As if that ended the conversation he pulled me back into his embrace and lowered his lips to my bare chest but—
“No. Cash.” I placed my palms on the side of his head and lifted. I arched back so we were eye-to-eye. The urge to say Haven’t you been listening? was overwhelming. “I don’t want one of us to lead, I want us to be equals. Partners.”
His frown deepened. “I’ve never had that. We’ve never had that.”
“Precisely. I don’t want history to repeat itself. We’re partners in this, all the way. Not just marriage.”
“You want me to be your king?”
“No! I mean, of course I would… but I don’t want to be Queen at all.”
His face deadpanned and he let go of me. I folded my arms to cover my chest and backed up. My heart clenched at the thought that perhaps he wanted the opposite. It had never occurred to me and I suddenly realized I was guilty of the exact thing I had accused him of.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I should have been clear with you from the start. I guess we both have some lessons to learn about partnership.”
He scrubbed his face with his hand as if to wake himself up. My worry intensified. “Okay,” he said. “If you don’t want to be Queen, what do you want?”
“What do I want?” I thought about it for a moment. “Okay, let me preamble my next words by saying this isn’t an order, it’s not an ultimatum, it’s just my feelings. I want to rid this planet of Urser and his stupid darklings. I want to send all Players home and then I want to restore this planet to the pristine glory it was before our kind came and decimated it. Then, when all that is over, I want live out my life simply, here—hopefully with you in it. I know it’s a lot, and maybe impossible, but it’s a dream, and you asked, so there it is. On the table. Your turn. What do you want?”
“You.” His eyes softened and he stepped closer to me. “Any which way I can.”
“No,” I whined softly. “That’s the same as me dragging you around and ordering you to do things. There has to be more to your life than me. That’s not a partnership.”
His hands tightened on my hips and tugged me close. “I can’t help it. You have no top on and that’s all I can think about.”
“Cash, this is serious.”
“Fine.” He swiftly pulled his shirt over his head and threw it behind him. His body was carved to perfection, each ridge and valley of his chest and abs so defined he could have been made from stone, and it was a low shot. He knew how much I loved staring at him. He shrugged as if to challenge me. “You have no shirt, I have no shirt. How’s that for equal.”
“Not the kind of equality I was talking about.”
He stared. A minute ticked past. And another. Then: “Tiarnan.”
“What?”
“That’s my true name. You’re the only person beside myself to know that, and if you say it—”
“Tiarnan?”
Cash cursed and doubled over, bracing himself on his knees as a severe wave of unbridled tingles and tremors crashed over him. Muscles rolled under his skin as he tensed struggled to remain upright. It was entirely possible the ground rumbled, but I couldn’t hear it over the roar of blood rushing in my ears. Wow. He breathed deeply until the sensations stopped a full minute later. I was about to apologize—or congratulate him—when his head whipped up and his molten gaze locked on mine with a single minded purpose. “You’re going to be sorry you said that.”
I squealed and backed up, a thrill rising through my body. Fear, anticipation, or enjoyment, I didn’t care. I was done arguing.
“You want to know what I want?” Cash asked. “I want for you to be naked”—he stalked toward me—“for me to be naked. For us to be in that water and”—he popped the button on the fly of my jeans and pushed them, underwear and all, to the floor—“and for us to be whispering our true names to each other until the walls crumble from our desire.”
I shivered in expectation.
“It was your plan, all along, wasn’t it?”
“Maybe. Now, I’m afraid I’m a little overdressed.” He took my two hands and guided them to his velvety abdomen. “What were you saying about us being on the same page?”
“Fine, I give up,” I whispered and undid the buckle on his pants. Never taking my eyes from his, I lowered my mouth to his chest, let my lips find the taut pebble of his nipple and circled it while my fingers slid inside the barrier of his pants and pushed down.
He made an appreciative grunt and cupped my rear. Before I knew what was happening, we were kissing in the warm water. Our hands were all over each other, groping, touching, taking, and it was almost as though we’d been waiting years. We kept slipping under the surface and coming up for air. The pool wasn’t that deep, but we couldn’t focus on which limbs to put where until Cash hiked me up to sit on the smooth lip of the pool. He stood, waist deep in front of me, burning gaze locked on mine.
“Promise me you won’t run off again without me,” he said, voice strained.
I trailed his cheek with a feather light finger. “I promise. And promise you won’t keep secrets from me anymore.”
“Never.” His strong hands slipped behind my upper back. “Lay down.”
He supported me as I leaned backward until my shoulders rested on the smooth, polished limestone. He loomed over me and touched his lips to mine in a soft caress. Then he tugged me gently toward him until my hips dipped into the water, floating perilously close to his eager body. The weightlessness made me listless and, every time he moved, the warm water splashed onto my cooler naked torso, tormenting me with delightful sensations.
As he straightened his body, his hot and calloused hand slid sensuously down from my collarbone, trailing a rivulet of water. His firm pressure circled my breast and then nipple, eliciting tiny sparks of ecstasy that skipped over my skin, making me squirm. He continued to stroke down my abdomen and across to my hips where he gripped tight and entered me with a single, hot thrust. Water splashed and I gasped. Every nerve in my body rejoiced.
A low, breathy sound escaped him as he ground into me, reveling in his own sensations. Then he pulled out in a steady, controlled motion until only the tip of him touched me, teasing. Looking up at him, I was completely taken with everything about him. He wanted me. Needed me. And for the first time it really hit me, I needed him too, and that was okay. His body tensed, skin tight over sinuous threads, every muscle straining for control, then he pushed forward, penetrating as deep as he could.
The sharp sting of pleasure had me crying out and I lifted to meet him, greedy. “More.”
“Hold on to the ledge,” he said and helped me find the edge of the pool to grip with both hands. He plunged, leaving me trembling in desire, and then continued—in, out, in—relentlessly, until I thought of nothing but the feel of him and the build of rapturous sensations. My thighs clenched and I gasped with the oncoming climax, gripping the ledge tight.
“Not yet.” Cash pulled me upward so fast I became light headed and clung to him. My body was hard against his chest, and sitting back on the edge of the pool, not floating in the water. We embraced for a moment—hot naked bodies pressed together. Then he drew out of me. He whispered my true name hotly near my ear and entered deep.
An intense shock-wave of ecstasy crashed through me. My mouth opened in a silent cry as white shrouded my vision, and the euphoria stole all sense from my mind. I bit down on his shoulder to muffle my scream. My fingers clawed into his back, nails tore into his skin, while the earth quite literally shook beneath us. Then I might have cursed, or called for divine intervention, but wave after wave of bliss bewildered me until he entered me again, and again, in slow, languid strokes.
Unable to move, I moaned and flopped backward until my back hit the smooth stone. He continued moving inside me until I went limp, unable to do anything but gaze at him while he submitted to his carnal instincts with increasing momentum. Each time he plunged, he brought himself closer to release—the crease of concentration in his forehea
d deepened. And then I whispered, “Tiarnan.”
He let out a suppressed roar that trembled the air. His fists punched beside my head, cracking the rock, and then he collapsed on top of me, face buried into my neck while he rode the sensations until he could breathe again and made tiny satiated sounds. Tiny flecks of limestone crumbled from the stalactites above us and for a moment I panicked that we were going to bury ourselves in our wanton disregard. But the cave roof held, the walls stood firm and Cash kissed me softly on the lips, on the chin, on the neck, whispering sweet nothings until I guided his mouth back to mine.
After a few moments he gently coaxed me into the warm water and we floated listlessly, staring into one another's eyes.
“Sometimes I wish you would remember us,” he said quietly, after a time.
“My heart remembers.”
A sharp breath escaped him that sounded suspiciously like a laugh.
“Don’t knock it! I’m serious. From the first time we kissed, my body recognized you were special to me. That feeling doesn’t leave.”
“I suppose you get to fall in love with me all over again. Lucky you.”
My turn to snort. “Joke’s on you. I’m already madly in love with you.”
“Good.” He gathered me into his arms at the same time as a tumble of dust crumbled from the stalactites above us. We glanced up and he grinned. “Told you we’d crumble the walls.”
“Mm,” I said and sank further into the soothing warmth. “Maybe next time we don’t test the structure of the cave.”
“Nah, you got it sorted.”
“You trust me to hold a collapse and get us out?”
He enveloped my hand in his and pulled it to his heart. “I trust you with my life. Always have.”
Chapter 32
Cash and I fell asleep on a bed of our jackets and some towels we’d pilfered from the store room. The night had been filled with precious moments, sleep, and tangled limbs. By the time morning came, my stomach growled at my laziness. I was starving, and not the only one.
I pulled my shirt on and sat on a step, tucking the hem of my pants into my boots. Cash had just finished buttoning his coat so gathered the fallen mess of towels to discard in a laundry hamper in the store room. He was a step back into the cave when he tensed. A glance my way, and a finger to his lips had me pausing. The hairs on my arm rose to attention and my internal alarm bells went off. Cash cocked his head, listening, and prowled up the steps to the cave exit. His hunter persona replaced the serene side I’d spent the last hour getting to know. Now, each step fell quietly and cautiously until he backed onto the wall next to the doorway, his face hard with lethal readiness. Within moments, our relaxed hideaway haven became the worst imaginable setup for an ambush.
Cash didn’t move.
I opened my mouth to speak when he hissed, “Shh.” He waved for me to come to him. In a burst of speed, I closed the gap between us and thumped into him. He drew me to his side and whispered, “I smell something off.”
I stifled a laugh as a teenager joke about smells came to mind, but was abruptly shut down when I picked up the very real threat in his eyes. I took a deep breath and forced my hyperactive imagination to calm down. Okay, Roo. Not a time for jokes.
And then I felt it. A dark energy intruded down the tunnel from the waterfall. I peeked around Cash’s body to look. All I could see was a faint lighter circle at the end of the long, shadowed corridor. My eyes saw nothing, but my sixth sense picked up energy. Gritty, slick, and dark. My heart sped up. I clutched Cash’s jacket at his chest, eyes wide. “There’s something out there.”
He caught my gaze. “Friendly?”
I shook my head. “I’ve never felt this presence before—no wait. I have. In Houston. It was the slippery essence that followed Marc around.” Oh shit.
“Stand back.” Cash moved me behind him then activated his sword. Red, yellow and white flickering flames extended from his right hand with an almighty crackle and hiss that echoed in the cave. If whatever was out there doubted we knew of its existence, it didn’t now.
“Wait,” I said, stopping Cash from moving. I focused my attention down the pathway to confirm. The dark energy retreated. Fast. “It’s leaving.”
Cash launched himself down the path in pursuit. His flaming sword carved a streak that went so fast it painted a stroke of light. He got to the end of the tunnel, paused and then his silhouette vanished.
Just like that, he was gone.
I groped wildly with my senses for his aura, but was unable to grasp him. If he didn’t want to be found, he wouldn’t. Bile rose in the back of my throat and I imagined the worst possible. Nothing. Nothing out there. I stifled a gasp. Was he—?
Cash’s shadow reappeared at the entrance and I let out the breath I held. He extinguished his sword and stalked back down the internal path toward me.
“It’s gone,” he stated gruffly when he got to the chamber.
“There was definitely something there.”
“I agree.” He picked up my jacket from the floor and handed it to me. “Put this on and we can go back. I think Marc’s had enough beauty sleep. Time for him to answer a few questions.”
I donned the coat and rushed through the tunnel to where he’d stationed himself at the cave opening to keep watch. The air was cooler and occasionally, a gust of icy wind breeched the area we sheltered in. It had begun to lightly snow and I dreaded the walk home, especially with something hunting us. That reminded me. I slapped him on the chest with the back of my hand.
“What was that for?” He scowled at me.
“For going off half-cocked. You had me thinking someone had...” I swallowed the lump in my throat, unable to finish the sentence. When his silhouette had vanished, the worst kind of dread had gripped my soul.
“I was just checking the perimeter.”
“I know that, now.” I shook my head. “Jeez, I’m sounding so high maintenance. I know we promised each other we wouldn’t run off like that, and I’m only now realizing how out of reach that promise might be. I’m sorry. I’ll try to worry less when you’re doing your thing.”
“Don’t. It’s how I know you love me.” His warm lips touched mine in a gentle caress. “Just try and trust that I know what I’m doing,” he added.
“And where does that leave me?” I breathed, trying to gauge his response in the blue shadows of the night. “How can I do what I do and not worry you’re worrying about me?”
He was quiet for a stretch as he understood what had just happened. “Just make sure you tell me first before you gallivant around the world.”
“Gallivant?” I poked him.
“You know what I mean. I’d rather be with you, but I’m acutely aware who I’m in love with. Promise you’ll tell me where you are so I can come if you need me.”
“Okay. I can do that.” I stood on my tip-toes and kissed him quickly on the lips.
We made our way outside. Cool air slammed into my face and ice crunched under my feet. I glanced down to investigate. Large shards of ice littered the pathway and, for the first time, I noticed something missing from the cave opening.
“Holy moley,” I said, pointing at the debris. “That’s the waterfall.”
This time, I didn’t miss the smirk on Cash’s face as he stepped into the moonlight. “It was good for me too.”
I snorted then stiffened as I sensed an aura approaching fast. Cash’s advanced hearing must have caught the jogger at the same time because he also tensed. Before he could go flaming Samurai, I held up my palm. “It’s okay.”
A few seconds later, Jed came running toward us. “There you are.”
“Here we are,” Cash repeated with a stern look on his face. “I told you I didn’t want to be interrupted unless the world was ending.”
The grave look Jed returned told us everything.
Back at the castle, we’d shed our snow sodden clothes and joined the rest of the Tribunal in the makeshift War Room.
Members of the Trib
unal sat at the round table in the far corner of the room. The television screens were off, and the somber tone was amplified by the vibe from each aura as the group spoke in hushed tones to each other. Thankfully, the table was covered with various breakfast food. I didn’t think I could hide my tummy rumbles if I didn’t eat, plus it gave me an excuse to survey the room without speaking. I plucked a croissant from a tray and nibbled as I took stock.
A leader from each surviving House was present along with their seconds or a trusted Player. Cato and Thurstan sat together, looking very much like the cruise ship captains with their white suits and tailored shirts. Lena sat next to them in her powder blue robe with matching blindfold. Jesop stood at her shoulder, also wearing the signature powder blue of Corvus House. Zebedee was next in line in a black robe cut and tailored to his long body. His dark eyes, skin and hair contrasted with the rest of the people at the table, except one other person I didn’t remember meeting. A woman with olive skin and a short afro sat next to him in a tight, wrap dress that had a snake emblem on the breast. Epsilon House. I thought all of them had disappeared after the fall of the Australian Ludus.
My gaze snapped back to Zebedee for a minute. The last time I was in here, I’d made a fool of myself and he’d made a derogative comment about letting the grownups handle the situation. I could feel aversion boiling off his aura as he met my gaze. He was probably right. I had acted like a child, but my instincts proved right. I’d conquered the blockage over my power and saved a number of souls. I wasn’t backing down, now. I had as much right to be here as anyone else.
I chomped on the buttery croissant.
On the other side of the room, sat a number of lesser important people near the phones. Jed was among them. He gave us a quick smile then his face returned to its stony countenance as he eyed off the Tribunal, waiting for the show to begin. He stood with his arms folded, biceps pushed out, obviously tense. Marc, on the other hand, who for some reason lounged at that table instead of the main one, was completely ignorant to my arrival. For once, he wore an outfit I’d never seen on him: a pair of training sweats that hung loosely from his hips and a T-shirt. It looked as though he’d been out for a morning jog, if you could believe it. Then my eyes snagged on the some reason keeping him at the table. A young red-headed woman in a white tennis dress, showing him how the phones worked. Marc made all the appropriate agreement sounds, but his eyes were never on the phone, they were roaming her face. He must have felt my presence because he looked up suddenly and met my eyes with a brief smile.
The Game of Gods: Series Box Set Page 95