Stavros glanced over his shoulder and sniffed the air. Nothing but trees around him and marshy ground beneath his sneakers. As always, the world was alive with the music of the bayou. Grasshoppers chirped, insects buzzed and birds sang. There was nothing here that shouldn’t be here, other than Toni and himself.
Quickening his pace, he hurried after her. He realized he was smiling and a sense of anticipation hummed inside him. Stavros was hunting for the first time in years. Not to kill, but to protect.
He no longer questioned the instinct. It was simply a part of him. Just like breathing.
Toni needed his protection. It was his job to make certain nothing bad happened to her while she was here. He wanted her in his sights and picked up his pace.
He stopped when he caught a glimpse of her crouched down on the spongy moss near the edge of the swamp. She held her camera to her face and he heard the muted clicking noise as she took several pictures in quick succession. He narrowed his eyes and saw the large gator sliding through the water only a few feet away from her.
Damn the woman. Did she have any idea how dangerous that was? How fast the gator could move?
Stavros rushed forward, grabbed her around the waist and dragged her away from the water’s edge. “What in the name of the goddess are you doing?” He didn’t mean to roar at her, but wasn’t able to stop himself. All his primal instincts were on overdrive when it came to Toni Richards.
Toni whirled on her attacker and struck out, her right fist flying. She cursed when she realized who it was and tried to pull her punch. Not that she needed to. Stavros caught her hand easily. Instead of knocking it away, he grabbed it and pulled her closer. She landed against his solid chest with a thud.
Thankfully, her camera was secured around her neck with a thick strap, and she hadn’t dropped it during the altercation. The expensive piece of equipment hung down her back, undamaged.
“What in the hell are you doing?” All her emotions were bubbling close to the surface—fear, anger and arousal.
“Saving you from yourself,” he shot back.
She tried to pull away from him, but Stavros only tightened his hold on her and slid one muscled arm around her back, pinning her against him. She glared at him, but he seemed unmoved by her anger.
“I didn’t need saving.” She thumped her fist against his chest to make her point. She didn’t worry about actually hurting him. The man had muscles on his muscles.
“That’s a matter of opinion.” A lock of dark hair fell across his forehead and his eyes seemed to grow even darker the longer he stared down at her. He swore in a language she’d never heard before and then lowered his head and kissed her.
Toni lost all sense of place and time when his lips touched hers. They were firm and soft and teased a path across her mouth. She moaned and he slipped his tongue inside. Her entire body clenched and her insides turned molten.
She’d been kissed many times in her life, but never had she experienced anything this hot and mind-numbing. Stavros explored her mouth, taking his time as he mapped the moist, dark landscape. Then he coaxed her tongue into his mouth and sucked on it.
She went up on her toes, trying to get closer to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close as she kissed him back. Heat enveloped her. Her breasts ached and her pussy throbbed. It took every ounce of restraint she still possessed not to rub herself against him.
And there was no doubt in her mind that he wanted her as much as she did him. His cock was hard and thick and pressed firmly against her stomach. She slid one hand beneath the hem of his shirt and found smooth, hot skin. Toni inhaled deeply, drinking in his male scent, a combination of the earthy tones of the woods and hot male.
He coasted his hands down her back to her butt. He cupped the curve of her ass and pulled her more firmly against his body. When he lifted her slightly, her mound aligned with his erection.
He tore his mouth from hers. “Let’s go back to your place.”
His words brought her back down to earth with a heavy thud. What was she doing? It was a lot more difficult than it should have been, but she pressed her hands against his shoulders and pushed. “Let me go.”
Stavros immediately released her and took a step back. She wasn’t sure if she was impressed by his control or pissed off because she felt entirely out of control. She straightened her top and ignored the fact that she could still feel the heat from his hands on her behind.
“That shouldn’t have happened,” she told him.
He tilted his head to one side and studied her. “Yes, it should have.”
The man was too cocky for his own good. “Listen, buddy, I’m not looking for a vacation fling.” Too many men made the mistake of thinking because she was alone she must want or need a man.
Stavros reached out and tenderly traced the curve of her jaw. She shuddered before she got her unruly body back under control. Really, it wasn’t fair. The man touched her and she lost all control, forgot the rules she lived by, the biggest of which was no men while she was on a shoot.
“Whatever this is, it’s not a fling.” His deep voice penetrated her skin and sank into her cells. She wanted to melt into a puddle at his feet and that just pissed her off.
She turned away and his hand fell back to his side. “Whatever it is, I don’t want any part of it.” There, that was decisive and assertive.
“Liar.” His soft taunt made her glare at him.
“Okay.” She decided to go with total honesty. “I want you, but I’m not going to do anything about it.” Toni tugged her camera around to the front and reached down to pick up the camera bag she’d set aside when she was shooting the gator. She tugged the strap over her shoulder and settled the bag comfortably against her.
Work, that’s what she was good at. Not relationships. Most men didn’t understand her need to travel to remote places around the world. Nor did they understand her need to be around nature. She liked big cities as much as the next person, but her soul craved the wide open spaces.
She understood the animals whose images she captured more than she understood most people.
Stavros didn’t seem angry with her bluntness. No, his lips twitched upward. The man seemed amused. And that just pissed her off even more.
She turned and headed back toward her cabin. The faster she got away from Mr. Tall, Dark and Dangerous, the better.
She hurried through the woods, listening hard for any sound to indicate he was following her. Disappointment struck her hard when she heard only silence. Had she wanted him to come after her?
Toni shook her head. That wasn’t like her at all. She didn’t play those kinds of games with men.
She glanced over her shoulder and stumbled. She would have fallen flat on her face if Stavros hadn’t grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her upright. Angry at being clumsy and ridiculously pleased to see him, she verbally attacked. “Why are you following me?”
Stavros shrugged his broad shoulders. The almost lazy motion pulled the material taut over his chest. She knew what was beneath that thin cotton T-shirt, had seen his spectacular muscles up close. The man was too distracting for her good.
“You need someone to watch over you.” His voice seemed to vibrate deep in her soul.
“I don’t need anyone,” she shot back. She’d always been a loner. The only child of older parents, she’d spent much of her childhood playing by herself. Not that her parents hadn’t loved her, but parenthood had been more demanding than they’d imagined, and they’d been happy enough to leave her to her own devices. They were currently on a trip around the world, and she occasionally got postcards from them. She talked to them on birthdays and at Christmas, but other than that, they lived separate lives.
He just cocked one eyebrow as if to question her statement.
Toni stomped away, leaving him to follow or not. She was going to work. He�
�d get bored soon enough when she lost herself in her photography. People always did. They didn’t understand her fascination with capturing a perfect moment in time. She’d sit still for hours waiting for the image she wanted.
No, he’d lose interest and leave her alone sooner rather than later.
And, inexplicably, that made Toni sad. Not that she wanted him to stay with her. Of course she didn’t. But it occurred to her that it might be nice to have some company.
Chapter Three
Stavros leaned against the trunk of a fallen tree and watched Toni work. She wasn’t like most humans. There was a depth of patience within her that rivaled the greatest warrior. She’d sat unmoving for the past three hours, staring intently at the tiny clearing in front of them. A variety of birds had come and gone, and even a deer had made a brief appearance.
The only sound that came from her direction was the slight whirr of the camera as she took picture after picture. The sun was high in the sky and Stavros squinted up at it. It was early afternoon, but Toni didn’t seem like she was getting ready to take a break anytime soon. Not that he minded. He was enjoying the view.
He smiled as she shifted ever so slightly to the right and leaned forward to take a shot. He looked in the direction she was aimed toward and saw the flick of a yellow tail. Stavros took a deep breath and caught the scent of the big cat. Yes, that was a cougar.
Toni was practically quivering with excitement even though her body remained still. He was glad he was with her. She could take pictures to her heart’s content and not have to worry about the cougar bothering her. Not with him here.
He scowled when he imaged her out here all alone, which she would have been if he hadn’t followed her. Still, he knew better than to say anything about that. He was quickly learning that Toni was very independent. He knew what it was like to be caged, and he wouldn’t do that to another person.
The big cat stretched in the afternoon heat and then settled in beneath the shade of a tree on the edge of the clearing. The creature was obviously waiting for game to show while it kept itself cool in the afternoon heat.
Toni moved an inch at a time, slowly repositioning herself for a better shot. He had no idea how many she took before she settled back to wait. They passed nearly an hour that way until the cougar grew tired of waiting. The cat stood and stretched before it sauntered off.
Even though he watched the cat out of the corner of his eye, most of his attention was on Toni. Once again, she took picture after picture, stopping only when the cougar was completely out of sight.
She turned and smiled at him, and his heart stopped beating for a suspended moment in time before it began to race. Something inside him shifted and clicked into place.
No, this couldn’t be happening. Not to him. Not now.
She must have sensed something was wrong, because Toni’s smile slowly disappeared. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
Stavros couldn’t tell her. What could he say? I’m an immortal shapeshifting warrior and you’re my mate. That would go over well. Not.
There was no time for her to get to know him. No way to make her understand who and what he was. And if Hades ever caught a whiff of his feelings for Toni, he’d be after her in a second.
Stavros glanced around and cursed himself for a fool. His being near was endangering her. He’d given in to his own wants and needs and disregarded her safety. He knew better.
Hades might not be here now, but there was no telling when the god might be watching. Stavros knew what he had to do.
He slowly stood, turned and walked away from Toni without a word. It was the hardest thing he’d ever done. His jaguar was growling at him, not pleased at all. The animal part of his nature wanted to go back, scoop Toni up and carry her somewhere where he could make love to her and protect her from all harm.
But that was nothing more than a fantasy. A dream that could never be.
“Stavros?” He hesitated when he heard her call out to him. Cursing himself for a fool, he turned and looked at her one more time. She was standing in the path with the sunshine spotlighting her. Her hands still gripped her camera and she was frowning at him. Her blue eyes were filled with questions he couldn’t answer.
Stavros turned and walked away. Agony ripped through him. It felt as though he’d torn out his heart and left it on the path behind him.
If he thought for one second he could make her fall in love and agree to spend eternity with him before Hades discovered her, he wouldn’t hesitate. But her safety was more important than anything else. And if he had to walk away to save her, that’s exactly what he’d do.
The darkness swallowed him. Once again, Stavros was alone. A single tear trickled down his cheek. He ignored it and kept going.
Toni didn’t understand what had just happened. Stavros had sat quietly next to her for hours. She’d felt his gaze on her as she’d worked. His quiet presence had made something cold and hard inside her crumble away.
She’d begun to trust him. To believe that he understood her in a way no one else ever had.
She rubbed her chest. Her heart ached and she had only herself to blame. She knew better than to allow anyone to get close. But it had been so easy with Stavros. There was something about him that called to her in the same way the most elusive animals on the planet did.
“Stupid,” she muttered. “He’s just a hot-looking guy. Nothing more.” She forced herself to look away from the path between the trees that had swallowed Stavros up, taking him from her sight. She was alone. “And that’s the way I like it,” she reminded herself.
Her earlier pleasure over capturing the cougar was gone, and that pissed her off. This was what her entire trip had been about, and Stavros had stolen her happiness. No, even worse, she’d allowed him to take it.
“Suck it up, Toni.” She looked around to make sure she had all her gear before heading back toward her cabin. She needed a shower after sweating for hours in the hot afternoon sun, and she desperately needed something to eat. Usually, she couldn’t wait to see the images she’d captured, but that sense of urgency was missing as she made her way back to her rental unit.
She stopped at the edge of the clearing by the house and waited until she was certain no one was around. No matter what else was happening in her life, Toni was always safety conscious. When she was convinced she was alone, she hurried to the house, let herself in and locked the door behind her.
Toni realized she was feeling slightly spooked, like something or someone was following her. She set her bag and camera down on the kitchen table, which she’d turned into a large workspace, and peered out the window. Nothing.
She took a deep breath and slowly released it. There was nothing to worry about. She was just out of sorts because of Stavros. The man certainly blew hot and cold. One minute, he was kissing her socks off, and the next, walking away like she didn’t matter at all. She was better off without him.
Toni kicked off her shoes and headed to the small bathroom to shower. It didn’t take her long to wash away the day’s sweat, dry off and dress in clean clothes. She didn’t linger. Now that she was home, she was eager to see her pictures.
Still, she made herself a bowl of cereal before removing the memory card from her camera and sliding it into her laptop. She had several more memory cards in her camera bag but was eager to see the shots of the cougar.
Her cereal grew soggy in the bowl and the sun sank in the west as Toni went through the photos one at a time. There was one in particular that caught her attention, and she went back to it again and again.
The cougar was relaxed but alert. You could tell he was ready to explode at a moment’s notice. The predator was at rest, but the hunter was poised to kill. It was primal and raised goose bumps on her arms. This was the money shot. She knew it with all her heart and soul.
Toni swallowed hard when she realized who the cougar reminded her
of. Stavros. He’d reclined against the fallen tree much like the cougar had lazed in the shade. And like the mighty cat, there was a sense of alertness, of preparedness about Stavros. He was a predator, like the cougar.
“Shit.” Toni pushed away from the table and began to pace, almost bumping into a chair. She blinked and glanced out the window. “When did it get dark?” Once again, she’d lost herself in her work.
She made a face at the soggy cereal. No way was she eating that. Looked like it was a sandwich once again. She had some shaved turkey and a tomato she could slice to make it a little more substantial.
Yet she didn’t head toward the refrigerator. The short hairs on the back of her neck rose. Not questioning her reaction, Toni pulled on her shoes and went to her camera bag. She unzipped the side pocket and drew out her weapon. The gun was heavy in her hand, and she prayed she wouldn’t have to use it.
She closed her laptop, the only source of light in the cabin, and crept over to the living room window. She stood there and waited for what seemed like forever. And just when she was beginning to think she was imagining things, she saw movement on the edge of the clearing where the yard gave way to the edge of the bayou.
Stavros. Her heart skipped a beat when she thought it might be him.
Then she saw another movement. And another.
Toni swallowed the lump in her throat. Her heart began to race. Whoever was out there, it wasn’t Stavros. Maybe it was nothing, but three men skulking in the woods was never a good sign. She reached into her back pocket for her cell phone. She swore when she saw the battery was dead. She’d forgotten to charge it. Again.
Toni gripped her weapon and wished Stavros was with her. She might not know him that well, but she knew in her heart he was one of the good guys and would protect her.
But like most critical times in her life—good and bad—Toni was alone.
Stavros cocked his head to one side and listened. He was in his jaguar form, stalking through the night, trying to outrun his need to go to Toni. He chuffed and listened harder. The night was unusually quiet. The insects had gone still, the owl had stopped hooting and the opossum two-hundred yards to his right was frozen in place. They all sensed something.
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