“Or what?”
“Or where there’s been intervention.” He rocks back in his chair.
“You mean, it could be a result of the hormone treatment she endured on Novo?”
“Yep. Will you tell her?” he says, scratching his stubbly chin. Looks like I’m not the only one in need of a shave.
“Yeah. We don’t keep secrets from one another.”
Not anymore.
“Thanks for being honest with me, and for looking after her. I appreciate it.”
His two brows raise in surprise.
“What?”
“I didn’t take you for a fan.”
“I’m not.” He smirks and I smirk back. “But that doesn’t mean I’m ungrateful for all you’ve done for her. The two … three,” I quickly correct myself, “of them mean the world to me.” Man, this is so weird. I stand up.
“I can tell. Unless the level of possessiveness you demonstrate around her is normal for you?” He rises in his seat.
“Don’t push it, T.” There’s a challenge in my glare. “You should know, I intend on coming back to Greece with you, if that’s her plan.”
“Not in the least bit surprised to hear that, and if she were my girl, I’d do the same thing. You won’t get any grief from me. I’ve grown close to Ariana and …” My mouth contorts into a snarl of its own accord, and he backs away from me, hands raised in surrender. “Not in that way, man. Seriously, you need to chill out. She’s a cool girl and we’ve had fun, but there’s never been anything more than friendship between us so you can tone down the caveman act.”
“Hhmph.” I mentally count to ten and scrunch my shoulders against my neck. “Later, T.” I need to walk away before I do give in to my inner caveman and lob one on his mouth.
I’m still shaking my head in frustration when I get back to the tent. That guy majorly rubs me the wrong way, but I’m going to have to find a way of tolerating him. It’s either that or find a way to shut him up.
“Ew,” Ariana says, stepping into the tent a nanosecond later. “You weren’t wrong about the communal facilities. I’d rather be bursting and grubby than go in there again.” Her nose wrinkles in disdain and I chuckle. “Did you manage to find some towels?”
“I did,” she says, thrusting them at me. “Come on, let’s get out of here. I feel like something icky is crawling all over my skin.” She shivers.
“Put that in your jacket pocket,” I say, handing her a gun. “We don’t want to be caught out again if we run into trouble.” I’m thinking of the two times back in Clementia when we ran headfirst into a butt load of trouble and neither of us had had the good sense to bring a weapon. That’s not a mistake I’ll be repeating any time soon.
It takes at least ten minutes to navigate out of the base. Once we reach the trees, I clasp her hand and lead the way into the forest. The sun peeks through the branches like a sneaky thief, creeping up on us unexpectedly, the warmth seeping deep into my bones. “I miss the sun,” Ariana says, removing her jacket and stuffing it in her bag. “Not the humidity though,” she adds. “It’s so hot in Greece.”
“I’ve never been. What’s it like?” I watch her as we tread carefully through the woods.
“It’s really quaint and pretty and the people are so nice. It’s very quiet there, like a different world altogether.” Tilting her head back, she soaks up the Vitamin D as a ray of sunlight dances off her face. Stopping, she closes her eyes and extends her bare arms to the side, as if readying herself for flight. I stare at her; utterly mesmerized. She’s wearing a floral patterned knee-length summer dress above her sturdy black boots. It’s a strange combination, but one that works no less. Her skin sparkles and glitters under the full beam of the sun, and she looks ethereal and so beautiful. As quickly as it appeared, the sun retreats, taking all the warmth and the light. Ariana drops her arms and open her eyes. She watches me staring, and cocks her head to the side. “What?” She sweeps her hands through her hair self-consciously.
“My baby momma’s so beautiful. I can’t take my eyes off her.”
A familiar crimson stain darkens her cheeks as she steps toward me. Dipping down, I claim her mouth, my lips sweeping over hers in brisk, soft motions. A small moan escapes her throat, and it’s like a one-way ticket straight to my hormones. Every part of me feels it in the most intense way, and I haul her up to my chest, wrapping my arms around her as I envelop her in eau de Cal. She kisses me back with an equal passion, and my hands are everywhere, fondling her wherever I can feel skin. My body sizzles with powerful need, and I push her back against the nearest tree, compelling my body inward, taking care not to exert pressure on her stomach. I want her so badly right now, but there’s no way I’m disrespecting her by getting all jiggy out here. So, I dig deep and find some much-needed restraint from somewhere.
Pulling back, I grin as my chest struggles to calibrate. Gradually, my breathing returns to normal. We haven’t taken our eyes off each other, and the way her eyes sparkle with fire tells me she wants this as much as I do. I tug her toward me gently and force her head to my chest. My hand lies on her lower back. “You have no idea the things you do to me,” I all but growl.
“Actually,” she says, lifting her head to look up at me. “I think I do. It’s the exact same way I feel about you.”
I can’t help but kiss her again after that statement and it quickly escalates. This time she breaks the connection. “I think we should keep going or we’ll end up doing something we regret right here in the middle of the forest.”
She stretches her arm out and I take her offered hand. “And you think I’ve a dirty mind?” I give her one of my old-style-it-never-fails-to-work Mr. Charming looks and she convulses with laughter. Ouch, my ego felt that.
“Jeez, Cal. Did that actually work on girls?” She can barely get the sentence out for laughing. Doubled over, she gently clutches her stomach. I have to keep a firm hold on her arm as we walk to stop her tripping over.
“Like a charm,” I admit, smirking as an abundance of memories flit through my mind. That look was my signature, and damn, it never failed to impress the ladies. It worked like a treat every time. But Ariana has always been different. It’s one of the main reasons why I love her so much. I know she sees beyond all that fake charisma, cheesy charm, and my good looks.
She sees the real me.
And she still loves me.
Mind and heart blown.
“Doesn’t say much for the company you used to keep!” She giggles.
“Hhm. I’m not sure I can argue against that. Except for Amber.” Her good humor evaporates on the spot. “Hey,” I say, clasping her arm. “She’s my past. You’re my only future.”
“I know it’s silly to feel jealous when you’ve given me no reason to, but I can’t help it. I’d totally blame my pregnancy hormones but I think it’s all me.” She brings my hand to her lips and kisses it. A shudder works its way through my entire system, and I marvel at her ability to affect me with the slightest touch. That’s how I know this is right, that we’re meant for each other.
“You have nothing to be jealous of. Amber’s great, but you’re the only one I want, now and forever.”
Rising on her tiptoes, she kisses me softly. “Ditto.”
“What? You think Amber’s a great girl too?”
She shoves me playfully in the ribs, careful not to hit my strapped-up arm. “Funny. I am curious though. What was the story with you two?”
We step out of the woods and I stop, quickly scanning the field in front of us. This will be the most precarious part of journey. If our enemy is anywhere in the vicinity, we’ll be easy pickings out in the open.
Ariana is clearly keeping pace with my thoughts. “Race you to the other side?”
“Are you sure it’s okay for you …” Cocking her hips to the side, she glares at me, daring me to finish the sentence. “Never mind.” I totally chicken out. “Last one to the other side has to bathe naked!”
I’ve never seen a pregna
nt girl run so fast in all my life. Okay, I’ve never seen a pregnant girl run at all before this moment, but that’s beside the point. It’s the funniest thing I’ve ever seen, and I stumble as the humor of the situation gets the better of me. Not very safety conscious but there’s damn little I can do to control my laughter.
She beats me easily and hollers for me to catch up. Ordering myself to get a grip, I straighten and run to her side. She slaps me upside the head and I stagger back. “Oh my God, what was that for?” I say, rubbing the side of my face.
“For poking fun at me. You just wait ‘til I tell the guys that a pregnant girl beat you in an easy race. Let’s see who is laughing then, mister.”
“Baby, I’m sorry. But that was one of the funniest things I think I’ve ever seen. You were like Old Mother Goose on speed.” She wallops me in my uninjured arm and then breaks out in a fit of laughter. Every time she looks at me, I laugh again, and that prompts her to break down in another fit of giggles. We’re only short of rolling around in the grass. Actually, my overactive, clearly starved hormones think, that isn’t such a bad idea at all.
The last of my tension seeps out of my shoulders, lifting skyward and floating away. We manage to compose ourselves and continue on our way.
“It feels so good to laugh,” she says, looping her arm through mine.
“Damn right. We needed that. It’s not too much longer now, just over that hill there.” I gesture with my bandaged arm.
“Cool.” She looks over at me. “You were going to tell me about Amber.”
I was kind of hoping she’d forgotten about that. Oh well, might as well tell her. I think she knows enough of my past to realize I haven’t ever been a saint. “We went out for about ten months when we were fourteen. She was a total sweetheart, and I was a complete jerk, always flirting with other girls and letting her down at the last minute. I never cheated though,” I admit, pinning her with an earnest look. “You know how I feel about that.” A muscle cords in her jaw and she gulps. “I dumped her unceremoniously and broke her heart. I was a real callous bastard, never gave any consideration to her feelings. Yet she refused to blame me, and she was always polite and sweet when we ran into each other. When she turned up in Saorise, I was actually rather embarrassed. That’s a part of myself that I don’t want to be reminded of.”
I swing our arms together playfully—a deliberate ploy to keep my torrent of emotions under control—and Ariana looks at me as if I’ve just turned into Mary Poppins or something. “I’ve apologized to her and it was good to get the opportunity to do that. She’s a really nice girl. I think you and her could be great friends.”
“I’m not sure I have the graciousness for that, but she does seem genuine. She told me you’ve changed.” Her look is contemplative.
“When was that?”
“Back in Saoirse. She tracked me down, worried in case she was causing any issues between us. I wasn’t very nice to her. I should apologize before I leave.”
“I’m sure she’d appreciate that. She’s been busting my balls since we got here, and if she even thinks I’m sinking into depression, she chews me out of it. I don’t know what I would’ve done without her and Xander.”
We are halfway over the small hill, and I can tell Ariana is struggling as her face is the color of a squished strawberry. I place my arm across her lower back and help propel her forward. I expect a lecture on how she doesn’t need my help, but she must be majorly feeling it because she takes the support without question or argument.
She slumps down on the hill when we crest the peak. “I need a minute,” she says, her voice breathless as she reaches into her bag.
“No problem, baby.” I drop down beside her, stretching out my legs.
“Wow,” she says, in between mouthfuls of water. “What a view.”
My eyes sweep the landscape in front of us and I have to agree. The small lake is bordered on three sides by a downy meadow littered with tiny white, pink, and purple flowers. A jagged rock-front juts out where the lake starts, the slate wall angled irregularly, tiny crevices visible in all the places where rivulets of water trickle down onto a raised ledge before tumbling into the water below. The full glare of the sun beats down in waves of illuminating light, and the rock glistens and glitters, casting contrasting shades of light and darkness against the cool surface of the water.
Ariana hands the bottle to me and pulls herself up. “My whole body aches for that lake,” she admits, rubbing her lower spine.
I drain the bottle and flip it into my backpack. “Come on then. Let’s not waste another minute.”
She helps me up and we walk carefully down the hill, the uncoordinated helping the uncoordinated. Ariana kicks off her boots when we reach the meadow and walks barefoot in the grass. I take a moment to admire her, salivating at her alluring form. She is gorgeous beyond comparison, and I know without a shadow of a doubt that there will never be any other woman for me.
She arrives at the water’s edge first. I’ve spent too long ogling certain parts of her anatomy to notice that I’ve been walking at a snail’s pace. I dart forward and reach her side. Toeing off my boots, I unbutton my pants and wiggle them down my legs. She lifts her dress at the hem and tugs it over her head. I stare open-mouthed at the sight of her in her white and pink patterned bra and panties. But it’s the size of her extended belly that draws my eyes the most. And that’s saying a lot, because her boobs—which were always a very decent handful—are now the size of overripe melons.
“Holy fuck.” The words are out of my mouth before I can stop myself. Immediately, she wraps her arms around herself self-consciously.
“Baby, don’t.” I snag her wrist and pry her fingers away. “You’re gorgeous.” Finally dragging my gaze away from her body, I look into her eyes, noting the usual flushed skin. “You never have to hide from me. You are stunning, inside and out.”
She scans my face and smiles. “Here,” she says, taking my hands and placing them on her naked belly. “He’s moving. Can you feel?”
There’s a slithering movement under my hands, and once again, I’m blown away by the sheer power of the moment. Then something jumps in her stomach, the skin expanding outward, and my eyes almost fly out of my head. “What the hell?”
She grins. “I know it’s freaky, right? T thinks he’s going to be a soccer player because he’s always thrusting his foot up. If you catch it in time, you can actually hold onto it.”
Potent emotion, the like of which I have never felt before, courses through my body, and a huge sob breaks through my composure. Her face drops but I draw her to me and hold on tight. “I’m happy,” I croak, in case she thinks it’s the opposite. “So damn happy, because this is the embodiment of all my dreams. I love you. I love our babies. This is perfect, so completely perfect.” Tears glide silently down my face but I don’t care. I’m down with my feminine side.
She stiffens in my embrace and I tell myself to cop the hell on. I’m obviously totally freaking her out. Wiping my sleeve across my face, I tilt her chin up. “Sorry if I scared you. I’m just completely overwhelmed.”
“You said babies, Cal. Not baby. Babies.” Her eyes have that doe-in-a-headlights look about them.
“Crap. I shouldn’t have let that slip out like that. I was going to tell you. I spoke to Taylor this morning and he shared his suspicions with me. He thinks you’re having twins.”
A hand clamps across her mouth and she plonks down on the grass. I lower myself down beside her, my arm draping over her shoulder. She looks at me, then down at her bump, then back up at me. Splaying her fingers over her bare belly, she works her skin in circular motions, a dazed look in her eyes. “It’s a lot to take in.”
“It is,” she whispers. “Jeez.” She lies back down on the grass, and I angle my body alongside her. We look a right pair—she in her underwear with me half-naked, my upper body encased in a sling. “I had only just gotten used to the idea of one.” Twisting her head, she stares at me and then busts out l
aughing. “At least they’ll have a ready-made playmate,” she jokes and I feel my whole body collapse in relief.
“He still has to confirm it so he could be wrong.” My hand traces idly on her stomach and her eyes flutter shut.
“I don’t think he is. I’ve wondered why I got so big so fast.” Her eyes flash open and she sits bolt upright. “Ohmigod, it is two babies! That’s what Aggie meant!”
“Deets, please. Who is Aggie?” I prop up on one elbow, my hand still attached to her stomach.
“She’s Raina’s yaya … um, grandma, the lady I’m training with in Greece. She is such a sweet lady, and I’m learning so much from her, but she talks in riddles a lot of the time, and I often don’t have a clue what she means. Before I left, she told me ‘the purest joy arises from unexpected abundance,’ and I honestly thought she’d lost all control of her faculties.”
“I look forward to meeting her,” I say, dipping down and kissing her bump. Ariana jolts and I smile smugly to myself.
“What do you mean?” She peers at me quizzically.
“I assume you intend to return to Greece?” I start unbuttoning my shirt.
“Yes. I still haven’t mastered control of my visions.” Her eyes latch onto my hands like a hawk.
“That settles it then. I’m coming back with you.”
She drags her gaze slowly to my face. I’m expecting her to launch into a multitude of reasons why I can’t come with her. Instead, she says, “That’s perfect, because I genuinely didn’t know how I was going to leave you again.”
“Baby,” I say, discarding my shirt and unclipping my sling, “I’m going to be superglued to your side from now on. God help anyone who tries to pry us apart. Now get up and let’s get in.” I extend my hand to her.
“Wait,” she says, chewing on the side of her mouth. “There is something else I need to tell you.”
“It can wait a few minutes. Come on,” I say, dropping my boxers, “Let’s go.”
She shrieks and covers her eyes with her hands. “You’re naked!”
Destiny Rising Page 24