“Hell, yeah.”
She chuckled. “I saw it, you know.”
“Saw what?”
“The tattoo.”
“Ah, the tattoo. You like it?”
“Yep.”
“Do you know what it is?”
“My eyes.”
“Yes, your very beautiful, mesmerizing, gorgeous eyes.”
“That’s sweet. Why did you do it?”
“I’d thought I’d lost you forever. It’s the saddest I’ve ever been, outside of losing my mother. I wanted something of you on me. That was the closest I could come.”
“Damn, you’re going to make me cry, Caelius. Quick, show me the tattoo again so I have something to focus on.”
He quickly swiveled in his chair and lifted his shirt. He felt her fingers running across his flesh and the trail of chills that followed her path.
“What does this word mean? Renovatio.”
“A total rebirth. I felt like I was reborn every time I looked into your eyes. All I had to do was turn my back to a mirror, and there you were.” Her fingers paused.
“Damn, Caelius. If I didn’t love you before, you’d have it full-on right now.”
“You love me?”
“You know that I do. It’s not every day that I chase a guy halfway across the country.”
He pulled his shirt down and turned to her.
“It was you.”
“What?”
“In the parking lot. You yelled out about the gun.”
“Yes. I was trying to catch up with you, and then the idiots stumbled out of the door and screwed that up.”
“You saved my life.”
“No, you saved your own life by disappearing. I just gave you a head start.”
“Semantics.”
She grinned. “Okay. I give. We both saved your life.”
“I should kiss you and thank you proper.”
Her eyebrows rose. “Are you going to flop around on the ground again? I need to be prepared.”
He chuckled. “No. That only occurs once. Despite what you saw, I was so damn happy that it happened.”
“Me, too.”
“Come here, Rhia. Sit on my lap.”
“We’ll break the chair.”
“I don’t care. I’ll kiss you on the ground, too.”
She snorted.
“Suit yourself.”
He snatched her into his arms as soon as she stood up.
“That’s better. You were too far away.” He ran his palm down her thigh and cupped her knee. “Where were you when I was talking dirty to you over the phone?” She chuckled and slid her fingers along his jawline. Damn, something that simple and he was already growing hard again.
“I was right across the courtyard. You don’t know how difficult it was for me to not run across and bang on your door.”
He pressed his forehead to hers.
“I wish you had.”
“Me, too, but then I wouldn’t have found out where you were from. I had to know, Caelius.”
He nodded. “I’m glad you did that. I had no idea how in the hell I was going to tell you. I was so afraid that you’d think I was insane. I couldn’t stand the thought of you looking at me with disgust.” She ran her hand down his braid and he shivered.
“Never. I would’ve been freaked, I’ll admit that, but I trusted you, Caelius. I’d spent enough time with you to know that you’re not like my ex-husband, or any other man I’ve known. You’ve opened something up inside me. You make me look at myself differently. I’m alive when I’m with you. I’m going to kiss you now so you’ll know the depth of my appreciation.” She tilted her head and placed her exquisite lips to his.
Caelius fell into the kiss. It was the first time that he hadn’t been bombarded with frenzied energy trying to split his skin, or agonized thoughts that his necklace remained cold. His energy hummed at an even level, and it was the best damn feeling he’d ever had.
Rhia’s sweet lips were like soft pillows, and he sipped slowly at them, taking his time to learn the shape with his tongue. She opened for him, and he slipped inside the velvet of her mouth. Her sweet moans and the tight grip she had on his braid were nearly his undoing. At the first whiff of jasmine, his cock went on instant high alert and probably lifted her ass an inch off his lap. He had to stop before he took her right here in the dirt. He nipped her lower lip and pulled away.
“I have to stop now, sweetness. I’ll not take you out here. You deserve better.”
Gods! Her lids were at half-mast, and her lips were now red and puffy from his attention. He couldn’t wait to get her back home. She blinked a few times and nodded.
“Yeah, that’s probably for the best. Shit, Caelius. Your kisses turn me to complete mush. Can you stick me back in my chair?”
Laughing, he rose from his seat and turned when he heard the crunch of tires on gravel. He sat her down on the ground and pulled her behind him. He smiled when he saw it was the Suburban.
“Our ride’s here, sweetness. Let’s go get some food. If I can’t eat you up, then I’ll settle for filling my belly.”
* * * *
Rhia glanced back and watched the little Ford Escort pull out of the convenience store parking lot. She turned and looked at Caelius’s profile as he navigated onto the road leading back to Austin.
“That was nice of your friend to take the rental back for me.”
“He was happy to. We take care of our own. I didn’t want you driving. You’ve been up for a long time, sweetness. Why don’t you push the seat back and try to sleep. I’ll wake you as soon as we get into Austin.” He watched her stretch her legs out and yawn.
“That’s a great idea. After that meal, I’m ready to pass out. Punch me if I start snoring.”
Caelius laughed and patted her on the thigh.
“You snore all you want. If you get too crazy, I’ll just turn on the music.”
She snorted and slid the seat back.
“I’m not that damn loud. Well, I don’t think I am. Just promise not to film me with your phone.” His eyes widened when she slapped her hands over her face and groaned.
“Damn, my phone! I forgot all about it. I left it at the entry site.”
Caelius frowned. “Did you drop it?”
She peeked out through her fingers, shook her head, and dropped her hands.
“Sort of. I left it under a bush. It was my ticket into your world. I set an alarm and ran inside when your guards investigated.”
Caelius laughed. “You’re very devious, Rhia. Don’t worry about the phone. I’ll replace it when we get back.” He knew she must be tired when she only nodded and relaxed again. Not more than five minutes had passed and he could tell she was completely out.
Caelius loved watching her. The sun had come out full force, and even with the tinted windows her skin glowed. He picked her hand up and placed a gentle kiss to her knuckles. It seemed tiny resting on his palm. He loved that her nails were short and she wore no color on them. There wasn’t anything fake about this beautiful woman. He chuckled when her lips parted and she released a few soft snores.
Having her in the car with him made the seven-hour drive pass by very quickly. She hadn’t stirred once, even when he stopped to fill the tank. Soon, the sky darkened and the lights of Austin glowed up ahead. He shook his head at how drastically things had changed since he’d watched them dwindle in his rearview mirror. He waited until he was in front of her tiny home before he woke her.
“Rhia. Sweetness. We’re here.” He jostled her shoulder and she sat up. He watched as she looked around and tried to get her bearings.
“We’re back already? I slept the whole time?” When he nodded, she stretched and yawned. I feel great. Thanks for letting me sleep. How are you doing? I bet you’re exhausted.”
“I’m fine, but I’m ready to get back to the apartment. I’m so sick of hotels. It’ll be nice to see my bed again.” She nodded and smiled at him.
“Okay, I’ll see you tomorr
ow.”
He caught her arm before she could open the door.
“Hey, I’m not going anywhere without you. You’re coming home with me. I only stopped so you can grab what you need.”
“What?”
“You heard me. I don’t want to be apart from you. I just got you back. You’ll come live with me.” She looked puzzled.
“You want me to live with you?”
“Of course.” His stomach did a flip. “Don’t you want to be with me, Rhia?” Her lips parted, closed, and then opened again.
“Yes. I just wasn’t expecting this.”
She glanced toward the house and stared at it for several moments. He stayed quiet while she worked through whatever dilemma had her concerned. Patience, dipshit. Let’s not scare her away. Eventually, she turned to him and relief washed over him at the first hint of the shy smile.
“Live with you. Yes. That sounds good. Are you sure?”
“No hesitation. I won’t be able to think straight unless you’re by my side. Now go grab your things and let’s get out of here. We’ll move everything else into storage later. I’m going to make some calls and let everyone know that I’m back.” His eyes widened when he sensed her additional hesitation.
“What is it, sweetness?”
“I want to be honest with you, Caelius. I won’t be able to stand it knowing that you’re at the club. It’ll kill me. I came face to face with a side of me in California that I’ve never encountered before. She’s evil and has no compunction about hurting another woman that lays a finger on you. I’m not even going to pretend that she doesn’t exist. That bitch will claw her way out of me, and it won’t be pretty. If I’m going to be with you, as you seem to want very badly, then you can’t work there anymore. I know how much you like performing, so I don’t think it’s fair that I ask you to sacrifice your job. I don’t know what to do. I feel like a complete bitch.”
Caelius reached out and clasped her chin with two fingers.
“You’re jealous for me?”
Her nod was quick and her eyes determined.
“Hell, yes. There. It’s ugly, but it’s the truth. I don’t want there to ever be any lies between us, Caelius. I can’t live like that.”
He smiled and caressed her cheek.
“Baby, you don’t have to worry. I wasn’t planning on ever returning there. I have exactly what I want sitting right here in this car.” He could see the immediate relief in her eyes.
“I’ll put off starting classes until you find a new job. I can help out. You might have to sell your car if you can’t find something sooner. I’m pretty damn sure I don’t make enough in two months to make a payment on this thing. We’ll be all right if we’re just careful with our spending.”
Caelius laughed, grabbed her hand, and squeezed.
“You’re so sweet, Rhia. Your willingness to sacrifice your schooling for me makes me love you even more. I didn’t think that was possible. We’re going to be perfectly okay. I paid cash for this car and there’s plenty more where that came from. That’s one thing the empress obviously failed to tell you. Here on Earth, you value precious gems and pay ridiculous amounts to attain them. On Insedivertus, those are plentiful.” He chuckled and tipped her chin up to lift her jaw. She looked stunned. He tweaked her on the nose.
“Now, go get what you think you’ll need. I’m ready to take you home.”
Chapter 31
Caelius watched Rhia walk her secondary trail across the grass and ascend the crooked stairs. As soon as the light went on inside, he settled back in his seat and sent a mind-call out to Maxim. It’d been far too long since he’d last spoken with him. He needed to know that someone new was going to be residing in the apartment until he could build her a home. He sighed when he didn’t get a response. He was probably pissed at him for being locked down tight this entire time.
Lifting his phone, he tried calling, but he wouldn’t pick up. I guess he’s trying to show me how it feels. Point made. Selecting another number, he waited as it rang several times. He was about to hang up when he heard Kallon’s voice. He sounded groggy.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Kallon. Did I wake you? I can call back.”
“No, it’s all right. I needed to get up anyway. I’ve been rather lazy today. I’m so glad to hear from you. We’ve been worried about you. Are you okay? Where are you?”
“Oh, yes. I’m very well. I apologize for worrying everyone. It was a bad time for me, and I needed to get away. I just returned to Austin and I’ve brought my Occasio with me.” He heard the gasp of surprise.
“That’s wonderful news, Caelius. I’m very happy for you.”
“Thank you. Have you heard from Maxim? He’s not returning my calls. I fear he may be angry with me.” He was surprised by Kallon’s soft chuckle.
“He’s probably on a plane right now.”
“A plane?”
“Yes. After what happened at the apartment and he found out about your unhappiness from Nikos and Chiron, he set out to collect you. He knew you needed to be home amongst your brethren.” Caelius felt his chest warm.
“That was very nice of him, but I’d already taken care of the situation with Ashley. There wasn’t any reason for him to be concerned.”
“No, you don’t understand. He got freaked out when he discovered that your apartment had been vandalized.” Caelius felt his gut clench.
“What?”
“Yes. Someone broke in and did some damage. I’ll let him explain when he gets back. He’s already fixed everything, and Cato added additional security, so you should feel safe enough to return home. If you’re not there yet, you should get in touch with Cato. You might set some alarms off if you’re not prepared for his little traps.
“Damn, Kallon. I knew she was crazy, but I never thought she’d act on her threats. This is very disturbing.”
“Yes. Cato hasn’t been able to locate her, so just be careful.”
“I will. Especially now that Rhia will be moving in with me until I can build our home.”
“Rhia? Wasn’t she the one that Nikos said had you upset? I thought that she hadn’t engaged your necklace.”
“Yes. In fact, that’s something else that I should speak to Cato about first thing. He needs to let all of the warriors know that they should check their conprobatus very carefully. Mine was flawed, and it was the reason that I wasn’t aware that Rhia was my mate this whole time. I got a new one, but it still required me to touch her for it to engage. The emperor is aware, and the anomaly is being investigated. You should check yours, Kallon.” He wasn’t prepared for the soft snort coming through the phone.
“Mine is perfectly fine. In fact, my mate is lying asleep beside me as we speak.”
Caelius felt his eyes widen. “Ulixes. Please tell me it’s Ulixes.”
“Yes. It seems you and I have a celebration to plan.”
“Indeed we do. Congratulations, amici. It seems that all is finally right in the universe. I’ll leave you now. My mate is taking entirely too long in packing her things. I’ll see you soon.”
“Assuredly. Take care, Caelius.”
Ending the call, Caelius set his phone aside and let out a deep breath. Despite the happiness he was feeling for himself and Kallon’s welcomed news, he still felt the discomfort of learning Ashley had gone so far over the edge and caused physical damage to his home. How in the hell was he going to get this silly girl to stop? A piece of paper wouldn’t hold sway on someone whose thinking was that skewed. He’d just have to stay aware of his surroundings since he had someone else to think about besides himself. The thought of Ashley doing anything to harm Rhia had chills running across his flesh.
Jumping out of the car, Caelius quickly made his way across the lawn. He frowned when he spotted the flat tires on her Omni. A shudder went through his body. He leapt up onto the front porch and pushed his way inside the house.
Cold air and the pleasant aroma of flowers met him at the entrance. He immediately relaxed when he spotted Rhia
in her tiny kitchen. She looked up and smiled. His heart rate immediately dropped back into normal gear. Shit! He was going to be paranoid for days until he could get that crazy girl corralled and understanding that he was off limits. He plastered a smile on his face so he wouldn’t frighten Rhia.
“I’m sorry, Caelius. I got sidetracked. I realized I didn’t need any more clothes. I already have a suitcase full of them in your trunk. I made the mistake of checking the messages on my phone. I had several students calling about class schedules, Scott wondering if I was okay, and a couple of hang-ups from a number I didn’t recognize.” Caelius lifted his palms and smiled.
“I promise those weren’t from me.” Rhia laughed and opened the refrigerator.
“I know, silly. Hey, you want me to bring some of the cookies I made before I left? I think you’ll like these.”
Nodding absently, Caelius focused on the flower arrangements scattered around the room. Roses, lilies, sunflowers, tulips, and some he couldn’t name. He now knew why the room was so cold. She’d obviously left the air-conditioner on full blast so they wouldn’t wilt and die. They were beautiful, and it looked like all of them had survived her absence. He lifted a card from one of the arrangements and jumped when he felt something touch his back.
* * * *
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. Aren’t they gorgeous? I’ve never had so many flowers in one room in my life. It almost looks like a florist shop. I hate that they’ll all eventually die. I should take a picture of them.” Rhia smiled when he started reading the cards in his sexy, lilting accent that never failed to make her knees wobble.
“Crazy about you”—“Constantly in my thoughts”—“Only mine.” She nudged him on the arm.
“You confused the hell out of me, Caelius. You didn’t call or come back, and then you sent me all of these. I didn’t know what to think. That’s one of the main reasons I jumped on that flight. I wanted to confront you and get everything out in the open. I was about to snag you in the parking lot of that bar, but when the fight happened and you disappeared…well, you know the rest.” She frowned when he started shaking his head and kept plucking cards from the vases. She followed him around the room and tried to figure out why the cards were so important to him. Did the florist not write in the correct messages?
Fueled by Lust: Caelius (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 27
