Dark Promise (7 page)

“And he wasn't pleased?”

“I don’t know why. He didn't walk in on you and I—” She grabbed her beer and took a long sip.

Eric smiled. With her rosy cheeks and deep green eyes outlined by dark eyelashes, she was beautiful—a virgin maiden.

The waiter arrived with the sausage pizza, and placed it on the table. He returned with forks, knives, plates and napkins.

Eric picked up the spatula and served Cassandra a large slice of pizza. “Cassandra, do you still care for Luke?”

“I don’t know.” She picked at the pizza with her fork. “He confuses me and after he was with Diane, how can I trust him?”

She was debating. Fucking great. He had to get her to the Underworld before she decided to give Luke another chance. “Humans,” Eric grumbled. “I don’t see how men do this to their mates.”

“Humans? Mates? What is with you?”

Shit, fouled again. “I thought you were hungry.”

“Lost my appetite.”

“Come on, it’s sausage, your favorite. Try it.”

“How do you know it’s my favorite?”

“Lucky guess.” He held his breath, cursing yet another mistake.

Her brow furrowed. She focused on the pizza. Sighing, she picked up her pizza and took a bite. Her eyes filled with contentment.

He loved how her cheeks glowed and a small smile spread across her face, there were other ways to bring her satisfaction and bring a smile to her lips rather than a pizza. What they did in her dream last night for starters. His pants tightened and he shifted in his chair. “So, is the pizza good?”

“What? Oh, yeah. It’s fine.” She licked her lips.

He had an urge to lick her now salty lips.

“Try it,” she urged.

Forcing himself to forget her lips, Eric served himself. The pizza tasted good, but he had a hard time eating with the blonde beauty across from him and his growing erection. God, this was such a waste of time. He wanted her back in the Underworld now to complete their vows and indulge in her every fantasy.

Somehow Eric got through lunch with her, without making another frightening or asinine comment again. At least Luke Kennedy never came back and he didn’t have to worry about fighting for Cassandra’s attentions. A half-eaten pizza slice remained on her plate. “Are you done?”

“Um, yes. Thanks for lunch.” Cassandra put on her helmet and goggles, and slipped on her gloves.

“Sounds like a dismissal,” he said.

“What? You mean you wanted to ski some more?”

“That was the general idea. I’ve never had anyone who wanted to ditch me until you.”

She licked her luscious lips. “I’m not trying to ditch you. I’m just feeling weird after running into Luke.”

“Why?”

“We were together for about six months and I guess I hurt him.”

She thought she hurt him? “Excuse me? I thought…”

She held up her hand. “Yes, I know what he did. I wasn’t exactly a loving girlfriend, either. I just could never commit to him.” She shoved her hands into her parka. “I don’t know why I’m telling you this. Look Eric, I know I just had lunch with you, but I need to get my thoughts sorted.”

He tossed three twenty dollar bills onto the table. “Fine.” Now, what the hell was he supposed to do?

She reached for the bill. “How much was the bill?”

He slid it out of her reach. “He was a good waiter.”

“Ah, uh. Well, I’ll be seeing you.” She hobbled in her ski boots to the front door without looking back.

He chugged the rest of his beer and slammed his glass down. Damn. The wench had brushed him off. In the Underworld, women climbed over themselves to get to him, but here, he was a leper. Shit. What if Cassandra had ditched him to find Kennedy?

He jumped off his chair and darted out of the restaurant. What if he missed her? His magic had faded, since he used the last of it to appear in her dream. Maybe he should have saved more of it. Using demon speed, he raced to his skis.

Bent over, Cassandra fastened her boots and picked up her poles. Kennedy wasn’t around.

“I’ll see you around,” he said.

She jumped and fell on her butt. “How did you get here so fast?”

“I wasn’t far behind you.” He offered her his hand and she grabbed it, allowing him to pull her to her feet. He wanted to slam her to his chest and kiss her, but refrained.

“Thanks.” She brushed snow off her parka. “Well, I’ll see you around.”

He put on his skis and binders, and stooping to be a stupid school boy, he trailed behind her. Pathetic. He wouldn’t push himself on her, not unless he saw Luke. Cassandra got onto the chairlift with a group of girls. Her sweet scent drifted over him. A man and his young son made small talk with him on the way to the top.

He flew off the chair. She headed toward the Super Bee Lift. With demon speed, he skied through the trees toward the Super Bee. He arrived at the lift, but she had not arrived yet. He waited, hoping she came alone.

His heart sank. Billowing snow had painted her cheeks and nose with white pixie dust. She came with a tall male figure. Kennedy. Dragon fire burned in him and he wanted to challenge Luke for his mate, which was common practice in the Underworld, but this wasn’t the Underworld. This was Earth. Bound by human law, he had no intention of getting locked up, unable to free himself.

Kennedy and Cassandra skied toward the lift. So much for getting his thoughts together. Eric slinked behind them. He hoped they wouldn’t kiss or caress each other. He doubted if he could remain rational.

What they were saying? He needed the Wraith’s mirror.

The darkness grew inside him. He was turning feral. He needed distance. Any minute, he’d explode with anger and rip Luke apart.

6

Cassandra was surprised she didn't want to grab Luke’s shoulders and kiss him. Maybe Lilly had been right. Maybe she had been the player.

Snow dusted Luke’s cheeks. Sunglasses hid his beautiful eyes and made him more handsome, alluring.

But all she could think of was long black hair and the smell of cinnamon. She shouldn’t have lied to Eric, telling him she wanted to be alone when she intended to meet Luke.

He’d wanted to talk to her more, but not in a crowded bar with both Diane and Eric watching them.

This wasn’t right. She’d done it again. Toyed with him. “Luke,” she said.

“What?”

“I don’t think this is going to work,” she said.

“You’re not giving us a chance.”

“Luke, you broke my heart.”

“I know. I know.” Luke tapped his poles on his skis. “I was drunk, Cassandra. Pissed off.” He sighed. “I don’t want her. I want you.”

“You were just eating lunch with her.”

“I sat alone so she joined me. I wasn’t going to be rude. Jesus, it was just lunch.”

Lunch my ass.

“I know I shouldn’t have called you the Ice Queen, but when you arrived with that guy…”

“Luke, I’m just not sure I can trust you again.”

“You’re not giving me a chance to make it up to you.”

“I walked into the bedroom and found both of you naked. Diane rode you like she was trying to win the Kentucky Derby.”

“I told you I was drunk. She seduced me. You mean everything to me.”

“You never called me after New Year’s.”

“I was afraid you’d hang up on me.” He shook his head. “I should have known.”

“Known what?”

“I saw how you were looking at that guy.”

“What do you mean?”

“You looked at him like he was an Olympic skier, sweeping you off your skis.”

Lilly was right. She was hurling Luke into a dung heap. How could any man live up to the perfect, sensual man in her dreams? Every night she indulged in a sexual fantasy with a man hotter than the hottest romance cover model.

“Fine. I guess it’s over.”

“Luke, I’m sorry.” She wished their relationship could have been different, but Luke only approached her after he’d seen her with Eric.

“Yeah, whatever.” The chairlift approached the top. “Later Cassandra.”

A lump formed in Cassandra’s throat. If Eric had never skied with her or taken her to lunch, would Luke have approached her?

She got off the chairlift and skied down the mountain, not caring where she was headed. This time she took her time, trying not to think of Eric and Luke and admire the snow packed peaks instead. She swished past skiers and snowboarders until she got to the middle of the mountain and skied toward the Excelerator lift. One more run before she escaped back to the inn. A deep husky laugh caught her attention.

Oh, crap.

Eric was a few feet ahead of her talking to a woman, not just any woman, Diane. Shit, Diane moved on every man she met.

Diane leaned against Eric’s shoulder and laughed.

Cassandra blinked back tears threatening to fall. Where was Eric’s conviction of not cheating on his mates? No, this was her fault. She had pushed him away just like she had Luke. She turned to get out, but the crowded lift line prevented her moving and she didn't want people grumbling, drawing either Eric or Diane’s attention. She’d just ride the damn lift, ski down the mountain and go back to the inn.

Eric and Diane got on the chair lift. Cassandra's stomach tightened as she got on the lift only two chairs behind Eric and Diane. On the lift, Diane sat too close to Eric and leaned her head on his shoulder. Cassandra’s nerves snapped and twanged each time Diane’s flirtatious laughter reached her ears or her hand touched Eric's arm. She wished she could jump off the lift and get away.

Eric and Diane skied to the left. Cassandra flew out of the chairlift and skied to the right as fast as she could, darting past beginners, children and snowboarders. The wind chilled her and chapped her lips. Despite her resolution not to cry, tears stuck to her cheeks. She’d lost two men in one day. Must be a record.

At the top of Main Vein, she finally stopped. The last part of the run was always crowded and she couldn’t go at top speed unless she wanted to run into someone and lose her ski pass. She didn’t want to see Eric and Diane on the other side of her.

She bent her knees to ski down the mountain.

“Cassandra, wait.” Eric skied up to her. Alone.

“Oh, Eric.”

“Are you okay?”

“Um, yes, I’m fine. Why?”

With his gloved hand, he touched her cheek. Her heart somersaulted and warmth rushed low, pooling into a throbbing ache in her chest.

“You’re crying.” He scanned the mountain. “Where’s Kennedy?”

She rubbed her cheeks on her shoulder and half laughed. “Why? He didn’t do anything.”

He scowled. “Then why are you crying?”

Diane pulled up next to Eric. “There you are. I thought I lost you.” She glanced at Cassandra. “Oh, Hi Cassie. Lose something?” Diane’s mission was to seduce or steal any guy Cassandra had. Now, that mission was Eric.

“No.”

Not waiting for Eric’s response, Cassandra darted down the mountain, not caring how fast she went or whether she lost her pass. She wanted to go home. At the bottom of the lift, she undid her bindings and stepped out of her skis.

“Cassandra, will you wait?” Eric held his skis.

“How did you get here so fast? Where’s Diane?”

“I don’t know. I ditched her.”

“You did?”

He lowered his voice. “Why have you been crying?”

Not wanting to fall under his magical spell again, she shrugged, forcing her tears back. “Just a bad day.”

“Are you leaving?”

He sounded disappointed, but she didn’t want to play these games anymore. She wanted off the board. “Yeah, I think I’ve had enough skiing for today.”

He tilted his dark head. “Going back to the Inn?”