Legend of Love

by Kessler, Lisa

  “Doc?”

  She froze, recognizing the voice in an instant. She turned to find Hunter approaching from her right. “You switched doctors, remember?”

  “I know.” He nodded. “I’m not sure what else to call you.”

  She raised a brow. “You somehow already knew my first name.”

  “Could we start over?”

  “Why?” Callie crossed her arms. “Aren’t you headed back to San Diego?”

  He approached the bench. “Is this seat taken?”

  She stared at the ocean. “Not yet.”

  He sat down and held out his right hand. “I’m Hunter Armstrong.”

  She rolled her eyes, allowing herself to glance in his direction as she shook his hand. “Callie O’Connor.”

  “Great to meet you.” He released her hand and adjusted his wristwatch before meeting her eyes. “Sorry it took me so long to get here.”

  She tucked her hair behind her ear. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”

  The setting sun shone in his eyes, and her damned heart fluttered in her chest. “I told you I’d come for you if you didn’t show up for a surfing lesson. I didn’t mean to let a week to slip by.”

  She did her best to keep her expression neutral. “I hadn’t noticed.”

  “Can’t say the same for me.” Hunter turned toward the water. “I’ve been through all kinds of medical tests this week, but so far, nothing explains what I’ve been experiencing since I met you.”

  She crossed her arms, hoping it would mask the sudden stiffness in her shoulders. “I have no clue what you’re talking about.”

  His eyes locked on hers. “And I can’t tell you. At least, not yet.”

  She frowned. “Why not?”

  His gaze wandered over her face. “Because I left a good man behind on my last mission, and I need to bring him home. That won’t happen if you can’t keep a secret.”

  Callie got up, shaking her head. “I’m not your doctor anymore.”

  He caught her hand, his touch sending a delicious spark through her veins. “I don’t want another doctor. And if I had my head on straight, I’d walk away and never look back.” He stood, forcing her to tip her head back to see his face. “But I can’t. There’s something about you. Something you’re not telling me.”

  She couldn’t bring herself to move, caught by the confusion in his eyes. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she forced out, “I’m sorry. I can’t help you.”

  He didn’t have the mark from the gods. She couldn’t tell him about the muses or the prophecy. She could lose her job if anyone found out she believed the Greek muses had been reborn inside of her and her sisters.

  He sighed and released her hand. “We’re not getting anywhere like this.”

  “I’m not sure where you think we’re going to go.”

  He shook his head. “There’s too much at stake.”

  Callie pulled her hair back from her face. “I hope you get to bring your man home. But that has nothing to do with me.”

  His eyes narrowed for a second, and finally, he backed off, staring up at the sky. “This doesn’t make any fucking sense.”

  She raised a brow. “Maybe if you fill in some of the blanks, I can help you.”

  He cursed under his breath and unfastened his watch, tearing it free from his wrist. When he lifted his arm, a bright-red, crescent-shaped mark embossed his skin. Her heart stuttered.

  She forced herself to look at him. “What happened?”

  “I was hoping you could tell me. I’ve had this birthmark my whole life, but it’s never been this color. The doctor has taken blood samples, scrapings, and he can’t find a medical reason for it to turn red like this.” He paused, his gaze locked on hers. “It started burning the day I met you.”

  Her Guardian. It was Hunter. But instead of a rush of excitement, dread swelled in her chest. She’d ruined a wonderful man once before and swore she’d never cross that line again. Her muse, with her insatiable hunger for adventure, would never be satisfied with one man or a quiet life, and Hunter had seen enough action. The last thing he needed was to get tangled up with her.

  But he didn’t have to. The prophecy said the Guardians protected their muses. Nothing about loving them. If the Kronos worshippers showed up again, a Navy SEAL would be a good friend to have.

  She bolstered her emotional walls and pulled out her phone. After a few clicks she handed it to him. “If you give me your cell number, I’ll text you. Maybe we can meet up and talk.”

  He took the phone, entered his number, but didn’t give it back. “Six a.m. on the beach tomorrow morning. I’ll bring you a wetsuit.”

  “I’m not surfing.”

  The corner of his mouth curved into a crooked grin. “We’ll see.”

  She snatched her phone from him, biting back a smile. “Deal.”

  CHAPTER 5

  Hunter couldn’t help but watch her walk away. Her hips rocked back and forth, unapologetic and fearless. He shook his head. He had no business chasing this one. She could ruin everything for him.

  He picked up his board and froze.

  Dammit. I don’t know who that surfer is, but he’s wearing dog tags.

  Hunter scanned the beach. There wasn’t anyone nearby. His pulse kicked up a notch. He swallowed the lump in his throat and stared at the water, straining to hear…whatever the hell it was.

  If she’s falling all over this asshole and he turns out to be one of her Special Forces patients, getting her out of the picture is going to get complicated. I need Bryce activated. Now. We can’t afford to wait any longer. This is our chance to take out their leader.

  Hunter’s shoulder muscles tensed as he casually turned toward the boardwalk. He didn’t even know what he was looking for. If he was really hearing someone’s thoughts, then they probably weren’t talking to anyone. He narrowed his search to loners. There was a woman on a bike, but the voice was a man’s.

  A car door slammed, and a shiny black Caddy pulled out of the lot. He focused on the car, but he didn’t “hear” anything else. The guy driving was wearing dark glasses and took off so fast Hunter couldn’t get a license plate number.

  He wasn’t sure what any of it meant, but he had to be the surfer with dog tags, and Callie had to be the one who saw patients.

  But why would someone be watching them? And the voice had said something about Callie being “their leader.” What was that about?

  Shit, he had more questions now than he’d had before he’d seen her on the bench.

  He headed for his rental, passing groups of people and waiting for their thoughts to fill his head. It didn’t happen. Maybe he needed to be near her for it to work.

  But she’d left him alone when he heard it this time. Dammit. He was way past ready for something to make sense.

  Ted glared at his binoculars on the passenger seat. This was the second time he’d seen Callie O’Connor with the same man. It would be cleaner to eliminate her if she was alone. He’d been fantasizing about the chaos her death would leave behind. The muses would have to put their plans for the theater on hold while they regrouped.

  Maybe he could buy the Order more time.

  The doctor had assured him that Bryce, their newest enforcer, would be ready. He’d better be. The Muse of Epic Poetry was a strong leader, and without her, the others would lose their direction and purpose.

  If the Order waited too long and this mystery man became a more permanent fixture in her life… Ted didn’t want to think about it. Failure wasn’t an option this time.

  When he got to the Belkin Oil offices, he took the elevator down, turning his key for the top-secret lower level access. He found Leo alone in his office.

  Ted frowned. “Where’s Bryce?”

  Leo finally lifted his head from his paperwork. “He’s upstairs with your father.”

  Ted’s heart thudded. “Bryce is my responsibility.”

  “Your father is the leader of the Order of the Titans.” Leo shrugged. “
When he says he wants to see the new enforcer, I comply.”

  Ted stormed out and got in the elevator. It crawled up toward the top floor of Belkin Oil, giving Ted ample time to simmer over his father’s lack of faith in him. He exited as soon as the doors opened, breezed past his father’s assistant, and burst through the door.

  Both men turned his way, but Ted’s attention was on his father. “I thought you put me in charge of Bryce.”

  Ted Belkin, Sr.’s brow shot up; otherwise there was no outward sign of surprise or concern. “Should I change that decision?”

  “No.” Ted crossed his arms. “But you should let me do my job.”

  Bryce stood. “I’m eager to get to work.”

  Ted turned toward him. “Good, but you need to be initiated into the Order first.”

  Ted’s father rose from behind his desk. “Our ceremony is tomorrow night. My son will prepare you, then you’ll be one of us.”

  Bryce lifted his chin slightly. “I won’t let you down.”

  “See that you don’t.” His father’s gaze shifted his way. “Did you watch the news tonight?”

  Ted frowned. “No, I was tailing Dr. O’Connor.”

  His tone dropped. “There’s a fire on Oceanus.”

  Their off-shore oil rig. The one that was drilling for more than oil. Ted rubbed a hand down his face. “Shit.”

  “Crews are there now, and so far, we’ve only had two deaths.” His father went to the window, staring at the world below. “I’ll be doing damage control for the next week. I need some good news.”

  The subtext was clear. His father wanted progress on the next target. Ted nodded to Bryce. “We better get busy.”

  Callie groaned at her alarm clock. The sun wasn’t even up yet. She dragged her brush through her short hair. No sense showering since she was going to need another one to get all the salt and sand out of her hair anyway.

  She sent Marty an e-mail that her first appointment would have to be rescheduled. She did not tell her why. In truth, Marty would probably be thrilled to hear Callie was meeting a man, but she’d get the wrong idea that this relationship had a future beyond friendship.

  Maybe that was why she hadn’t told Erica when they’d gone shopping last night, either. She could’ve pointed out the no-dating pact, but Erica still would’ve been taking bets about how long it would take before she broke it.

  But none of them knew about her past with Mark. She’d never told any of them, and she didn’t plan to. That chapter of her life was closed. She’d do her best not to start another doomed relationship. She wouldn’t hurt someone else. Her muse would just have to look elsewhere to feed her need for epic disaster. The problem was, shutting herself off emotionally also kept her from experiencing epic joy.

  God, I’m shrinking myself now. She rolled her eyes and pulled sweatpants on over her bikini bottoms. The Pacific Ocean never got very warm, but at six o’clock in the morning in November, it was going to be shockingly cold.

  She wasn’t really going for the surf lesson, though. Maybe they’d never even make it into the ocean. Once she told him about muses and Guardians and prophecies, there was a better-than-average chance he’d take off running and never look back.

  Zipping up her hooded sweatshirt, she slid her feet into her flip-flops and then grabbed her purse on the way out. All she could do was hope for the best as she drove to the beach.

  At least parking was easy at this hour. A few hardcore surfers were already out in the water, riding waves as the sky lightened with the impending sunrise. She parked the car, dropped her keys and phone into the pocket of her hoodie, and sighed. Mel had been the first of them to find her Guardian, and for some reason, it had never crossed Callie’s mind that she would ever run into hers. Now she’d found him and had no idea what to say.

  Hunter was easy to spot on the mostly empty beach. He had one board sticking up out of the sand while he was waxing a second one. The wind whipped through his short brown hair, and she wondered if he used to wear it longer, like most surfers, before he’d joined the military.

  A runner came down the boardwalk as she crossed to the beach. Hunter’s head snapped up, but he wasn’t watching her. The guy jogging had his full attention. He got to his feet and came toward her. When he finally looked her way, the smile that lit up his features made her knees weak.

  He chuckled, shaking his head. “You have no idea the effect you have on men, do you?”

  Callie glanced down at her super sexy sweatpants and hoodie, and laughed. “You can’t be serious. I didn’t even put on makeup.”

  When she looked back up again, he reached for her hand. “You’re beautiful without all that crap.”

  Between his compliment and taking her hand, she couldn’t seem to string words together as he walked her back to the surfboards.

  “Here.” He bent down and handed her a wetsuit. “I brought my little sister’s suit and board. They’re a few years old, but they should work. Put this on.”

  She glanced around the beach. “Uh, where?”

  Hunter grinned. “You’ve got a suit on under those sweats, right?”

  Callie nodded.

  “So take them off and put on the wetsuit. The water’s too cold for a bikini.”

  She raised a brow as she unzipped her hoodie. “And how do you know it’s not a one-piece?”

  “Just a guess.” He shrugged. “You don’t seem like the safe type. Whatever you do, I’m betting you take risks.”

  A ripple of unwelcome warmth flooded her chest. Had he really been that observant in only a couple of meetings?

  He knelt down to finish waxing the board. His wetsuit hung around his hips, treating her to a nice view of his tense shoulders as he readied the surfboard. She laid her sweats on his duffel bag and shivered as she stepped into the cold neoprene.

  She struggled to reach behind herself to grab the sleeves. Hunter got up and came to her aid. God, he smelled good. Not like cologne, but clean and fresh, like sunshine.

  She glanced over her shoulder. “Thanks.”

  “No problem.” His deep voice sent a new wave of goose bumps running down her back.

  She zipped the front and turned around to find him closer than she had expected. Tipping her head back, she did her best to keep her expression neutral. “Don’t you want to talk about your wrist?”

  He shook his head. “Those waves are begging us to ride them. Talking can wait.”

  “I doubt I’ll be able to ride anything.”

  “You won’t if we stay on the beach.” He tugged his wetsuit up as he spoke. His abs were even more enticing than his shoulders. “Lie down on the board.”

  “Here on the sand?”

  “Yeah.” He nodded. “You’re going to practice popping up here first. Then we’ll go try it in the waves.”

  Callie finally lay on the board. His younger sister’s old wetsuit was a little small on Callie, which was more than a little distracting. He forced his gaze away from her ass and up to her shoulders.

  “Cup your hands.” He shaped her fingers together. “That’s what you’re going to want to do in the ocean, too. You’re not going to kick. Keep your feet on the board.”

  She nodded. “Okay.”

  He released her hand and gripped her waist on either side, but before he could give her instructions about lifting her hips, she rolled over, fire in her eyes.

  “What the hell are you doing?” Her chest heaved in the tight neoprene, making it impossible to keep from staring at her breasts.

  He ground his teeth. “I was going to show you how to pop up onto your feet.”

  Color flushed her neck, climbing into her cheeks. He hadn’t been lying before. She didn’t need makeup to highlight her features. Her dark lashes lined her eyes, and her full, rose-colored lips were naturally kissable, and right now they were parting just enough to…

  She relaxed back onto her belly. “Okay, show me how to get up on this thing.”

  “Board.” He chuckled and gripped her h
ips again. “There are two ways to get up. You can get on your knees first, then bring one foot forward. Or you can just hop up and put your feet underneath you.”

  Before he could help, she was up. “Like this?”

  “Yep.” He grinned. “Keep your knees bent and then ride the wave all the way in.”

  A smile crept across her lips. Damn, she was beautiful. Probably freezing her ass off, but the fire in her spirit, the fight in her eyes, was intoxicating. His heart raced. Her gaze connected with his, and he caught himself wishing he could hear her thoughts. He’d been trying all morning, and nothing.

  He’d heard that jogger thinking about grabbing her ass loud and clear, though.

  But for now, Hunter’s fear for his mental state would have to wait. “You think you’re ready to head for the waves?”

  She stepped off the board and nodded. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

  He scooped up her surfboard and walked toward the waves. She glanced back. “You’re not bringing your board?”

  “Nah, I’ll help you first.”

  She chuckled. “I’m a strong swimmer.”

  “The ocean’s not like a pool.”

  The icy water lapped at his ankles as he strode into the ocean.

  “Shit, that’s cold!” she said, looking over at him from his left. “My dad worked for the Coast Guard my entire life. I learned to swim in the ocean.”

  They waded farther out into the ocean. “But you never surfed?” he asked.

  “No.” She shook her head. “My dad always thought it was too dangerous.”

  “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  And he meant it.

  He laid the board down and held it steady. “Okay, climb on.”

  Callie hopped up on the surfboard, scooting forward on her belly until her feet were on it, too. Hunter was in front of her, keeping it still.

  “Ready to paddle out?”

  She nodded and started to stroke with her arms, her hands cupped the way they had practiced on the beach. When the water was up to his neck, Hunter grabbed her ankle. Even in the cold water, heat shot through her body at his touch.