by Lisa Kessler
She toyed with the ends of her hair. “Totally agree.”
He chuckled, shaking his head. “But tonight I realized that tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. Earlier I had thought that once the danger passed, I’d explain everything and pray you’d give me another chance.”
“You did explain.” She stared at her hands in her lap. “You need to keep everything professional so you can keep me safe.” She peered up at him from under her thick lashes. “And you didn’t even discuss it with me first.”
God, he was worse than an asshole. He was a dick. And he couldn’t stand another second of seeing her hurt, dammit.
Gavin crossed the room and sat next to her. He caught his finger under her chin and tentatively lifted her head so she’d meet his eyes. “Truth is, I was scared. Hell, I still am.”
A crease marred her brow. “Of me?”
“No.” His gaze wandered over her face, memorizing every inch. “Of how you make me feel.”
“I don’t understand.”
He lowered his hand. “When I blew out my knee in college, it changed me.” He looked up at the ceiling, searching for words. “In one single game I lost my scholarship and my future, and it hurt so bad.” He shook his head. “I guess I decided Fate could fuck with me again anytime she pleased, so I figured why fight it. Afterward, I thought it had freed me. There was no sense worrying about getting injured or dying because it would come when it was my time, no matter what I did. I thought it was sort of Zen in a way.”
Her fingers laced with his, and he turned to face her. She squeezed his hand. “You lost part of yourself.”
He nodded slowly, his pulse thundering in his ears. “It served me well in the military and later in the police force. I learned to live in the present, conning myself into thinking the future was a series of random events. Plans and goals only led to disappointment.” He looked down at their joined hands. “And then I met this dancer who pulled the rug out from under me.”
She rested her head against his shoulder, and the simple touch had his heart skipping. He kissed her hair. “I’m trying to tell you that when you fell asleep in my arms, I imagined a future for the first time since college, and I want this one so much more than anything I ever dreamed of back then.”
“I want that, too.” She lifted her head, her stunning eyes shining with tears as she stared right into his soul. “I can be myself with you, and it’s enough.” She worried her lower lip. “In my entire life, I’ve never felt like I was enough. When you were distant, I second-guessed everything.” She held up her hand, exposing her red, swollen fingertips, and his chest tightened. She shook her head. “I don’t think relationships are good for me. We’ve know each other for a week, and I’m already crumbling.”
“That sounds like your mother’s poison.” He caught her hand and brought it up to press a kiss to her knuckles. “You’re strong, Tera. We faced off with the Father of the Gods today. I think you should cut yourself some slack.”
Regret lined her face as she focused on her raw fingertips. “I started on this mess way before we ran into Kevin.”
She withdrew her hand, and the last vestige of protection around his heart crumbled. She was retreating. He was losing her.
Panic seized him, and suddenly, he took a knee on the floor, facing her. “Tera, will you dance with me?”
She sniffled and laughed all at once. “You don’t dance.”
“That was before I met you.” He offered his hand. “Please?”
She glanced around the room. “There’s no music.”
He took his cell phone out of his pocket and opened Pandora. Whitney Houston’s voice filled the room. A sexy smile spread across her lips. “I didn’t take you for a Whitney fan.”
“My Pandora was set on movie soundtracks.” He took her hand and stood, tugging her up with him. “Usually they help me focus when I’m tailing someone. Right now, I’m hoping they’ll persuade the most beautiful, kindest, funniest, and most inspiring woman I’ve ever met to dance with me.”
Color flushed her cheeks. “How can I resist now?”
“Resistance is futile.” He drew her in close, but instead of just doing his usual turn and sway, he allowed his hips to move to the beat like she’d shown him in the studio. Gradually, he experimented with dipping her, and she followed his lead as if they’d danced together all their lives. Her gaze never left his as he lifted her back up.
His other hand slid lower down her back, bringing her hips in tight against his. He rested his forehead against hers and whispered, “I love dancing. Just never had the right partner, I guess.”
She stared up at him, her voice barely a whisper. “I just figured out which movie this song is from.”
He raised a brow. “Oh yeah?”
“The Bodyguard.”
“No way.” He grinned and bent to kiss her soft lips, every caress setting his body on fire. He pulled back, as he whispered, “I want a future with you, Tera.”
She grinned, stealing the air from his lungs. She was so damned beautiful. God, he hoped he’d be able to see her smile for years to come.
Her eyes sparkled. “It figures. We want more time, and the guy coming for me can take it away with a snap of his fingers.”
“Not if I can help it.” He shook his head. “You asked me when we first met why I’d be willing to risk my life for a paycheck. Back then, I figured if my time was up, nothing I could do would change that. Now…” He dipped her again. “Now I’ll fight with all I have for more time. I won’t go down easy.”
He brought her back up, resting his forehead against hers once more. Her breath teased his lips. “We barely know each other, you know? You haven’t seen my gross dancer feet or the way I stuff fitted sheets into the closet in a big wad. I don’t even try to fold them.”
“Please.” He chuckled, rolling his eyes. “Bumpy toes don’t scare me, and I’d be happy to fold your sheets for you.”
She lifted one arm up, covering her forehead in a mock swoon. “You’re sweeping me off my feet.”
He laughed, shocked by the sound after the shitty day they’d had. He bent his knees and cradled her in his arms, spinning her around while he drank in the magic of her giggles. Finally, he lowered her onto the bed and lay down beside her. “Now you’ve been swept.”
“Yes.” She reached up to caress his cheek, her smile fading. “I have.”
Her thumb stroked his skin. The air heavy with unspoken words. She was right about them not knowing each other very well, but from the moment he met her, she danced her way right into his heart. Corny, but true. That day her eyes had locked on his while she showed him her pain through her dance, he’d become hers.
Did she feel the same? She hadn’t said the words, but neither had he. He closed the distance between them, his lips fusing to hers. Her arms moved around him, clinging to him.
Tomorrow wasn’t guaranteed, but tonight was theirs, and he intended to love every inch of her until she knew his heart. No words required.
CHAPTER 15
Tera’s entire body ached for Gavin’s attention, but something he’d said kept whispering through her head. Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. Those words made tonight that much more precious.
Gavin slid free from her arms and out of bed. He stripped off his shirt, treating her to the view of his battle-worn body. Every muscle, every scar, spoke to her. They told her he was strong, a fighter. He took off his pants and came toward the bed, naked. Her gaze wandered down to his trim waist and then lower. His erection made it plain he wanted her, too.
She sat up on the edge of the mattress and ran her hands up his legs as she kissed the crescent-shaped birthmark just below his navel. Her Guardian. Hers.
He stared down at her with hunger in his eyes, his fingers sliding into her hair.
“You’re mine,” she whispered, her lips trailing lower as her fingertips teased his groin.
“As long as you’ll have me.” His words were rough and raw with desire.
Heat curle
d low in her belly, and she parted her lips, taking his shaft into her mouth. His head fell back, the sound of his moan encouraging her. She took him deeper, struggling to go slowly. Her fingernails grazed his ass, urging his hips forward. She pulled back until he was nearly free before sliding her lips over his erection again. He finally tipped his head down, desire, surrender, and…something else played across his chiseled features. In this moment, she was in charge.
This kind of power was new to her. She’d aroused her previous partners, but it had been a mutual race to orgasm. This was a slow burn, a struggle to make it last. And she never wanted it to end.
His fingers tightened in her hair, his thrusts growing more demanding. He slowed, growling, “I’m too close.”
She hummed around him as she drew back, enjoying the way his legs trembled. He reached down to lift off her nightshirt and pushed her thighs apart with his knees.
“My turn,” he whispered against her ear.
He laid her back on the bed, her legs dangling off the edge as his lips trailed down her chest. She tangled her fingers in the back of his hair, gasping as his tongue teased her nipple into a taut nub. His hand slid down her body, tracing her mound until her hips rocked up, aching for him to end the torture.
Damn. She could get used to foreplay.
His kisses wandered lower, and he hooked her legs over his broad shoulders. Grasping her hips, he lowered his head, his tongue exploring her core. Her body was on fire with pleasure as he stoked the inferno even higher. He moaned into her, the vibrations teasing her almost as much as the heat of his mouth. She thrust her hips, unable to keep from moving, aching for release.
Just as her muscles started to tighten, he slid two fingers inside her, his tongue working against her urgently until her orgasm overcame her. She cried out his name, and her legs clamped down on his shoulders while she trembled from the aftershocks.
He lifted his head, drinking her in with desire burning in his eyes.
She wanted him all over again. “I need you.”
Gavin tilted her hips a little lower and pushed forward, entering her completely. She tightened around him as his thrusts began to pick up speed, turning her aftershocks into another climb toward oblivion.
He bent down without sliding free of her body, fusing his lips to hers as his big hands slid up her back. He straightened again, taking her with him as he stood. She wrapped her legs around his waist, unable to tell where she ended and he began. He carried her to the wall, resting her against it while he thrust up into her.
The sudden change of temperature made her gasp. He broke the kiss, his voice breathless. “Are you okay?”
“Understatement,” she gasped. “So much better than okay.”
The sexy, mischievous grin he gave her was more than she could take. Where had this man come from? Had the gods known from the beginning that this would be the man who held the key to her heart?
He gripped her ass with one hand as his thrusts came faster. His other hand slid between their colliding bodies, his finger finding just the right spot.
She caught his lower lip with her teeth. “Don’t stop.”
“Not a chance.” His tongue parted her lips, demanding her surrender.
She tangled her fingers in his hair as another orgasm slammed into her. Lights flashed behind her eyelids. This was ecstasy.
His hips pumped harder and faster, until he finally exploded deep inside her. He kissed her, tasting her over and over, tender and slow. He carried her back to the bed and sat on the edge, their bodies still connected. She trailed kisses down his neck to his shoulder.
His lips caressed her ear. “Best dance of my entire life.”
Laughter bubbled from her throat as she lifted her head to meet his eyes. “Ditto.”
He cupped her face in his hand. “I hope this means you might give this relationship a chance.”
Her smile softened. “I’ve never had a relationship before,” she whispered.
Gavin kissed her, then gently pressed his forehead to hers. He shook his head slowly. “I want a future with you, and I’m not going to let anyone steal it from us.”
She clung to him, listening to the strong beat of his heart and sending up a silent prayer that whatever came their way, they’d face together, because losing him now would be the end of her.
CHAPTER 16
Gavin tried to focus on hammering the crown molding, but Tera was practicing on the main stage of the future Les Neuf Soeurs. She was wearing her black yoga pants and a tank top, but when she spun on her toes and leaped into the air, she moved as if she were center stage at the Met. It was tough not to get distracted.
They hadn’t seen or heard from Kevin in a week, and so far, no new stalkers from the Order of the Titans had shown up. Complacency tempted him to lower his defenses. Maybe Kevin had discovered Zeus was already in this realm and aimed his wrath at his true target. Or maybe aging Trish Gibb and slowing time for Gavin and Tera had overloaded his powers.
Whatever the reason, Gavin was grateful. The past week had been the best he could remember since before he’d blown out his knee. Hell, he even let Tera talk him into dancing with her at her studio recital. And even though she was a relentless teacher, she never made him frustrated or self-conscious.
The woman inspired him. With Tera at his side, it was easy to believe he could do anything.
“Run out of nails up there?” Mason’s southern drawl snapped Gavin out of his daydream.
Gavin looked down at his new friend. “Nah, but they’re having a tough time competing with the dancer on stage.”
Mason chuckled. “I’d rib you some, but I’ve got no room to talk. Clio shows up here and it’s all I can do to remember where I left my tape measure, and it’s usually hooked on my belt.” He shook his head. “I’ve gotta meet the permit inspector out front. Let me know if you need me.”
“Will do.” Gavin wiped the sweat from his brow as Mason walked up the center aisle of the theater. The flooring and the new seats were all installed, and the velvet curtains on the stage had been hung a couple of days earlier. Gavin wasn’t a contractor, but Mason figured if they could keep the gods from fucking everything up, they might be able to open in a month. Gavin forced himself to focus on nailing the molding in place.
By the time Tera sat down on the edge of the stage, his knee was throbbing from all the climbing up and down the ladder.
“Where’s my dance partner?” she asked.
He glanced over his shoulder. “At the top of a ladder.”
He probably should’ve told her about needing to ice his knee, but he didn’t. Somewhere along the way he’d discovered that he really did love dancing with her. It was a partnership he’d never experienced before. The push and pull, the drama and passion, were foreign to him, but they were addictive. It was tougher than he’d imagined, too. Basketball drills and running lines had nothing on Paso Doble knee walks.
“Well, get down here.” She patted the stage. “The crown molding doesn’t have a recital with an audience in a few days.”
Without anyone else in the theater, the playful side of Tera, the side she didn’t often show others, was on full display. He felt like the luckiest guy on the planet that she could be herself with him without any of the anxiety she sometimes battled.
She changed into her ballroom shoes. “Plus, I have a surprise for you.”
He climbed down the ladder, ignoring the protests from his knee. “You’ve got my attention.”
“Good.” She finished with her shoes and stood. “Be right back.”
She vanished into the wings as he walked up the stairs to the stage. His bodyguard instincts made him itch to follow her and check the back door, but his birthmark wasn’t burning, and he’d grown to trust that no danger could sneak up on Tera without his knowledge.
He reached center stage and looked out over the empty auditorium. The theater was round with two balconies, assuring that every seat provided an intimate view. Gavin checked the wings to
be sure he was alone and then closed his eyes.
Nate was right, there was a power here. Gavin opened his hands, stretching out his fingers as if he might be able to touch the invisible current. He tipped his head back, imagining the energy flooding his body. With a deep breath, he stared out at the rows of seats, the promise of inspiration was all around him. Nate had called it a beacon, and Gavin couldn’t agree more.
He turned at the sound of footsteps and smiled as Tera came out of the shadows. She had two garment bags slung over her shoulder and a gorgeous smile on her face.
She lifted one hanger as she approached. “Our costumes came in.”
“Our…our what?”
She chuckled. “For the recital?”
When he’d agreed to dance with her at the recital, it had never occurred to him that they’d dress up. He took the garment bag she’d held out and met her eyes. “I didn’t realize we’d be in costume.”
“Oh, the costumes take the dance to the next level. You’ll see.” She moved behind him, playfully pushing him toward the dressing room backstage. “Go get changed.”
He peeked over his shoulder at her. “Are you going to change with me?”
She raised a brow. “No distracting me. We need to run through the routine and make sure the costumes fit right.”
“Fine, fine.” He turned around and stole a kiss, enjoying the way she hummed against his lips. She pressed her hands against his chest and stepped back.
“I’ll meet you center stage in five minutes.”
Tera’s black dress had a full, flared skirt with an angled hem. The lining inside was fire-engine red to match the trim along the edge of the hem. The bodice had a plunging neckline with skin-colored fabric to give the illusion of flesh without the threat of a wardrobe malfunction. The spaghetti straps exposed her toned shoulders and slender neck. She wound her ponytail into a bun and tucked the matching black-and-red rose hairpins through it, cementing it in place. She inspected herself in the mirror and grabbed the skirt on either side of the slit, fanning it out like a matador’s cape.