Her leather-booted foot hit the ground as she muscled the bike into a controlled spin. Dust billowed around her as she whipped off her helmet and shook out her hair in a cloud of silver.
“What are you doing?” she asked. The innocence of her query jabbed him like a hot poker to the belly.
“What—what am—” He bent double, his hands braced on his shaky knees as he fought for breath. “You. You are insane. Do you realize how far you’ve traveled?”
“Nobody asked you to chase after me.”
“Apparently I’m the only one who cares for your safety.”
“Why?”
“What?”
She brought her leg over the body of the bike and stood tall before him. “Why do you care so much about my safety?”
“It is my duty.”
“Duty?” An invisible wall came up between them so fast it slammed against his chest. “Is that all? Is that what I am, Lucian? A job? When will you get it through that thick skull of yours that we are no longer in court? You are not my guard. You never were. I don’t need you to take care of me.”
“But you do need me. You have no concept of the evil out to kill you. You are defenseless, and if you continue to disregard my knowledge and expertise, you might as well serve him your head on a platter.”
“I pity you, General. You think too much with your head, and not with your hearts.”
The barrier around her emotions was strong, but even so, a thread of hurt snaked out and tugged at the hearts she claimed he didn’t have. “Amaryllis.”
She stopped his speech with an imperious raise of her hand. “I officially relieve you of your duty.”
And with that, she took a step back, right off the edge of the cliff.
Chapter Five
Lucian stood rooted to the ground, his mind unable to comprehend the unbelievable sight. It was absolutely inconceivable. One moment the princess was looking at him with hurt and disappointment in her wide eyes and the next, she was gone. The tips of her silver hair the last thing he saw after she stepped off the cliff.
By the Gods. She stepped off the cliff!
The realization propelled him into action and he ran to the edge and peered down to the rushing river. Confusion clouded his vision. There was no sign of her, no body, no hint of her red coat, nothing. Was she already swept away by the fast current?
Without hesitation, he leapt off the edge and landed gracefully on the rocky bank and began to run downstream. “Amaryllis!”
“Yes?”
He spun around at the sound of her voice and his knees buckled. She sat on a large boulder, one leg crossed over the other, her little foot bouncing in a rhythm that matched the drumming of her fingers.
“I think, General, you’ve forgotten that I too went through the same change you boys did, and I’m stronger and faster than any human on Earth. I’m not the delicate flower you insist on treating me like.”
Relief sapped his strength and he nearly collapsed at her feet to bury his head in her lap. He wanted to feel her alive and warm in his arms, but he clung to his anger instead of giving in to the compulsion.
“Why do you insist on playing these childish games? What have I ever done to you to warrant such behavior?”
She raised an incredulous brow. “You’ve done nothing but treat me like an imbecile and like I have no feelings. You order me around as if I haven’t the logic to understand what is going on. Did I not do what you asked as soon as you brought me proof of Bale? I’m an experienced rider and I asked Harlan for the easiest trail because the terrain is unfamiliar. The question isn’t what have you done to me, but what have I done to you to make you think I am incapable of knowing anything?”
He opened his mouth to unleash the lengthy list, then realized that in actuality, he had nothing. Amaryllis was a royal and he her protector. As such, his position granted him absolute rule over one thing, her well-being, and it was a responsibility he’d give his life to fulfill.
Amaryllis was like an epic song that moved through your entire body, bringing you to tears before releasing you back to your humdrum existence. At her club he witnessed firsthand how her patrons watched her with an admiration won by action and not false words. To have her spirit silenced was unacceptable and she needed to be protected by any means necessary, which was why he fought with her over her independence.
Men showed courage with action and brawn. Amaryllis showed hers with leading by example. Lucian marveled at her strength, but by the same token it scared the shit out of him. That type of courage was bred to the bone. A part of her DNA that was unchangeable. Perhaps he had been arrogant to believe she would accept his command without a whimper, that he could set aside all emotion and treat her like another mission, just as she accused. However, his dominance was part of his DNA and unchangeable as well.
Continuously butting heads was not going to keep her safe. He needed her trust more than he needed to be right, and he had no one but himself to blame for the wall standing between them.
“I will not apologize for my tactics for keeping you safe, however I am sorry if my methods have given you the impression that I think you are weak, because I don’t,” he admitted. “In fact, I think you are one of the bravest people I have ever known.”
Surprise widened her eyes. “That’s not true! You think I’m a childish harlot.”
The vehemence behind her words wounded him like a hot lash across his chest. “I never said that.”
“You thought it. I felt it.”
“I’ve never, Amaryllis. Not once.” Did she really believe he thought so little of her? He gestured to the rock she sat upon. “May I?”
A delicate frown touched her brow as her lavender gaze raked him from head to toe. He waited patiently with his spine straight and shoulders back as he withstood her inspection. Finally she granted him a slight nod. “You may.”
Yet she didn’t slide over to create more room for his larger frame. Their arms and hips pressed together and her heat seeped to his bones that he hadn’t realized were so cold.
He swallowed hard, resisting the urge to press closer. “When the time came for you to be evacuated from the palace, you were terrified. Even with my barriers in place, I could still taste your fear. Your father and I were not positive we were sending you to a better place and all you were armed with was your intelligence and a box of crown jewels. I was half tempted to pull you from the craft and find some other way to keep you from the revolutionaries. But despite the turmoil you emoted, on the outside, you were so composed, so calm and regal. Your strength and courage were breathtaking.”
She shrugged. “What was I supposed to do? Fall to the floor and beg to stay? I was leaving my home forever. The least I could do was maintain my dignity.”
“Your exile was never meant to be permanent, Your Highness. As soon as it was safe, you would have been called home.”
“And look how well that plan worked.” In light of her sarcasm, a smile curved her lips. “It’s all right, General. I am so much happier here than I ever was on Skandavia. I’ve taken lemons and made them into a delicious lemon-vodka martini rimmed with sugar.”
“Yes, you most certainly have.”
She was much like Kristos in that regard. When they had arrived on Earth, his brother had thrown himself into their new reality, seeking joy in the everyday to overcome the pain of the past. But Lucian was always aware that Kristos’ failure was never far from his thoughts and colored his every action. At least that had always been the case before, perhaps now that demon was finally slayed, thanks to Amaryllis.
“Thank you for what you said to Kristos. I don’t think you know just how much he needed to hear those words.”
“I spoke the truth. My mother had committed herself to her people. Nothing would sway her from doing what she believed was right. The only person to blame for my mother’s death is Hamerkind. It was wrong of my father to lay the blame on you and Kristos.”
“I would have too. His bonded mate had
been murdered, his family gone—”
“Then place blame on the man who was really at fault. It was my father’s choice to not listen to his people and seek peace in the first place. You and your brother were many of the casualities of his stubbornness. His arrogance cost too many lives.”
“He cared for his people.”
“But he cared about his image more.” She picked up a stone lying near her feet and skipped it to the other side of the riverbank with a soft snick of her wrist. “We can’t dwell on the misery, Lucian. It helps no one. Let’s focus on the good. Kristos found his happiness. Would that have happened had he remained on Skandavia?”
“Probably not.”
“And you. Are you happy, Lucian?”
A reply came readily to his lips, but the earnest light in her eyes gave him pause. If there was anyone who might understand his lack of connection to his new life, perhaps it was the princess.
“I should be. I’m alive.” He gestured to the craggy green hills and rushing river with the sunlight sparkling along its rippled edges. “I live amongst this beauty. I have my family close. Aren’t I supposed to be happy?”
“But you don’t have a purpose.”
He looked at her sharply, surprised that she arrowed with deadly accuracy to the heart of his discontent. “I used to command hundreds of men. Every second of my day was scheduled. I was part of something great that held true meaning. Now I spend hours balancing ledgers and debating with retirees the best weight of line to use bass fishing. It doesn’t compare.”
“Haven’t you traveled? Explored the world?”
“No. Not really. The only time I’ve left Cedar was to check on you.”
A delighted smile curled her lips. “Lucian, I want you to make me a promise.”
The request intrigued him more than he wanted.
“When this Bale situation is over, I want you to take a trip. Leave Cedar. Leave the state. Go away and experience other cultures. Taste life. Find your purpose. Promise me.”
Lucian gazed into her fathomless lavender eyes, easily picturing a future where he walked the streets of London, climbed the steppes of the Andes or took in a play in New York. And in each vision, Amaryllis was at his side.
“I promise.”
Her smile softened, drawing his gaze to the soft pad of her lips. Like a reed in a breeze he swayed, drawing closer, so close he scented the sugary drink consumed during their journey on her breath. Would her kiss taste as sweet?
She tilted her head to the right, her lips parting as she swayed closer. “Lucian,” she mouthed against his lips.
“Princess,” he whispered.
Princess.
He jerked away from her so quickly, he lost his balance and fell off the rock. His arms flailed as he landed in the gravel with a hard grunt.
“Lucian,” Amaryllis shouted. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine.” He jumped to his feet as if nothing was amiss. “It’s, um, it’s getting late. We should head back.”
That shrewd look narrowed her eyes again. The look that made him feel naked and exposed.
With a nod she stood and brushed the seat of her pants. “As you wish, General. Race you to the top.”
Her saucy wink was the last he saw before she disappeared in a streak of red suede and silver hair. When he finally caught sight of her, she was scaling the side of the cliff as naturally as a spider monkey. A melodic trill of laughter drifted from above, spurring him to action.
He followed, but at a slower pace, needing the distance to pull his mind from the images inspired by those luscious lips. Not more than an hour before he chastised Dhavin for his inappropriate relationship with the princess and now he was entertaining the very same thoughts. When the king had stripped him of everything he held dear, the only thing Lucian had been able to cling to was his honor. To fall to a weakness of the flesh would be a disgrace to that sacrifice. For the good of all, he must not succumb to such temptations.
“It took you long enough,” Amaryllis said when he crested the top. “Perhaps this forced retirement has made you soft.”
Soft? If she only knew.
Lucian strode toward the bike, resolutely ignoring the ache in his cock, and lifted it by the frame. “Come on. If we hurry, we can make it back before sunset.”
“What are you doing? Put that down.” She shook her head and strapped on the helmet. “We’ll ride back.”
“Ride back? I don’t know how to ride that thing.”
“Aren’t you the same man who was the youngest champion of the Valhad Run with a speeder you built yourself that was faster and less sturdy than this cycle?”
“Yes, but that—”
“No. No lame excuses about how that was different. If you want me to return with you, you’ll get your butt on that seat. Now.”
“You’re going to make this difficult for me, aren’t you?”
“I can be rather sweet when I get my way.”
“Your Highness, I don’t want to endanger you.”
“That’s why I’m wearing the helmet. Come on, Lucian. What are you so afraid of?”
Dropping dead from blood loss to the head when you plaster that lush body against my back.
She’d do it too. Torturing him seemed to be her favorite pastime and there was no doubt she wouldn’t pass up a prime opportunity to twist him into knots.
Heavens light, when had he become such a coward that the mere thought of being in close contact with a female made his knees knock? Llanos up, man.
With a tight smile Lucian strode to the bike and swung his leg over the seat. Once he was settled, Amaryllis pointed out all the features and related them to how a speeder worked back home. A good kick with his boot brought the machine to life, pulsing and thrumming between his thighs in a teeth-gritting tease. He choked back a moan when Amaryllis settled behind him, wiggling her shoulders so her breasts rubbed enticingly against his spine.
They were going to die. His head was going to explode and he was going to steer them right into a tree.
“Ready when you are, General,” she shouted over the ping of the motor.
He released the throttle and the little bike took off like a shot. Her delighted laughter floated in the air as she wrapped her arms around his waist. As he dodged trees and shrubs, her hands wandered over his stomach. She traced the line of his tight abdominals with her fingertips, followed by the rasp of her nails. With the v-6 buzzing against his sac, his cock hardened, trapped in the stranglehold of his jeans. Sweat dripped into his eyes and he had to shake his head to bring his focus off the hands caressing lower and lower and onto the twisting trail ahead of them.
The wandering hands were bad enough, but combined with the vibration of her emotions, it was absolute torture. By the Gods, she was as aroused as he. He swore he scented the heady musk of her arousal over the scent of pine and diesel fuel. Her hips swiveled in the seat and a hot, pulsing sensation wrapped around him, dragging him further into her spell.
No, no, no! His hands tightened on the grips, refusing to turn them deeper into the woods to find a shaded area where he could give her the ride she was begging for.
The tips of her curious fingers edged under the waistband of his jeans.
Satan’s foul ball sac! The woman didn’t play fair.
He cranked the accelerator, blowing them both back in their seats. Amaryllis shrieked and clutched him tighter. Her thighs gripped his hips and her touch changed from sexual to self-preservation.
A hill came upon them he knew he should slow for, yet he gunned the motor, launching them over a jump. The frame of the bike bounced and shuddered when they hit ground, but it was worth it to hear Amaryllis laugh with unadulterated joy. He took another a jump, then another, basking in the bubbles that her laughter created over his skin. Such joy was impossible to ignore and he laughed with her, truly laughed for the first time since he became the head of the guard.
The sports shop appeared before he was ready for the ride to end. He drov
e them into the garage and cut the motor.
“That was fantastic,” Amaryllis crowed as she jumped off the back. She removed the helmet and shook out her hair. “Say it. I want to hear the words.”
He took his time rising. “That was fun,” he admitted with a deep sigh.
With a rousing whoop, she raised her hands in the air and danced in a circle. When she faced him again, she laid her hand against his cheek, her thumb brushed along his lower lip.
“You’re a handsome man when you smile.”
He didn’t move. Couldn’t move, or he’d be on her, pulling her close for that kiss they both wanted.
The warmth of her fingers lasted long after she pulled away.
“I’ll see you inside.” She turned on her heel and swished away.
He lost count of the number of times she walked away from him that day. But this time he reached out to pull her back. He dropped his outstretched hand and made sure every piece of equipment was where it belonged before returning to his post at her side.
* * * * *
“By the Gods, Betty Sue. This chocolate cream pie is delicious. It’s so luscious, I want to slather it all over my skin.” Amaryllis brought her plate up to her face to capture the last few crumbs on her tongue.
Betty Sue beamed a gigantic smile and twirled the cherry earrings dangling from her lobes. “I can’t believe Amaryllis Rosenorn is sitting in my diner, loving my food. Last year, for my birthday, my husband surprised me with dinner at your restaurant. It was the best meal I ever ate, and the environment was so romantic. Let me tell you, the mister was rewarded quite well for that treat.” She waggled her finely arched brows.
Amaryllis laughed. “The next time you come to the city, you will dine again at my restaurant and I will not only seat you at the best table, but I will have the chef prepare you a special menu featuring his favorite dishes.”
“Really? Oh that will be wonderful. This day is just getting better and better. Now I’m friends with a famous person.”
“I wouldn’t say I’m famous. However, some may say I am infamous.”
“And that’s the best type of famous to be,” Brett piped from the next barstool over.
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