Avery’s calloused hand skimmed her cheek. Her breath caught. She swayed, wanting to touch him, yet kept her hands by her side. Visions of him naked cluttered her brain.
He cupped her face. “Your jaw, the bruise is gone.”
“Yeah, I noticed.” He didn’t release her and she didn’t press the issue. His hands on her body made her tingle.
“Sorry for dragging you here.” He stroked his thumb along her bottom lip.
Longing pulsed through her veins. “Why did you?”
He paused and an emotion crossed his features too fast for her to process.
“Was it because of…?” How to describe what she saw?
“Yes, I needed answers,” he said quickly.
“Did you get them, your answers?” ‘Cause I have a few questions of my own.
“…No,” he said and brushed his five o’clock shadow against her cheek. Desire for more flashed through her system. His head dipped, bringing his mouth so close.
“Are we going to continue pretending nothing happened? And I’m not talking about the sex.”
His expression morphed from simmering passion to shuttered wariness.
Her cell phone rang. Stifling a curse, she yanked it out of her pocket. Unknown number. Ridley? The battery had ten percent left. “Hello?”
“I want to come home.” Her grandfather’s petulant voice came through the phone.
Had they cleared him for release so soon? “You sound better. I know you’re ready to come home, but what did the doctors say?”
“They’re idiots, don’t know what the hell they’re talking about. One says one thing, an hour later another one rushes in and says the opposite.”
“Yeah, but they did save you from being six feet under—sorry, cremated.”
“Don’t care. I want out. This place is no different than prison.”
“All right Grand, I’ll stop by today and talk to them. Love you.” She hung up the phone before he continued whining.
“Is he alright?”
Emeline nodded. “There’s no emergency. He just wants to come home.” She sighed, weary, and brushed a trembling hand across her forehead.
His eyebrows quirked and concern entered his eyes. “Hungry?”
With him standing so close, disturbing her calm? God yes. On several levels. “Yeah.”
“I’ll get Hector to fix us something. I think we both could use a meal.” Without waiting for her approval, he took her hand and led her upstairs. They passed Quin in the hallway and Thane on the stairs. Both gave them a quizzical stare, though kept their thoughts to themselves.
Alone with Avery was not what she needed even if it was what she wanted.
He pulled her into a bedroom. A king-sized bed, dark, sectional, sofa faced a sixty-inch flat screen near a set of French doors. She suspected the door on the opposite side of the room probably led to a bathroom. She needed a shower if she was going to get through the day.
“Mind if I shower?”
A smile teased his lips. Heat flared in his eyes and lit a spark inside her. “You are not joining me,” she stated more to herself than him.
Smug, his lips curled wickedly. “I never said I was.” He leaned close to her ear. “Good thing I grabbed the stuff I bought for you from your house. I’ll get them from the car.” He left.
She waited a second before stripping her clothes off. It’s not like he hadn’t gotten up close and personal with everything God gave her last night. Her sense of preservation couldn’t withstand another encounter. Once is a moment of hormonal insanity. Twice is a deliberate exploration. Third time, you’re making room for him in your closet.
Emeline didn’t have time to ogle the black marble bathroom. Cold water blasted her body and any lingering cobwebs in her mind but quickly heated by the time she lathered.
Focus on Grand, nothing else should matter, she chanted, willing herself to forget the scent of Avery’s skin, the ripple of his muscles as he held her, filled her, branded her. Yeah, she had a thing for bad boys, and Avery Nicolis topped that list, but above all else, he was loyal. His family, the men, came first. So how did she fit in?
“You don’t fit in, Eme!” she whispered, furious at herself for the thought. “You’re a liar and you’re leading him into a trap.” She had no idea what they would do to him. “They could kill him. Or turn him into a catatonic zombie.”
He can take care of himself, especially after what she saw.
Still, she wanted to protect him from Ridley and her friend. What Emeline needed to do was protect him from herself. She was the real danger to his safety.
‘Because I couldn’t take my eyes off you, still can’t’. His words from last night beat into her much like the water pounding onto her skin. Did he mean what he said or had he played her to get into her pants? The sincerity in his voice hadn’t been a game. It was real.
“We can’t happen. Especially with all the lies I’ve told.” She punched the tile wall fracturing the decorative square. Then repeated the process three more times while grunting, “We can’t happen.” Not if she wanted to save her family. Avery wasn’t a part of that exclusive duo.
Shower complete, she wrapped a towel around herself and hoped he’d left her things and exited the room. No such luck. She opened the bathroom door. He waited on the other side. His ravenous stare had her nipples tightening into perky buttons, core stretching, blossoming.
Emeline strolled up to him, a little self-conscious about her nakedness while he had changed into a black jeans and a navy cable knit sweater that stretched over his broad chest and shoulders. The stubble on his chin was gone and the hint of aftershave drifted toward her, making her yearn for a closer sniff. How long was I in the shower? She wanted to touch him but forced her hands by her sides.
Avery didn’t show such restraint. A calloused hand skimmed up her thigh and slid under the towel to caress her hip. His thumb stroked her birthmark, sending shockwaves through her system.
“Sorry I took so long,” she said as a distraction.
“I don’t mind you naked. Wanna keep you like this,” he whispered scant centimeters from her lips while his hand cupped her rear. He pressed a tender kiss to her neck—which weakened her will—continued up to her mouth to give her a searing kiss. He pulled her into his hardness and fitted her intimately against him.
So this is how it felt to be flattened by a fourteen wheeler with the initials AN emblazoned on the grill.
He kissed you and groped your ass. He didn’t pay off your student loans and plead his undying love, Emeline. With a gasp, she broke the kiss off and sucked in a few ragged breaths.
“Hector prepared us dinner.” He pointed to the covered trays on the table in the seating area near the blazing fireplace.
She sat, careful to keep the towel in place, though she admitted at this point modesty was moot.
Lamb, new potatoes, and baby vegetables. A growl rumbled from her stomach and she didn’t wait to dig in. The food was succulent, the potatoes buttery with a hint of garlic and the veggies crisp, the lamb so tender. She glanced at Avery’s triple portions but didn’t say a word. They watched each other eat. She enjoyed the silence. After everything that transpired between them, the atmosphere was relaxed. Homey.
A knot welled in her throat. Last night felt like a beginning based on a bed of lies.
Avery cleared his throat. His fork clattered and landed on the plate. “What you saw, I can’t explain. It’s a part of me, something I kept buried—”
“But now is free? Can you control it? Manipulate it?”
His face turned pensive. “I’ve never tried.”
That was obvious. The Ink controlled him rather than the other way around. No use berating him. “Could come in handy.” Especially with whatever Ridley had in store for him.
Her appetite evaporated. “I need to get to my grandfather.” She grabbed the bag Avery had brought with her clothing and returned to the bathroom. Toothbrush, lotion, jeans, a sweater, her heavy wool pea coat
, and her red Fredericks of Hollywood lacy underwear. How long did he take picking out the set from her lingerie drawer? Too bad he’d never see her in them.
Knees suddenly weak, she leaned against the sink. Her palm pressed against the sudden ache in her heart. It didn’t help, not one damn bit. Crying wouldn’t change her circumstances. Neither would dreams of what could have been. Time to put the nail in the coffin and end the most damning part of this charade.
She dragged on the underwear, the jeans, and sweater. Brushed her teeth and then brushed her curls into some semblance of order, stalling a bit until she had the right words lined up in her head. She stepped out of the bathroom ready on all accounts. “Time to hit the road again. Do you have the drawings?”
His gaze slid down her body past the clingy V-neck sweater, the low-rise jeans, and suede riding boots. His eyes stripped her bare and left her hot. “Did I take too long?” Her voice breathy as if she’d sprinted to the door.
A muscle ticked in his jaw. That only happened when he was pissed or aroused like last night. She needed him pissed.
“You have a problem with the way I dress?”
He stepped closer with a languid grace that belied his strength. “Yeah, more material.” His hungry gaze told a different story. “Worth the wait, though.” His voice had deepened.
She reveled in it, wanted to preen under the glare. No. Stick to the plan. “You picked it out.”
“You need a better selection,” he grumbled, but his eyes were smoky, predatory in their intensity. They left her giddy, a little insane.
She squelched the emotion and had to dig deep into her bag of lies. This was the perfect opportunity to slam the door closed on anything they could have. She wouldn’t waste it.
“One night in bed and now you’re telling me what to wear? I am not your wife or your girlfriend. You are an employee and will not tell me how to dress.” She made sure to pronounce each word.
The smoke left Avery’s eyes, leaving them confused, but with a growing wariness. She had to finish this before she lost her nerve. “Look, last night was fun. We got to blow off some steam. But that’s all it was. Nothing more than two horny people bumping pelvises. I got off. You got off. Now let’s keep it professional.”
Avery’s face turned granite. His beautiful green eyes went flat and faded to black with just a tenth of the iris still green. She expected his dark passenger to appear, but nothing happened other than his nostrils flared and his body which was relaxed a second ago, coiled tight. Again, something inside her pulled, answering his rage. He whipped around and threw open the bedroom door. Emeline’s head spun. She braced against the wall until the dizziness faded. First sifting, now she seemed attuned to him, his rage, and his passions.
In the shadow of the doorway, Avery waited. She moved in front of him and gazed into his stony face. Anger and hurt rolled off him, slapped her. She didn’t need to have her hand on him to feel it. His strange green and black eyes met hers and sucked the air right out of her lungs. Too intense, she fought the urge to look away as her heart kicked up several notches and her lips parted for more air.
I hurt him. Her words actually caused him pain, as if he truly cared. Which was absolutely impossible? She was a conquest. He cared about protecting a client; she happened to be that person, nothing more.
Second time I’ve just broken the same rule: never lie to yourself.
She wanted to take the words back and explain, but her witty tongue only had barbs to deliver.
Avery slammed the door shut behind her. Emeline inhaled a steadying breath and followed behind her bodyguard. She forced her mind to remain blank. It served no purpose to rehash her mistakes. She thought she was too smart to fall for any man’s charm. But she had already fallen for it. Avery was inside her defenses and had already stormed her castle.
***
The hour long drive from RockGate to the hospital was torture. Emeline couldn’t decide which was worse: the deadening silence thick as cement between them, or the apology searing her tongue.
Every female from the pint-sized toddlers holding their mothers’ hands to the 80-year-old spinsters stopped what they were doing to stare as she and Avery walked through the hospital halls. Some men had that effect on women. Avery Nicolis’ mere presence invited—no, compelled—women to look at him and fantasize about what he could do with his body. A body built to drive a woman insane.
They met Grand’s doctor in the hallway and got an update on his condition. They were still checking him for dementia—she almost laughed. There was nothing demented about Grand. The bruise on his hip was resolving, but they worried about clots. He had a CT scan and an MRI scheduled for later today.
Emeline had learned a while ago to knock before opening the door to Grand’s room. She’d seen enough wrinkled parts of him for a lifetime. She rapped on the door, shouted his name and paused a few seconds, then entered. Buried beneath two blankets and propped up on pillows, Grand looked comfortable spooning chocolate pudding into his mouth.
“Emeline!” He gave her a toothy grin, but then his watery gaze tracked to the man behind her. His eyebrows lowered and his leathery face dropped into a scowl. “Who’s that with you?”
“Hello, sir. My name is Avery Nicolis. I’ve been hired to protect your granddaughter.” Avery came close to the bed and extended his hand.
Grand glared at him, sat up straighter in the bed, and gave him a head-to-toe perusal. Finally, he stretched out an arthritic hand and clasped Avery’s palm.
“I thought you’d forgotten about me in here,” he grumbled while Emeline hugged him.
She kissed his cheek. “I’m sorry. Things were hectic.”
Grand grabbed her shoulder in an iron grip. “Do you trust him?” he whispered.
Her gaze darted to Avery. He’d heard every word and he pinned her with a questioning glare.
I trusted him last night with my body, with my heart. She nodded without reservation. “Yeah, yes, I trust him. Why?”
His lips pursed as if he had to think about the next question. “You haven’t exactly been lucky in love, dear.”
“Oh no, Grand. He’s my bodyguard. This isn’t love—”
“Sir, we came here to ask you a question.” Avery cut her off and pulled the drawings out of his coat pocket. He placed the sheet on the blanket in front of Grand.
Her grandfather picked up the paper. He studied it, his gaze jerked between the both of them. He opened his mouth just as the door to his room swung wide.
“I swiped more puddings for you,” said a female voice.
A chill raced down Emeline’s spine. Oh fuck.
Diane—the watcher who’d replaced her—was dressed in scrubs with a hospital ID badge clipped to her collar. She’d paused in the doorway with a smile plastered on her face.
“You have company. How nice. I’m Diane, his nurse.” She shook Avery’s hand first. Then held out her hand to Emeline. No surprise on her face. No jerky transition.
“Pleasure.” Out the corner of her eye, Emeline saw Avery’s stare as she shook Diane’s hand. Emeline avoided looking at him and turned to her grandfather.
Grand still studied the drawings, his face drawn tight in concentration then he looked up at Diane. Emeline knew her grandfather better than anyone else in the world. They were both on the same side of the coin, as he’d always said. The past months together had strengthened their bond, until she knew his mood and could almost guess his thoughts; this time she drew a blank.
“Sir, Emeline said you were something of an archaeologist of Egyptian artifacts. Do you recognize any of the images?” Avery said.
Grand cleared his throat. “I was more of a scavenger than an archaeologist.”
Emeline wanted to snatch the paper away and leave, at least stop Grand from talking, but it was too late. The moment they left here, Ridley would know everything that occurred.
Once more Grand’s gaze shifted to Avery. “Are you a good bodyguard?”
Avery’s eyes nar
rowed. “I haven’t lost anyone in my care.” The surety of his voice wasn’t bravado.
“Eme is the last of us. Only child of an only child, etc.” He let the paper slip from his hand and fall to the bed. “My memory isn’t quite what it used to be, but I had a storage unit not far from The Cloisters in Inwood. U-haul Rent and Store, I believe. What is the address?” He frowned in concentration.
She had to get Diane out of the room before he remembered. “Nurse, can you get the doctor for me? I have some questions to ask him.”
Diane paused before she mumbled, “Of course,” and headed for the door.
“It’s on 207th Street. I remember that much,” Grand said proudly.
Emeline wanted to scream as Diane exited the room. As Emeline fumed, Grand asked Avery for a pen and scribbled down the password. Grand handed her the paper and she shoved it into her coat pocket. They had to get to the storage unit fast. Whatever was in there belonged to her, not Ridley, and could make the difference in life or death, freedom or servitude.
“Grand, we gotta go.” She kissed his cheek. “But you’ll be back home soon.”
“Be careful,” he whispered in her ear and hugged her hard.
Grand wasn’t one for dire warnings and he wouldn’t meet her eyes. “Take care of Eme,” he said the Avery.
“You have my word, Sir.” Avery took Emeline by the elbow and guided her to the door. She indulged in a final glance at her grandfather before leaving. Fatigue etched new lines in his face, yet he gave her a wan smile which she returned. If anything happened to him… Avery drew her from the room and led her to the elevator.
Muscles bunched at the back of her neck. A vicious headache threatened. His hand landed on the area. Fingers, strong and sure, kneaded the tension away, as if he knew exactly where and how she hurt. She stood in the shelter of his body. His chest inches away, offering a place to rest her head.
Tell him, an internal voice pleaded. He can help you. Annoyed with herself and him, Emeline moved away.
“Are you okay?” His hand rested on the small of her back.
Evermore (Descendants of Ra: Book 3) Page 18