“Do you want something?” he asked in a voice that sounded warm and seductive.
Control your hormones, Thea. You have a plan to put into action.
“I was looking for Gethen. I’d like to take a bath.”
As she spoke, she forced herself to look up at his face and not focus on his powerful body that was oh-so-close.
Amon smiled. “I sent him on an errand. What do you need?”
“I’d like a towel, please.”
“There are towels and everything you might need in the bathroom. If anything’s missing, just let me know and I’ll have Gethen get it.”
Thea worried that what she planned was written all over her face. She also worried her desire for him was all too apparent as she stood looking into those beautiful blue eyes that seemed to swallow her now.
“Okay. Thanks,” she said awkwardly as she squeezed past him and marched down the hallway to the room she prayed held the way out and back to her life before Amon Kalins.
Chapter Six
Amon watched her walk down the long hall to the bathroom as his body registered his interest in her, even if his mind had decided something else. Each step she took caused her long hair to bounce slightly and move side to side. He absentmindedly put his hand between his legs to adjust his rapidly hardening cock, and as the bathroom door closed, he stood staring, lost in a fantasy his vacillating mind was conjuring up.
Shaking his head, he reminded himself of what he’d decided—to be a decent man for one of the few times in this life. But as he thought about her pretty ass walking away from him, he wished he could be the Amon who’d be all over her clean body five minutes after she finished her bath. Or better yet, in the bath with her. He’d considered trying to enter her mind to get a sense of what she was thinking, still not sure all his powers had returned, but he thought it better not to because the facts were that he couldn’t have her and it wasn’t fair to simply use her.
Even if they’d both enjoy it immensely.
Frustrated, he walked back to his room, noticing that his leg didn’t hurt much at all anymore.
*
Thea wasted no time in her investigation of a potential escape route through the bathroom. As soon as she’d turned on the water, she quickly explored the area outside the window. Her heart leaped with excitement when she saw just what she’d hoped for—the bathroom was close enough to the porch roof that with a little careful maneuvering, she could lower herself down and then scale a trellis that enclosed the end of the porch. It was perfect!
Except for one thing. She’d forgotten her shoes in the bedroom. Cursing her stupidity, she raced through ways to get to the bedroom, grab her shoes, and get back to the bathroom without being seen by Amon, or worse, the animal that had dragged her there.
The running water might obscure the sound of her returning to her bedroom. It was worth a chance. She had to get free.
The water was about halfway up the sides of the marble tub, so she figured she had only a few minutes to race to the bedroom and back. Carefully, she opened the door and peaked out. There was no one in sight.
Thea tiptoed toward the room, making sure to be as quiet as possible. About five feet from the room, she stepped on a noisy floorboard she hadn’t noticed on her first trip down the hallway and froze. Her heart felt like it was going to leap out of her chest, and she feared the sound of it would alert Amon to her presence it was so loud. Seconds ticked by and no one came out of his room. Believing herself to be in the clear, she scampered to her room and grabbed her shoes.
“Do you wear shoes in the bathtub?”
Thea spun around, shoes in hand, to see Amon standing in the doorway. Oh, God! He’d caught her! What could she say? Quickly, she thought of an excuse for why she was standing fully dressed and with shoes when she’d made such a big deal of having a bath.
“No, that would be silly,” she said with a nervous laugh. “I...” she began as she looked down at the shoes in her hands. “My feet get cold after a bath, so I like to have something to cover them. I usually wear slippers, but since I don’t have them, I thought I’d use my shoes.”
Thea avoided meeting Amon’s gaze, sure she’d see disbelief in it. Her eyes flitted nervously around the room. Anywhere but on him.
Amon took two strides and suddenly was standing a foot away from her. Smiling, he reached down and took the shoes from her hands. As he carefully placed them on the floor, Thea knew her plan had failed completely.
Straightened to his full height, Amon picked her up in his arms in one fluid motion. Pressed to his naked chest, she felt suddenly lightheaded. Staring into her eyes, just inches away from her face, Amon explained in a voice that nearly made her melt, “Not to worry. I’ll carry you to the bath and then carry you back so your feet don’t have to touch the cold floor.”
Carrying her to the bathroom, he continued, “And I’ll have Gethen get you slippers so tomorrow you don’t have to worry.” Then with a sly smile, he said, “Not that I mind taking you in my arms for this or any other reason.”
Thea felt like her body was on fire. Cold feet? Not a tiny inch of her felt anything but scalding hot! He set her on her feet on the bathroom rug next to the tub and bent down to turn off the water. She watched as his intricately scarred back faced her, and she cringed at the thought of how much pain he must have endured to have a back full of what looked like scars from knife wounds. She wished she could touch him, wished she could heal that part of him.
Amon turned to her, and she looked up to face him. “Is there anything else I can do to make you more comfortable?”
She shook her head and silently wished he would leave her to her misery. She was stuck there, at least for a little longer until she could find a way to stage another escape attempt. But that was only half her torment. Her captor was a gorgeous, incredibly built man who had already rejected her but now seemed to be teasing her into wanting him more. The idea of being caught between the devil and the deep blue sea crept into her mind, and she was unsure which Amon would be.
“I’ll listen for the sound of the door opening so I can carry you back to your room,” he said in a voice so sexy she had to avert his stare.
“You don’t have to do that,” she said sheepishly as she stood looking down at her feet.
“Of course I do, Thea. Your feet get cold after a bath. Remember?”
As he walked past her, she again saw the painful looking reminder of his time in Nil and felt sad at the thought that he’d been tortured. No matter what he was doing to her, he didn’t deserve that.
I’ll fix that after my bath.
Thea stripped and got into the tub to sink down in the hot water. It felt so wonderfully soothing as it eased the tension in her muscles, and she let her head gently fall back against the edge of the tub. Relaxed, what she’d just thought occurred to her.
What am I thinking? I can’t worry about him. I have to find a way out of here.
Feeling like she was back in her right mind, she relaxed once again and looked around the room. It had escaped her attention that there was a fireplace on the far side of the room. She closed her eyes and imagined how amazing it would feel to relax in a bath near a roaring fire. Once again, she immediately chastised herself for forgetting what her primary goal should be.
Unable to enjoy her bath, she climbed out and began to dry off. A knock at the door startled her, and she scrambled to knot the towel around her before she answered it. Opening the door just a crack, she peered out to see Amon standing there, still shirtless.
“Yes?” she asked, her words sounding something far closer to, “What do you want?”
In his lazy, comfortable tone that only made her edgier, he drawled, “I thought you might need something to wear. I don’t have any pants that would fit you, but maybe one of my shirts will.”
Thea looked down to see a white dress shirt in his left hand. Thankful but still startled, she grabbed the shirt and closed the door. Through it, as she stripped out of her towel
and slipped into her bra and his shirt, she heard him say, “I’ll be out here waiting to take you back to your room.”
She opened the door dressed in her jeans and his dress shirt that came to the middle of her thighs. As he swept her up into his arms, Thea meekly protested that she could walk. Inside, she loved any touch of his body to hers, but she fought the desire to mold to him, telling herself that he’d made it very clear that what she’d thought she felt for him was impossible.
If only her heart understood.
*
Amon was sure the shirt had never looked as good on him as it did on her. Long blond waves tumbled over the stiff collar and fell over her shoulders to her back. He thanked God she’d decided to put her pants back on, sure that if he’d seen her just in his shirt he wouldn’t have been able to stop himself from taking her right then and there on the bathroom floor.
Walking slowly down the hall, he sensed her discomfort by how rigid she seemed next to him now. Soon, he began to feel his own discomfort because he’d overexerted himself so soon. He reached her bed but that was all he could do. Unable to stand anymore, he placed her on the bed as his body began to give out.
Propping him up, Thea scooted next to him to better support his body. “Amon, sit until you feel better,” she said quietly near his ear.
She wrapped her arm around his back, and he gently leaned into her as his breathing grew labored.
“Tell me where it hurts.”
In a strangled voice, he groaned, “My ribs.”
Thea tenderly pressed her palms to the skin under his chest to take away his pain. Slowly, his breathing returned to normal as she continued to glide her hands over the muscular ridges of his torso.
She stopped, and he hung his head slightly. The pain was gone, but now he was left exhausted. She ran her hands softly over his back, over the raised scar pattern that ran from his shoulders to his waist, as he rejoiced in her touch.
Slowly, her fingertips caressed over each line that marked where someone had carved into his skin as he felt her hands erase the harm inflicted on him. With each gentle touch, she healed him, and the scars began to fade away. Amon leaned his head on hers and sighed deeply as he began to feel the skin on his back return to how it had been before that first night in Nil.
A myriad of sensations flowed through him. Her fingers danced across his skin, bringing it back to life, renewing him. Because of her, the scars that reminded him of that night every time his finger grazed his shoulder disappeared. The depth of her kindness touched his heart, and he began to feel his attraction to her was more than physical. Perhaps what she’d felt was real? But did he dare to believe that a person like him could ever have someone like her? And how could he while Sevine still existed?
As she lovingly stroked his skin back to health, he wished he would never have to leave her side, never be without her sweet touch. How many times had another caressed his body in ways that had delivered such exquisite pleasure and had been followed by moments of pure ecstasy, and how those times paled in comparison to the innocent, selfless touch of the angel who sat next to him, her head lightly resting on his shoulder?
God, he couldn’t bear to lose her! He’d sensed she’d planned to attempt something when he’d carried her to the bath, and he’d considered letting her go. Letting her leave to return to the life she’d been forced to leave because of him. He’d convinced himself that’s what the decent man he wanted to be would do.
But now the true man he was cried out to keep her with him for as long as he could. To hell with being a destined one! He wanted her next to him. Now. Forever. He wanted to wake up next to this beautiful creature each morning and fall asleep after loving her each night. He didn’t care if he was selfish. He wanted someone this good in his life. He knew he didn’t deserve her. He didn’t care. He wanted her.
Thea’s hand left his back and fell to the bed as Amon realized with relief that his pain was gone. He felt healed, but he looked down at the gentle soul next to him and saw the toll her compassion had taken on her, her blue eyes hidden behind their lids and her long, dark lashes resting on her pale cheeks.
Amon ran his finger across her cheek, sweeping away tendrils of pale blond hair from her face. He yearned to lean down and softly touch his lips to hers to show her how much he appreciated her kindness.
“Thea?” he whispered near the top of her head, feeling the silkiness of her hair against his lips.
She stirred and slowly opened her eyes. Looking up at him, she asked,” Are your ribs better?”
She straightened up and placed her hands on his sides again to continue healing his painful injuries. Amon took her hands from his body and held them between his own hands. Looking into her eyes, he lowered his head to meet hers and stopped as his mouth brushed her cheek.
“I’m fine, Thea.”
Inhaling, he smelled soap and her shampoo, something delicate like honeysuckle. “Why did you heal my back?” he asked quietly next to her ear.
“Because it’s what I do. I’m a healer,” she whispered softly.
Amon needed to see her face, but she’d turned away as she answered. He couldn’t say what he so desperately wanted to say with her avoiding his gaze. Turning her face toward him, he saw her drop her gaze—anything to not look at him.
“Thea, why won’t you look at me?”
She remained silent, staring down at the enormous shirt cuffs on her small wrists.
“Thea, look at me.”
Turning to face him, she asked in a voice that betrayed how much his words earlier had hurt her, “Why? You’ve already been very clear. I’m mistaken. It’s impossible. So I leave to go to another room, but you follow me, carrying me to and from the bathroom half naked. And now you want to look into my eyes and make me want you even more. Why? So you can tease me and then tell me again how I’m not who you want?”
Amon instantly felt pain race through his limbs. Wincing in agony, he balled his hands into fists and hoped the pain would leave before he passed out. The ache from Thea’s emotions caught him by surprise. Because he’d convinced himself he wasn’t falling in love with her, he hadn’t expected to feel any effect from her emotions. But here the pain was, different from everything else his body was going through from his time in Nil. This was because he’d made her unhappy. And that meant he must be falling in love with her.
“Amon! What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” he croaked out. Catching his breath, he remembered what Markku had said—what had worked with Callia—just make her happy.
Thea turned to him and began to frantically seek out the source of his pain, but he stopped her and took hold of her hands. She looked at his eyes staring longingly at hers and relaxed in his grip.
“There’s nothing you can do. This isn’t something you can heal.”
“Amon, what do you mean?” she asked, her voice more frightened than confused.
Within minutes, as he sat silently with her, the pain had gone and Amon could now say what he’d planned to say. “Thea, I told the truth when I said I already had a destined one. Her name is...well, I don’t know what her name is now, but to me she was always who she was when we were first drawn to one another. Sevine. But we grew apart after almost twenty lifetimes, and I haven’t seen her since the late 1700s.”
“What do you mean ‘grew apart’? Why aren’t you together?”
Amon wrestled with how much he should tell her about his past. Should he tell her who he’d been for lifetimes—the heartless, selfish prick he’d been? Suddenly, everything he’d ever been came back to haunt him. He’d found someone to care about and now his past could chase her away. He knew the risk. If she couldn’t accept his past, he’d lose her. But he knew he had to try to tell her.
“I’ve manipulated people, hurt people, used my powers to only my benefit.”
“Hurt? What kind of hurt?”
Amon hung his head to avoid her wide eyes that seemed to beg for the truth. He had no choice. He had to hope she
would see he was a different man now.
“I was responsible for the death of Sevine’s human friend. I used my tempuster power to manipulate someone into falling in love with me when I knew she had a destined one she loved and who loved her.”
Amon stopped for a moment and then said, “I was in Nil because I belonged there.”
Silently, he waited for her to respond, but for a long time she said nothing. Sure he finally understood what Gethen had tried to tell him earlier, he moved to leave.
Gently, Thea placed her hand on the back of his neck and began to trace the muscles to his shoulders. “Amon, in actuality, I’m not better. I may not have done what you did, but I’ve let them die.”
“No...you don’t understand.”
“I was born with my powers, Amon. I’ve never been anything but a healer. But because I’m under the control of the Council, I’ve been forbidden from helping others they deem unworthy. So I’ve watched people die all out of blind obedience when I could have saved them. I’m ashamed to say that if Markku hadn’t brought me here, I would have refused to help you.”
Amon looked at the sadness in her face and knew she was wrong. She was so much better than he, but she was like him in one way. He heard the regret in her voice and understood. They were both blessed with immense power, but neither one had fulfilled the promise of greatness they possessed. Never before in all his lifetimes had he met one who seemed like such a kindred spirit.
He’d finally met someone like him, but it wasn’t meant to be. Destiny had already made her choice.
Chapter Seven
Ryu let his weight fall back onto the old couch, and he relaxed before dealing with his assignment. As the late afternoon sun streamed into his rooms, it illuminated just how little care he’d taken with his home for the past year. Dust stuck to the tacky circles on the coffee table and settled in the scratches and gouges of the furniture’s legs.
On the table next to his beer lay the file on Amon Kalins. Ryu had skimmed it earlier, gleaning some basic information to add to that he’d gained from his meeting with the Council. Kalins was definitely a bigger fish than his usual fare, but he’d be caught for the same reason all his other assignments—but one—had been. Because he was good at his job. Great at his job was more like it. Because with only one exception in all his lifetimes since he’d been released from Nil, he’d never let anyone escape.
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