hand down his spine. "Talon said you needed to rest."
"I am resting."
She sucked her breath in sharply as he separated the tender flesh between her legs and stroked her with his long, strong fingers. "You're not resting, you're playing."
His eyes searched hers. "I want to play with you."
"But won't this make you weaker?"
"I don't see how."
"But what if--"
He stopped her words with a hot, scorching kiss. Amanda's thoughts scattered.
He nibbled her lips with his teeth and pulled back. His green eyes tugged at her heart. "I can't feel what's inside you anymore, Amanda. Tell me you don't want me and I'll let you go."
"I want you, Kyrian." What an understatement that was.
He smiled at her, then drove himself deep inside her.
Amanda moaned at the strength of him filling her.
Kyrian's head swam at the warmth of her beneath him. If it were possible, she felt even better to him now than she had the hour before.
He stared at her face and took delight in her passion-drunk eyes. The flush in her cheeks. She was truly beautiful.
A wave of fierce possession tore through him. A feeling so intense that he had all but forgotten it.
He couldn't fathom where it came from, but it rocked his very being.
And it made a mockery of what he'd once felt for Theone.
He didn't understand it, and in truth, he didn't dare investigate it. Knowledge of his feelings could only hurt him more.
Amanda wrapped her legs around his as she savored each of his long, lush strokes inside her. She'd never dreamed love-making could be like this. Never dreamed of such intense pleasure.
And when her release came, she cried out.
Kyrian captured her open lips with his and with three more forceful strokes, he joined her.
His breathing ragged, he stared down at her. "I think I'm addicted to you."
She smiled a smile that made his heart skip a beat.
"Hey, Kyrian!"
Kyrian barely had time to pull the sheets over them before his bedroom door burst open to show a tall, handsome man in his mid-twenties.
Amanda froze as she met Nick's hazel-blue, wide-eyed stare. His dark-brown hair was long, and combed back from his face, and when he smiled, he displayed a deep set of dimples. "I'll be damned, you got laid."
"Nick," he growled. "Get out."
"Yeah, but I have some news on Desiderius that you really want to know. Why don't you throw some clothes on and meet me in the office in a few minutes?" Unabashed, Nick swept another taunting look over them and sauntered out of the room.
"Remind me later, I really need to kill him."
Amanda laughed, until she met his gaze. "You look so different with green eyes," she whispered, placing her hand against his whiskered cheek.
He responded by capturing her lips for another scorching kiss. His tongue taunted and teased hers in a possessive way that made her breathless and weak. "What is it about you that I can't resist?"
"My charming personality?" she quipped.
Laughing, he kissed her lightly on the nose. Amanda watched him get out of bed. Her gaze feasted on his bare backside as he crossed the room to his bathroom.
She curled up in bed while he took a shower and just remembered the way he'd felt in her arms. His scent clung to her, and she reveled in it. It made her feel as if she belonged to him and yet she knew she never could.
He was a Dark-Hunter and she was an accountant. There had never been two more mismatched people born. Still her heart didn't listen. There was a part of her that wanted him on a level she'd never known existed.
And somewhere in the back of her mind, she couldn't help but wonder what it would take to free him of his Dark-Hunter oath.
CHAPTER 9
Kyrian walked down the hallway and opened the door to his office. Nick sat at the antique mahogany desk with his back to him. The black leather reclining office chair squeaked as Nick shifted in the seat while his fingers flew over the keys of the computer keyboard.
It was a familiar sight.
On the Internet, Nick was a demigod, which in hacker terminology meant he could pretty much infiltrate anything, no matter how secure the server. Because of that, Nick, Chris Eriksson, and Daphne Addams had been relegated to designing, maintaining, and securing the Dark-Hunter.com Web site where the Dark-Hunters and Squires kept all their records and communicated with each other.
It was nice to know Nick was picking up something other than women of questionable morals at school.
"So what had you barging into my room?"
Nick glanced over his shoulder with a devilish grin. "Man, you got laid. It's about time."
"Knock it off."
Snorting, Nick turned his attention back to his instant message. "You're the only man I know who can have sex with a woman who looks that good and be in this bad a mood ten minutes later. Damn, didn't you know sex is supposed to make you feel better?"
Kyrian rolled his eyes at his impudent Squire. Rules and regulations had never applied to Nick Gautier. Nor had the boy ever been intimidated by him. Not even on the night he had learned what Kyrian was.
"Nick..." he warned.
Nick opened a small window on the computer and read the message. "Okay, okay. Here's the deal from the Oracles:
"Of Apollite birth and of Daimon born, he is the one who will make you mourn.
"Through the wine god's blood and bath, he exists as pure wrath.
"To bring him under final control, you must find the Dark-Hunter with a soul."
Kyrian frowned at the riddle, which was the typical garbage given to them by the Oracles. Gods, how he hated them. Just once, couldn't they actually come out and say it in plain, simple language?
Oh no. Zeus forbid, the Oracles should actually help them protect the humans.
&
Nick swung around in the chair to face him. "Acheron interpreted it to say that only a Dark-Hunter with a soul can kill Desiderius. That's why no one has ever succeeded against him. It's simple prophecy, and you know how that works."
"There's no such thing as a Dark-Hunter with a soul. Not a full soul, anyway."
"Then according to the Oracles and Ash, Desiderius can never be killed."
Kyrian let out a slow breath. "That is not what I wanted to hear this morning."
"Yeah, and all I have to say is I'm damned glad I'm not in your boots on this one." Nick frowned. "Your eyes are green. What happened?"
"Nothing."
Nick tilted his head and gave him a suspicious stare. "Something's up." He reached for his cell phone. "Do I need to call Ash again?"
Kyrian took the phone from his hand and glared murderously at him. "Leave Acheron out of this. I can handle it."
"Yeah, you'd better. You get on my last nerve, but I'd hate to break in another Dark-Hunter."
Kyrian snorted at him. "What is that? A declaration of love?"
"It's one of loyalty. I don't want to see you go down like Streigar did."
The thought sobered Kyrian. Streigar had been a fierce Dark-Hunter who had been trapped by vampire-hunting humans who exposed him to daylight. His death had upset all of them, Dark-Hunter and Squire alike.
"Don't worry," he assured Nick, "I'm not going to be a dawn-surfer. I can handle myself."
"Want to bet that's what Streigar said, too?"
Kyrian growled. "Don't you have class today?"
Nick laughed at that. "Boy, I'm a backwoods Cajun, I ain't never got no class, cher." He cleared his throat and dropped the thick Cajun accent. "And no, today's registration. I've got to figure out what I'm taking next semester."
"Fine, but I have a few things I need you to do today."
"And that is different from any other day how?"
Sarcasm, thy name is Nick Gautier.
"I need you to take Amanda shopping for clothes. The Daimons burned her house down and she has nothing except the clothes on her back."
Nick arched a brow. "From what I saw, she had no clothes whatsoever on her back. Her front neither."
Kyrian narrowed his eyes on his Squire.
"Don't have a hissy." Nick held his hands up in mock surrender. "I know she's yours and I would never encroach, but man, I'm not blind, either."
"One day, Gator bait..."
"Yeah, right. That threat might actually carry weight if I didn't know how much you live to order me around. You'd go insane if you couldn't page me at all hours of the night."
Kyrian couldn't deny that. The nights did have a way of getting long and boring when there were no Daimons to pursue. And bugging Nick at three A.M. did provide some entertainment.
Nick pulled out his Palm Pilot and made notes on it. "All right, secret mission, take woman shopping." He looked up at Kyrian. "By the way, I want hazard pay for this. I seriously hate the mall."
Kyrian laughed. "That I can tell by the way you dress."
Nick gave him a fake wounded look. "Excuse me, Mr. Armani. I happen to like the grunge look."
"Sorry. I keep forgetting it's fashionable to look like you just rolled out from under a Dumpster."
Stuttering in indignation, Nick pretended offense. "Why don't you take your butt back to bed and save your oozing charm for your woman? 'Cause if you keep this up, I'm going to stake you..." then under his breath, he added, "while you sleep."
Kyrian crossed his arms over his chest. "All right, you'll get your bonus, but play nice with her. Keep your sarcasm to a minimum."
"Yes, O great Lord and Master." Nick added another note--"Be nice to woman, keep mouth shut"--then he looked up. "By the way, is there a limit on what I'm to spend for her clothes?"
"No. Whatever she wants to spend."
"Visit Needless-Markup and Lord and Taylor. All right, next?"
"Have her back here before dusk or I'm going to feed your Cajun hide to Talon's gators."
A glimmer of fear flashed in his eyes. Nick hated alligators, but Kyrian had no idea why. "All right, that scares me."
"I also want you to go by Talon's and pick up a srad. Let's give Desiderius a surprise he won't see coming."
Nick visibly cringed at the mention of Talon's circular daggers. It was an ancient weapon that made a Ginsu look like a butter knife. "Do you even know how to use that thing?"
"Yes, I do." Kyrian took a deep breath. "Now, I need some sleep. Your primary job today is to take care of Amanda."
Nick turned off his Palm Pilot and clipped it to his belt. "You like her, don't you?"
Kyrian didn't answer. He didn't dare. Neither one of them needed to know that one.
Instead, he left Nick sitting at the computer and went back to his room.
*
After a quick shower, Amanda quietly stepped into the bedroom to dress while Kyrian slept in his large four-poster bed.
The room was completely dark with the only light coming from the bathroom. No one would ever be able to tell if it was day or night from in here, and yet Kyrian always seemed to know when the sun was up.
She stepped over to the bed to watch him lying there with the sheet draped over his middle to shield his nudity. Oh, that man had a body ...
She could stare at him all day long and not grow tired of all that lush, tawny skin that she longed to explore some more with her lips and hands. What was it about him that was so addictive?
She ached to kiss those poetic lips and run her hands through the golden waves on his head, but she didn't want to disturb his sleep. He needed his strength.
Tiptoeing from the room, she headed downstairs to the kitchen.
Daylight sparkled against the white marble of the room, bright and cheerful. Rosa was frying bacon while Nick sat on a barstool looking through a college course catalogue.
Probably no older than twenty-four, Nick was lean and handsome. His shoulder-length dark brown hair could have used a trim, but somehow it suited his sculpted features. He was wearing a baggy sweater that had seen better days, and faded jeans with a hole in the knee.
"Hey, Rosa," he said without looking up from his catalogue, "if I take Spanish next semester, will you help me study for it?"
"Si. I imagine Kyrian will, as well."
"Great," he said sarcastically. "Between that and Ancient Greek Civilization, I'll have the friggin' time of my life."
"Nick!" Rosa chastised. "Such language you use. It is not becoming of a gentleman."
"Sorry."
Rosa set a plate of toast, bacon, and eggs down beside Nick, then turned and caught sight of Amanda in the doorway. "There you are, senorita. Are you hungry?"
"A little."
"Come," she said, indicating the stool beside Nick. "Sit and I'll make you breakfast."
"Thank you, Rosa."
Rosa smiled.
Amanda took a seat beside Nick. He brushed his hand off on his jeans and held it out to her. "Nick Gautier," he said with a charming, dimpled smile. "Better known as 'Nick, get your butt in here, I need you to...' Fill in the blank."
She laughed. "Bossy, isn't he?"
"You've no idea." Nick pulled his cell phone off his belt and handed it to her. "Speaking of, boss man said you'd need to call work."
"Thanks."
While Rosa made her breakfast, she called her boss and explained about her house. Luckily, her director was understanding and gave her a two-week leave of absence to take care of it.
As soon as she hung up, Amanda felt ill as she remembered her loss. "I can't believe they burned down my house."
"Your house?" Rosa asked. "Who burned it down?"
"The authorities are looking into it," Kyrian said from the direction of the living room.
Amanda turned around to see him standing in the doorway. He looked pale and uneasy.
Rosa smiled. "M'ijo, you are here today. Nick said you would be gone."
"I'm not feeling well." Even though his face was tender, he narrowed his gaze on Rosa. "You came in on time this morning, didn't you?"
Rosa ignored his question. "Come and sit. I'll make you something to eat."
Kyrian cast a wary look to the sunlight spilling into the kitchen from the open windows. He took a step back into the dark living room. "Thank you, Rosa, but I'm not hungry. Nick, I need to see you for a minute."
Nick gave her a knowing smile. "At least he didn't tell me to move my butt."
"Nick," Kyrian said. "Move your butt, boy."
While Nick went over to Kyrian, Rosa set a plate in front of her. "Poor little one. What are you to do without a house?"
"I don't know. I guess I need to call my insurance company. Find a place to live..." Amanda's voice trailed off as she thought over all the things that needed to be done.
She'd have to replace her entire life. Everything. Toothbrush, shoes, books, furniture, phones. She didn't even have a pair of underwear.
Overwhelmed, she lost her appetite.
Whatever was she going to do?
Nick came back to the counter and picked up his catalogue, then went back to Kyrian in the doorway. "I need a favor. I have to register at one o'clock, so if we're not back, can you sign up on-line for my classes? I know you need to sleep, but I really want to take Greek Civ next semester."
"Why?"
"Dr. Alexander is teaching it and he's supposed to be really good."
"Julian Alexander?" Amanda asked.
"Yeah," Nick said, looking back at her. "You know him?"
She exchanged a knowing look with Kyrian. "Not half as well as Kyrian does."
Nick shuddered. "Ah, man, not another one of you. Great. Shoot me now and put me out of my misery."
"Don't tempt me." Kyrian took the catalogue. "One o'clock. Anything else?"
"Yeah, do something about those eyes, they're creeping me out."
Kyrian arched a warning brow at Nick's commanding tone. "You two have fun."
"Fun?" Amanda asked as Kyrian left them.
Nick returned to sit on his stool. "We're going shopping." He curled his lips and shuddered at the word.
"For what?"
He took a drink of orange juice. "Whatever you need, my lady. Furs, diamonds, whatever."
"Diamonds?" she asked, laughing at the outrageous thought.
"It's on Kyrian, so I say go for broke. Literally."
She smiled. "I can't do that. I have my own money."
"Yeah, but why spend it? You have no idea how rich the man is. I promise you, buy the mall and he won't even notice."
Amanda had no intention of doing that. Still, she did need something else to wear. "All right, can we also stop by my mother's?"
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