Dalir's Salvation (8 page)

An image of Taliana on the edge of the cliff emerged.
I love you,
was the final thought she’d sent him before Kell had slit her throat. Dalir’s chest tightened. Kell’s dagger, imbued with ancient power, hadn’t allowed him to heal her. Taliana had died in his arms.

Dalir’s breastbone stung with a burning ache. It spread wider and wider from the spot until it engulfed him. He hadn’t given her his entire heart. His position as commander had meant more to him. He’d delayed their wedding to stay with the warriors longer. He should have handed his duties to Ronan right away and married her. She would have lived under his protection and the royal guard’s. If he hadn’t stayed in the field, he might have noticed Kell’s odd behavior and stopped him. What happened at the temple would have never occurred. The safety of the oracles came second only to the royal house. He’d failed Taliana and his father.

The music on stage ceased.

A stunned silence filled the club followed by thunderous applause.

Dalir rose from his seat.
“Consider the song a gift.”
They needed it. The band had talent but not as much as Thane’s Redemption.

The members of Contented Wrath exchanged looks of confusion. The lead singer announced a brief intermission.

Dalir drifted through the club the opposite way he’d came in.

Patrons, still in awe, gushed and speculated about the origins of Contented Wrath’s new song.

“That was so beautiful.” At a corner table, Ari sniffled and swiped tears as she dug through her purse.

He’d barely heard her over clinking glasses and pop music playing through the house speakers. He gripped her arm and pulled her up. “What are you doing here?”

Her mouth opened. “You.” She glared. “What I do now or at any other time is none of your business.”

“The hell it isn’t. You should be in bed.”

“Doing what? Waiting for your sorry ass to show up. I don’t think so.” She wrenched her arm from his grasp. “What did you do? Follow me?”

“Don’t flatter yourself.”

Ari pinned him with a mutinous gaze as she stabbed her finger into his chest. “No. You stop flattering yourself by believing you have a say in anything involving me and my life.”

Couples at a nearby table stared at Ari as if she’d grown horns out the top of her head.

Dalir gripped her arms, subduing her movements. He leaned in. A seductive perfume warmed on her throat. Last night he’d discovered that scent on her breasts. The curves of her hips. In between her thighs. His mouth grew dry. “Stop fighting with me. You’re bringing attention to yourself.”

Ari released a deep breath. She casually smoothed her hair from her forehead and strolled to the shadowed corner. “Once again, because of you, I look like I’m crazy. Why don’t you just lea—”

He slammed his lips on top of hers, capturing the forthcoming command that would send him away. Ari’s moan incited need. Dalir deepened the kiss.

She grew pliant in his arms, matching his urgency stroke for stroke, glide for glide.

He had to stay far away from her. He wanted her tucked away safely at home. He needed her naked and under him in bed.

Urgent chatter and laughter from the nearby table penetrated his haze of want.

He broke from the kiss. As he grasped her hips, Dalir resisted cupping her ass. She looked positively sinful. Her dress hugged every damn curve. “There’s a bouncer coming in on the left. Don’t argue. Grab your purse. We’re leaving.”

Ari darted a glance at the beefy guy wearing a dark polo bearing the club’s name and dark slacks. As big as Dalir was, if he were really there, the guy probably wouldn’t have approached her alone. She grabbed her clutch from the table.

With his hand to her back, Dalir steered her toward the exit.

Now after ten o’clock, The Song had entered into prime party time for the patrons. With a packed club, more urgent altercations demanded the bouncer’s immediate attention.

Dalir followed her to a blue coupe in the parking lot.

As she faced him, she shook her head. “What am I doing?”

He didn’t require a peek into her mind to understand the source of Ari’s confusion. The magnetic pull of desire still buzzed between them. He had to find the strength to send her home and walk away. “I’ll tell you what you’re doing.” Dalir cupped her face. “You’re going home to get some rest.” He kissed her. One last chance to savor the warmth of her mouth and the feel of his hard cock nestled against her belly. He ended the kiss. Time to let her go. “Goodnight, Ari.”

A stony expression sucked life from her gaze. “Oh, I get it. Exactly how does it work? You have a string of women all over the world that you just pop in and visit when the mood hits?”

Dalir took her by the waist and hauled her against him. “There is no other woman.”

She lifted her chin and met his gaze. “Then where do you go when you leave me?”

He had nothing to give her. Not even the truth. “I can’t be the man you need, Ari.”

“Who made you the authority on me and what I need? I never said I needed a man. You’re the one who rolled up on me, acted like you owned me, and almost got me kicked out of a club. After all of that, you don’t get to happily skip on your way without giving me an explanation.”

“I don’t skip anywhere, and I never said I was happy about leaving you.”

“Then don’t.” She cupped his erection through his jeans.

“Ari, damn it. I’m trying to do the right thing.” Even as he said it, he couldn’t stop himself from pushing into her palm.

“You and I are grownups. We’re allowed to have fun.”

He could settle for having a strictly sexual relationship just to be close to her, but she deserved better. “Trust me. I’m not what you want.”

“I’m not interested in a promise for the future.”

Infinity help him, but when he touched her, she made him want to think about the future.

She smiled as she tugged him forward by his belt loops. “You’re not leaving me hot and bothered tonight. You owe me.” Ari rose on her toes and brushed her lips over his.

Staying with her one more night would tempt him into two maybe three. And then there was the issue of the team dropping by to check on her. He could stall them with the excuse of watching over Ari to keep them focused, but he wouldn’t undermine their trust by sneaking around and lying to them.

Dalir brushed his lips back over hers. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her. What he owed her was the one thing he could provide. Memories that didn’t include him. When he’d shared his gift with the team, he’d incorporated the automatic failsafe of erasing people’s memories once the guys phased to keep their powers and their identities hidden. He’d never considered he might need that out for himself. He’d have to erase Ari’s recollections manually. As a precaution, he’d plant a thought for her to go home and not back inside the club tonight. Once he phased, she’d face confusion, nothing more. He breathed against the weight building inside of him. This was for the best. As he stroked her cheek, Dalir indulged in one last hot and heavy kiss.

Ari closed her eyes. She curled her fingers into his chest.

Dalir released his power. Tendrils of energy capable of deleting their first meeting in the store to her noticing him in the hospital to him making the wrong decision of sleeping with her.

“Mmm.” Ari’s hum vibrated into his mouth. “Dalir, let’s take this to my place.”

His lips froze on hers. He held her away. She still remembered. His chest constricted. His heart pounded in his ears.

Her brow crinkled with a determined expression. “Don’t. Leave.”

Maybe it was meant for him to stay. A sliver of hope widened. Reason cemented it shut. This didn’t change why he shouldn’t stay the night with her. He’d make sure she got home safely. Then he’d go. “I’ll meet you at the apartment.”

As he phased, the dark border of space separating The Earthly dimension from The Drift beckoned. He shouldn’t show up at her place. She’d mentioned being a grown up. He had a few centuries on her in age so he had no excuse for not acting like one. Dalir pushed forward into the future. He materialized in the entryway of her home.

Ari smiled as she dropped her purse on a padded bench seat against the wall. “I guess I better get used to you doing that.” She slid off her stilettos and chuckled. “Take off your boots. Stay awhile.”

Ignoring warnings why he shouldn’t, Dalir took them off. He’d tuck her safely in bed and hold her. That’s all.

He followed Ari to her bedroom.

She flipped on the light. Ari smiled coyly and backed away from him. Holding his gaze, she unzipped her dress.

He remained rooted to the spot.

She left him spellbound with the sweep of her tongue along her lower lip. Mesmerized him with a striptease that revealed her delectable curves and ended with the dress falling at her feet. Ari sashayed forward. She unbuttoned his shirt.

As he shrugged it off, she brushed her lips over his chest.

His heart raced. He went to unfasten his jeans.

“No. Let me.”

He didn’t warrant the desire or trust in her gaze. If she only knew what he held back from her, but he couldn’t resist. Couldn’t stop wanting her.

An eternity passed before she tugged down his zipper. As she pushed down his jeans, she tortured him with barely there kisses to his stomach. She stroked his shaft. Each slow glide from base to tip grew bolder.

His hips bucked of their own accord. His balls drew tight. Dalir gritted his teeth. “If you keep that up, I won’t last.”

“Oh.” She swiped over the moisture leaking from his tip. “Then I guess it’s not a good idea for me to suck your cock.” As Ari’s lips closed around her finger, a jolt of pure lust shot straight through him.

He knees wobbled. “Later. I need you now.” Dalir picked her straight up. She clung to his shoulders as he carried her. If he had to lose himself and his will to resist, he’d do it buried inside of her.

Lying on the bed, he worked two fingers inside of her. She was already wet for him. Deep hard kisses and the walls of her sex clenching as she climaxed drove his need higher.

He fisted his cock. Condom. He almost tore the bedside table drawer off its hinges as he searched for a one. Gloved in protection, he settled between her legs, ready to thrust forward.

As Ari spread her thighs in invitation, she smiled.

His heart stuttered. Dalir dragged his cock through her slick folds.

Ari’s eyes fluttered closed. She looked sweet and sinful at the same time.

As he did it again, he grazed over her clit.

She stretched her hands over her head. As she gripped the edge of the mattress, she arched her back.

Entranced by her face softening with desire, he kept it up, nestling a bit farther into her sex.

Each time, Ari rolled her hips to meet him. A pink hue tinged her neck and breasts. Her lips trembled. She was close.

Sweat covered his skin. Dalir ached. He reached between them and strummed her clit.

She bucked underneath him. “Yes, Dalir. Yes.”

The sound of her calling his name snapped control. Dalir cupped her ass and thrust in hard, over and over. Skin slapped skin. His heart raced.

Ari tightened her legs around his waist, driving him harder.

Her pussy clutched around him. Tension gathered at the base of his spine and exploded in a rush of heat. He came so hard, spots floated in his vision.

Dalir collapsed, arms trembling as he kept most of his weight off of Ari.

She stroked his back and released a sigh of contentment.

Moments later, he regained enough strength to roll off of her and dispose of the condom. Dalir crawled back into bed.

Ari curled up against him.

Why couldn’t he stay away? Was attraction the connection that made him visible to her? No. It couldn’t be that simple. He had to figure it out. His throat tightened around the question he’d never had to ask anyone. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”

“I thought you could read my mind.”

“Not always.” Another mystery he needed to solve. “You’ve locked me out.”

“Probably because I’m embarrassed.”

“You shouldn’t be. I won’t judge you.”

“All right.” She smiled. “I’ll tell you. I’m thinking you’re an angel assigned to keep me in line, but I corrupted you in the process.”

A real laugh, rusty from disuse, unexpectedly shot out of him. It felt good. “Trust me. I’m no angel.” Dalir kissed the top of her head. “Why don’t we make a trade? You ask me something. I’ll tell you what you want to know, then I’ll do the same.”

The rustling sheets almost masked her quiet laugh as she adjusted position. “All right. Who are you? Where are you from?”

“Are you sure you don’t mean what am I?”

Ari leaned back in the crook of his arm and gave him a hard stare. “No, I mean who. You’re not a foreign object. I may not understand everything about you, but I’m smart enough to know you’re a who not a what.”

Five years ago, in the desert with Thane and the team, he’d answered that question with a proposition. Follow me and save the world. With Ari, where should he start? How much should he leave out?

“I’m Dalir, son of Athan. I’m from a dimension called Alandia.”

“Okay, not exactly what I expected. Guessing I won’t find it on Google maps.” Her attempt to lighten the mood failed to erase all of the anxiety in her tone. “Why am I the only one who can see you.”

“You asked three questions. That’s not how the game is played.”

“But you just claimed you’re from another dimension. That type of answer deserves an automatic follow-up question.”

“No. It doesn’t.” He kissed her. “I answered two of your questions. I expect the same.”

Ari glared. “Why do I get the feeling you’re way better at this game than I am?” She settled against his shoulder. “Fine. What do you want to know?”

“Where did you grow up?”

“California, Texas, South Carolina, Maryland.”

He needed to proceed carefully to keep her talking. Her mother was a sensitive subject, but Ari had cracked the door open. “Did you live with your mother?”

“Yes.”

“Those memories, what happened? Why did she say you were cursed?”

Ari stiffened. “I should have known that’s where you were headed.” She slipped from his hold and got out of bed. “By the way you cheated. That was three questions.”