“Right here is good,” he said. “That way I can help guide you in.”
She gripped the sides of the board. “Now what?”
“We wait for the right wave.”
She tried not to stare into his eyes and focused on the beach in front of her, instead. “Why was it so important that you got me out here today?”
“I love to surf, and I think you will, too.”
She turned to look at him. She couldn’t help it. “You’ll have to try harder than that to fool a therapist.”
He chuckled, his smile stealing her breath. She never should have allowed herself a glance.
Another wave passed by while Hunter steadied her board. His big hand covered hers on the edge. “All right. Truth is, you have to trust me out here. And if you can trust me, then I figured I could trust you not to think I’m nuts and send a report to my commanding officer.”
“I’m not your doctor anymore.”
He nodded, glancing back over his shoulder. “True.” His voice dropped. “Get ready. This is the one.”
Before she could respond, he released the board, and the swell of the tide propelled her forward. She gripped the sides of the surfboard and hopped up to her feet. For a split second, she thought she had it, then her balance faltered. She squealed as she fell backward into the water.
Strong hands caught her waist, pulling her to the surface. She instinctively held on to his biceps. She’d never intended to get this close to him.
Hunter scanned her face. “Are you all right?”
The adrenaline rush swelled in her limbs, and the muse inside of her fed on it like an addict. Callie’s feet didn’t touch the sand, the ocean lifting her so she was eye to eye with this Navy SEAL. Her Guardian.
She tipped her head back and laughed, the release, the joy of it, overwhelming her. She felt alive for the first time in longer than she could remember.
She filled her lungs with sea air and grinned. “I’m so much better than all right.”
For the next hour, she fell off that board more times than she could count. Each time, Hunter caught her before the waves could drag her into shore and pummel her onto the beach.
More determined than ever, she waited for the perfect wave, then pulled her feet up underneath herself and hopped up. She kept her weight forward, knees bent, and the wave pushed her toward the shore. Her balance shifted, her arms out, her entire body one with the swell of the ocean. She jumped off onto the sand and let out a primal scream to the sky.
Hunter walked out of the waves, and without any pretense, he wrapped her in his arms. She looked up at him, her eyes searching his.
He bent his head lower, his voice a raspy whisper. “I’ve never met anyone like you.”
Her pulse pounded in her ears like a bass drum. She ached to surrender, to taste his lips and run her hands over his body. But as hungry as the muse was for epic emotions, Callie caught herself and stepped back. Hunter’s smile faded, but he didn’t say anything, just picked up the board.
She followed him up the beach, wishing things could be different. He was definitely too vulnerable after his last mission. The last thing he needed was her.
He laid the surfboard down next to the other one and unzipped his wetsuit. “Sorry. I guess I got caught up in the moment.”
She sighed. “Seriously, it really is me. You’re amazing. I’m doing you a favor by keeping my distance. Trust me on this.”
He shook his head. “For a shrink, you have a pretty low opinion of yourself.”
Callie chuckled and smiled up at him. “If it were just me, I’d be all over you.” She lowered the zipper on her wetsuit and slid her hand inside over her heart. “It’s what’s in here that I’m protecting you from.”
He scooped up both boards. “You know that makes no sense, right?”
She shook her head. “Well, we still have a lot to talk about.”
He put the boards in the back of his SUV and handed her a towel. “Let’s get showered, then, and I’ll buy you a coffee.”
She nodded and clutched the towel. “Race you there!”
She was already sprinting across the sand before she got the last words out.
He followed close behind, laughing, the sound making her heart ache. She’d been through this before. The muse would eventually tire of him. No more adventure, no more interest, and she’d bolt.
At the last second, Hunter raced past her and hit the button on the shower. Water sprayed his back, rolling down his chest. “You didn’t think I’d let you win, did you?”
Callie crossed her arms, trying not to grin. “You were such a gentleman in the ocean, I just figured you’d be one on land, too.”
He sobered, hunger in his eyes. “Just because I didn’t cop a feel all those times you fell off that board doesn’t mean I didn’t want to. I’m no angel, Callie.”
Desire pooled low in her belly. She swallowed, unzipping the wetsuit the rest of the way. “We need to talk first. Then you’ll understand.”
He pulled off his wetsuit and turned around to rinse it out. Oh shit. He looked even better in those board shorts than she’d imagined. His calves were chiseled, and his ass… Damn. His shorts hung low, teasing her with the two indents just above the waistline. He turned around to face her again, and she forced her eyes off his chest and up to his face.
“No matter what you tell me—” his lips curved into a sexy smile “—I’ll still want you.”
“But you’ll at least understand why it’s a bad idea.”
He tipped his head back under the water. “Oh, Doc…” He ran his hands through his hair and met her eyes again. “I’m the king of bad ideas.”
CHAPTER 6
After Callie washed the salt water and sand off her skin, Hunter was pretty sure he’d never been so hard in his entire life. Thankfully he’d wrapped a towel around his waist. There was no way to hide a woody in board shorts.
Her curves were begging to be touched, and the chill in the air had her nipples erect, her wet bikini top leaving little to the imagination. But as hot as she was, she had him at her full-body laugh after her first fall this morning. No fear. Only pure joy.
Her spirit was wild no matter how hard she tried to tame it. And it broke free again after she rode that wave all the way in.
He’d meant every word when he told her he’d never met anyone like her before. Granted, he hadn’t had many relationships. His unexpected travel schedule as a Navy SEAL made most women cringe. But he’d never seen a woman as fierce as Callie O’Connor.
When they got back to their cars, she checked her cell phone and glanced his way. “I didn’t mean to stay out there so long. Can you follow me to my place? I can make you some coffee and get ready for work while we talk.”
“You move fast.” He chuckled. “We haven’t even kissed yet, and you’re already taking me back to your place?”
She rolled her eyes. “For coffee.” She pointed to his wrist. “And to talk about your birthmark.”
“And your aversion to men.”
Laughter escaped before she could swallow it. It made him want to make her happy more often. “Trust me, it’s not an aversion. It’s a necessity.”
He locked his rental car and opened her passenger door. She raised a brow. “I thought you were going to follow me there.”
“Yeah, well, if you’re going to the base anyway, I can catch a ride with a buddy back for my car later.”
She sighed, searching for an excuse.
Hunter sat down and reached for the seat belt. “Come on. You’re okay with having me in your house but not in your car?”
“I just thought you should have an exit plan if what I tell you isn’t what you want to hear. If you come with me, you’ll be stuck.”
Flashes of deserts and jungles filled his head. “I can think of worse places I’ve been stuck before.”
She was quiet on the drive, her radio blasting out rock anthems. When she turned into a cul-de-sac, he glanced at the street sign. “Lothlóri
en Lane?”
She spared him a glance. “Yeah, it’s from—”
“Tolkien. Lord of the Rings, right?”
She nodded, her jaw a little slack.
Hunter chuckled. “Surprised to learn Navy SEALs can read?”
“Yes.” She shook her head, instantly correcting herself. “No. I just thought you’d be more into…fighting. I guess.”
“I do my share of fighting when I have to, but I read to escape it all.”
She parked and he got out. Her house was a single story with an entrance at the front side and security cameras on the corners. Sometimes he wished he could just enter a building, but years of intense training and missions left him developing exit strategies without always consciously realizing it.
“Do you get a lot of breakins in this neighborhood?” he asked.
She unlocked the door. “No. Why?”
He pointed at one of the cameras as he followed her inside. “Two cameras out front and I’d venture to guess you’ve got a matching pair in back.”
“Yeah.” She nodded and gestured toward her sofa. “I had to get them put in recently, but it’s got nothing to do with my neighborhood and everything to do with that birthmark on your wrist.”
Okay, he did not see that coming. Hunter sat down and took off his Special Forces watch. “What the hell does my wrist have to do with your house?”
“Not your wrist. The mark on your wrist,” she said as she wandered down the hallway. “I’ll be right back.”
From the couch, he took in the space. The kitchen was functional; stainless steel appliances and granite countertops. The dining room had a large table. He wondered if she had a lot of company over, or maybe she had kids. He’d determined she was single, but that didn’t necessarily mean she hadn’t been married before.
His wrist throbbed. Weird.
While he waited for her to come back, he got up. He figured he might as well take a peek at the backyard while she was busy.
Shit. The sliding glass door was ajar. Then he heard a man’s voice in his head: Fuck. She’s supposed to be at work.
In an instant, Hunter’s stature shifted from laid-back surfer to a trained officer. His movements were fluid, dangerous, and silent.
He needed a weapon. Bingo. He drew a knife from the butcher block in the kitchen. Not a giant, murder-movie knife. He chose a smaller blade, easier to hide and equally deadly when wielded by an experienced hand.
But this wasn’t a mission, and he didn’t have his team backing him up. He’d deal with the repercussions later. Right now, all that mattered was protecting Callie.
He was betting the intruder assumed she was alone. He wanted to keep it that way as long as possible to avoid a hostage situation. It would’ve been easier if he knew the layout of the house. As it stood, he had no idea what door led to her bedroom. He paused between two doors and listened. Nothing.
Fuck.
He turned one knob slowly to keep it from squeaking.
Before he could push it open, glass shattered farther down the hall. He hustled toward the source of the noise, his pulse pounding in his ears.
A body hit the wall, followed by grunting. Hunter burst into the room as the intruder, if that was who he was, ran for the only other exit from her bedroom. The guy wore a black robe with a big gold mask.
Hunter rushed to Callie first. She was still in her bikini bottoms, the top swapped out for a bra. He glared over his shoulder. The bastard was slipping out the French door into the backyard. He looked at Callie again, her grip was tight on…a croquet mallet.
“Are you all right?”
She nodded. “Don’t let him get away.”
That was all the encouragement he needed. Hunter raced after the intruder. The guy in the robe was already across the yard. He climbed up and dropped over the other side of the fence. Hunter pumped his legs harder and was up and over the fence in three strides. He landed on the sidewalk just in time to catch the guy in the mask riding away on a black motorcycle.
“Dammit!” The license plate was so small he didn’t get a single number. “Fuck.”
His adrenaline was off the charts. He jogged back around to the front of the house. He locked the door behind him and did the same to the slider by the kitchen. He didn’t want a surprise return visit. When he got to Callie’s room, she had already closed her French door and was sitting on the edge of her bed in jeans and a T-shirt, the color still missing from her face.
Her dark eyes met his. “He got away?”
He nodded. “Yeah. He had a bike waiting on the other side of your fence.”
“And all I’ll have on the security footage is that damned mask of Kronos.”
He knelt in front of her and took her hands. “Did he hurt you?”
She shook her head. “No, but he probably has a couple of cracked ribs. I landed a solid whack with my croquet mallet.”
“Interesting choice in home security.”
She shrugged. “I used to play in college so I always kept it near my bed in the dorm for personal protection. Never saw a reason to give it up.”
He smiled in spite of himself. “Whatever works.” He sobered. “So you recognized the mask?”
“Yeah.” She nodded slowly. “He was trying to sneak out, but I caught him. I don’t know what he was looking for, but it wasn’t me. Not this time.”
He tilted his head. “This time?”
She stood and pulled him up with her. “We need to talk.”
Callie’s hands were still trembling a little. She wasn’t positive if the tremors were from the shock of finding a strange man in her bedroom, or the Muse of Epic Poetry aching for more. Either way, she did her best to hide it from Hunter.
She gestured for him to sit down at the dining room table. She did the same and stared out the window. “I’m not sure where to start.”
Hunter rested his arm on the table, his birthmark exposed. “Let’s start with why my birthmark is angry, and we can work our way up from there.”
She reached over to run her finger over the red crescent and lifted her gaze to meet his eyes. “I’m your muse.”
He raised a brow. “Excuse me?” She waited for him to laugh and call her crazy. Instead he frowned. “Like you inspire me or…?”
“Let me start at the beginning.” A sad smile tugged at her lips. “Shortly after I turned eighteen, I started having recurring dreams about Greece, a statue of a woman, and the Theater of the Muses, Les Neuf Soeurs. I was away at college at the time and thought I was losing it. All my spare time was spent researching in the library on campus, and eventually I found a photo of a statue I’d never seen before in my life. But it was her. The statue from my dreams—Calliope.”
“Not sure I’m following.”
What sane person would be?
She sighed. “I know this sounds completely nuts, but after I got to Crystal City and found my muse sisters, we put the puzzle pieces together. The short story is that the nine daughters of Zeus—the muses—are reborn to each generation to keep moving humanity forward, inspiring arts and sciences. I’m still me, but I’m also a vessel for the muse. She colors everything in my life whether I like it or not.”
He sat back in his chair and rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, that’s a tough one to believe.”
“See why I thought you should have your own ride?”
He shook his head slowly. “You can’t seriously think I’d leave you here alone after a masked freak was hiding in your bedroom.”
She’d been so concerned about Hunter not believing her story, she almost forgot about her intruder. The gods chose well when they’d marked Hunter as a Guardian.
She got up and went into the kitchen to take out two glasses. “While you’re still digesting that, here’s where you come into the picture… Recently, Clio, she’s also the Muse of History, translated an ancient scroll. It contained a prophecy stating that nine men would be marked by the gods, but his ‘abilities’ would remain latent until he found his muse,
so he could protect her.”
Hunter inspected his wrist and lifted his gaze to her face. “You think this is the mark?”
She nodded, filling the glasses with ice water. “I know it is.” She brought them over, setting a glass in front of him before she sipped her own. “Mel, another of my muse sisters, found her Guardian, and his mark looks just like that, only it was on the back of his shoulder. He said it burned as soon as he met her.” She leaned in closer, her eyes on his. “Okay, I laid my cards on the table. Your turn. Are you having visions when you touch things?”
“Visions? Uh, no.” A crooked smile curved on his lips, making her heart flutter. “I guess my cards don’t seem so certifiable now.” He sobered. “But I did hear the guy in your bedroom. That’s why I came in there when I did.”
“Heard him? Did you get super hearing or…?”
He shook his head. “Not super hearing, but I think I’ve been hearing people’s thoughts. That’s how I found out your first name. Your office manager was thinking about how I must’ve gotten under your skin and she thought your name. I heard her so clearly, I would’ve sworn she said it out loud.”
Marty had been right. He was definitely getting to her.
Callie frowned. “Did you just hear what I was thinking?”
“No.” He shifted in his chair. “I can’t hear your thoughts. In fact, I only seem to hear thoughts when they’re about you. Like that asshole jogger…” He reached for her hand. “Someone was also watching us on the beach the other day. His thoughts were loud and clear that he wants you out of the picture. He didn’t like seeing us together, I guess.”
The Kronos worshippers.
Her pulse raced, and the muse inside ate it up. “That guy in my bedroom was wearing a mask of Kronos. Do you know who he was?”
Hunter shook his head. “I haven’t read much Greek mythology.”
She squeezed his hand and pulled away. “Kronos was the leader of the Titans. In school, we all learn the story of Zeus locking up the Titans in a prison in the center of the Earth, but we don’t often hear about the impact of Kronos on humans. When Kronos ruled the Earth, the Golden Age of Man unfolded. The Titans protected the humans, and supposedly, it was all milk and honey.”
Legend of Love Page 5