Ever Mine (Dragon Lore) (9 page)

His jaw set as his eye began to twitch. He was going to find her, then he was going to strangle her, and then he was going to lock her up somewhere she’d be safe and unable to disappear on him again, or get herself hurt. He didn’t care if he sounded like an over-protective asshole. She had no business being out in the world without him. What the hell was she thinking?

Telling himself it was anger that made his shoulders tremble, he went back to his bedroom. He yanked on a shirt and his shoes, then grabbed his wallet and keys off the nightstand. He was turning to head for the door when something outside his peripheral vision caught his attention. Furious at the relief rushing through him, he pushed open the patio door. “What the
hell
are you doing?” He snapped.

She jumped. “Go away, Nathan. I’m working.” She stared down at the plant lying at her feet, chanting under her breath as tears slipped down her cheeks.

Willing back his temper, he moved in front of her, and gently crooked his fingers under her chin. She fought against looking at him, as if she was afraid to take her eyes off the lily, but he was more stubborn than she could ever possibly know.

“Hey.” Afraid of spooking her, Nathan kept his voice soothing as he took a step closer to her, forcing her attention on him instead of the plant. “What’s going on?”

Her nose wiggled before she sniffed and wiped her hand over her cheeks. “I’m trying to will myself into a fairy again.”

His gut clenched. He didn’t want to yell at her, but how the hell could she want to go back to that world? “Katen—”

She cut him off with a quick shake of her head. Without a word, she stepped around her plant and moved into him, wrapping her arms around his waist. She dropped her head against his chest and sniffled again. “Don’t argue with me, Nathan. You’ve done enough to help me already.”

Logically, he knew she was right. She wasn’t his problem. His life sure as hell wasn’t set up for a helpless female, no matter how hot she was or how amazing the sex was. He wrapped his arms around her anyway, and pulled her in closer as he dropped his chin on the top of her head. “Maybe,” he agreed, “but you’re still here, and I’m all you’ve got. No one else is going to believe you’re a fairy.”

She glared up at him. “That doesn’t make me feel any better.” She blew out a breath and turned her head to rest her cheek against his chest. “I thought maybe if I wished hard enough, I could become a fairy again. Even if I couldn’t go back to the valley, at least I would have my home.”

He rested his cheek against the top of her head. The city was just starting to come alive. Finally, he nodded and scooped her up. He ignored her questioning look as he opened the door to the bedroom, and didn’t set her on her feet until they were in front of the bed. He pointed at the mattress behind him. “Sit.”

She blinked at his command, even as she carefully lowered herself onto the edge of the bed. Her beautiful face was dark, and there was indignant temper in her bright green eyes. “I don’t handle being told what to do well.”

“Tough.” He winked at her before she could get worked up. Because she looked more than capable of kicking him or turning him into a cockroach if she got more pissed off, he was careful to keep some distance between them as he crouched in front of her, his forearms braced against his thighs. “Look. Right now, I’m all you have. You may hate it, but it is what it is. I’m not sending you out into the world this vulnerable. You wouldn’t last a day.” He cocked a brow, warning her that he wasn’t finished. “I’m sure you could handle yourself, but you don’t know this world. You have no money for food, or clothes or shelter.”

She still glared at him. “If you’re trying to make me feel better, you’re still failing, Nathan.”

He chuckled quietly. “No, I’m being realistic. I can help you, but you’re going to have to be a little less stubborn and let me, until we get you on your feet.”

She had the adorable look on her face she got whenever she thought he wasn’t making sense. Her eyes narrowed at him, her brow and nose screwed up. She stood up and plopped her hands on her curvy hips. “I’m on my feet.”

He coughed to cover his laugh. She was so damn cute. “It’s a figure of speech,” he finally managed to get out without his amusement showing. “It means being able to support yourself completely.”

“Oh.” She blew out a breath and sat down on the edge of the bed. Her teeth caught at her bottom lip as she played with the edge of the t-shirt she wore. It took everything he had to keep his eyes on her face, and not the sinful body barely hiding behind the fabric, or the way it showed off the tops of her thighs. “So what are you suggesting?” She peeked up at him.

Nathan prayed for self-control. The second he opened his mouth and said the next words, he was going to be a walking hard-on for the foreseeable future, and he doubted she would want him all over her every time she breathed.

Dragging a hand over his face, he braced his arms against his legs again. “Stay here. We’ll get you some clothes, I’ll teach you how to navigate the city without getting yourself killed and we’ll start looking for a way for you to support yourself, so you can find your own place.”

Her mouth dropped open. “Live here, Nathan? With you?” She was on her feet, the too-fast movement making her sway. He shot up, grasping her around the waist before she could face-plant onto his hardwood floor. She gaped up at him. “You mean, live with you?”

“I’m not a goddamn ogre, Katenia. I’m not going to ravish you while you sleep.”

She poked him in the shoulder. “You stubborn beast. I like you. I like you so much that it would be too easy to depend on you and let you fix everything for me. I’m a healer, Nathan. I take care of things, and I really,
really
want to take care of you. But I’m not human, and you’re not a fairy, and even if it does feel like you’re my forever mate, you can’t be, because again, you are human. I can’t get attached to you anymore than I am.”

His temper eased, though the ache in his chest intensified. He didn’t like hearing that, even if they wanted it, there could be no future between them. But he nodded and pretended like the thought didn’t make him miserable. “Okay, then.” He winked as he set her back and leaned down to kiss her lightly. “There is one rule. Not to fall in love with each other.”

Her head canted as she considered it. “What about sex?”

He grasped her hips and yanked her toward him again, his mouth skimming along her throat. “Sex is still on the table. We just keep the yucky love stuff out of it.” He licked at her pulse point while his hands slid under her shirt to knead her backside. “Deal?”

“Deal.” She grinned. When he hitched her up, she wrapped her legs around his waist and tangled her fists in his hair, her mouth hot and demanding as she nipped at his bottom lip, her eyes dancing. “Now where is this table you speak of to have sex on? You should take me there. Now.”

Chapter 13

They didn’t make it to any table. In the hallway, he backed her into the wall and slid into her. He was a slow burn, maddening on her senses, his hands scorching and possessive as they roamed over her skin. All she could do was hold on while the storm that was Nathan built around her, through her, devastating her all the way to her core. He didn’t let up on his assault until the pleasure burst inside of her, sending her body skyrocketing into the heavens as every color of the rainbow burst in front her eyes, his violent shout of climax mixing with her screams.

Katenia didn’t know how long it took before she was able to see anything besides stars spinning, and she had no idea how or when they’d made it to the floor, or how she’d gotten on top of him.

Suddenly feeling like a contented kitten, she stretched out on his chest, too exhausted to open her eyes. His heart was a frantic pounding beneath her ear, and while she loved knowing he felt the explosion of lust between them the way she did, there was a part of her needing to soothe him. She brushed her lips over his chest, then rested her fingers directly over his heart.

It was an odd sensation to literally feel your world spinning out of control. In her valley, everything was predictable. You knew the rules, and every day that went by was the same as the day before. Everything that was today, everything that would be tomorrow, it was as it had been through the centuries. But with Nathan, every moment was different, and it was as thrilling as it was terrifying. Because no matter how hard Katenia tried, she couldn’t get a handle on anything. Not her emotions, not the world, and certainly not Nathan. Every time she thought she had him figured out, he’d spin everything out into orbit on her again.

She didn’t know how to stay steady. She didn’t know how to get her bearings. Everything about her life had changed within the last twenty-four hours, and without Nathan…

A rumble from deep inside him nearly vibrated her off her comfy spot on top of him. “Hey.” He slid his fingers into her hair and kissed the top of her head. “Stop.”

She didn’t open her eyes, afraid of what she’d see if she looked at him. Any emotion at all would send her tumbling off the edge, and while she loved being with him and the sex was earth-shattering, she couldn’t afford anything more. “Stop what?”

“Stop falling in love with me,” he murmured, as if reading her mind. One huge arm banded around her waist. He stretched his long, muscular frame, then he rolled easily to his feet, bringing her up with him. He set her down, braced his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face the kitchen. He gave her a little push. “I can’t help you if you’re going to fall in love with me.”

Katenia tossed her hair over her shoulder and snorted as she started in the direction he’d pointed. “You are an arrogant beast, Nathan, do you know that?”

“It’s been said.” He sighed as someone knocked on the front door. “Hang on.”

“Nathan.”

“Yes?”

She smiled when he turned to look at her. He didn’t just glance at her over his shoulder, he turned all the way around to face her, giving her all of his attention. It was so sweet, her heart stuttered. Moving into him, she slipped her arms around his waist. “You’re naked.”

He tilted her head back and kissed her, a slow, mind-melting kiss that shifted her world a little farther off its axis. When he finally pulled away, he arched one dark brow at her, though the heat in his eyes told her he was more affected than he seemed. “I thought you liked me naked.”

“I do.” To prove it, she slipped her hand between them, wrapping her fingers around his hard shaft. She grinned, slowly moved her hand over him. “See?”

“Goddamn it, woman,” he groaned, his voice a harsh rasp. He grabbed her wrist and leaned down to rest his head against hers while he dragged in a deep breath. “Are you
trying
to kill me?”

She tried to hide her delight in the reaction she had on his body. “You’re the one who said humans wear clothes.”

He glared down at her as the pounding on the door started again. He pointed a finger at her in warning, then jogged to the end of the hallway where he’d shed his pants, slipped them on and stalked to the door. He flung it open to reveal a tall, elegant woman tapping long red fingernails on the door trim. Her dress was the same color red, and clung to her slim curves like a second skin. The shoes she wore raised her a good five inches, putting her at nearly six-foot.

Katenia frowned when all the easiness and humor in Nathan disappeared. His body stiffened, and his warm, amazing voice completely deadened. “Rhiannon.”

“You bastard! You stood me up!” Rhiannon screamed as her open hand swung toward his face. He caught it a heartbeat before it connected. He flung it away from him.

“We’ve talked about this,” he said calmly, deliberately taking a step toward the woman, crowding her space and backing her through the doorway. “Don’t ever raise a hand to me.”

“Or what?” She sneered. “It’s not like you’ll do anything about it. You and your high standards.”

Nathan’s large body tightened, and rage flooded Katenia’s system to nearly bursting. She moved around Nathan, planting herself between him and the seething woman.

“Leave.” She said it quietly, and crossed her arms over her chest to emphasize it. “If I make you, I promise you won’t like it.”

“Slut!” Fury flashed in Rhiannon’s hazel eyes, and Katenia only had a heartbeat to realize what was happening. The woman’s fingers curled into talons and swiped toward her face.

Katenia didn’t think. She grabbed Nathan’s hand and ducked, covering her head with her arms as her magic pulsed out, slamming the woman backward and into the metal door of the elevator. The steel creaked with the impact, but Katenia wasn’t going to wait around for the next attack. She slammed his door shut with a swipe of her hand, then turned to stare at Nathan with wide eyes, her entire body trembling violently.

His face was stunned as he lifted his body into a sitting position. “How the hell did you do that?” he asked, rubbing at the back of his head. “For someone as tiny as you, you pack a wallop, Katen.”

She winced. She hadn’t meant to throw him to the ground along with herself, but that woman… Katenia shook her head. “Who was that witch?”

He snorted out a laugh and got to his feet, then reached down to help her up. “I think the word you’re looking for is
bitch
.”

Her brow furrowed in confusion. “I thought the term was witch. One who practices witchcraft.”