Inferno's Kiss (52 page)

“You want to know if I approve of you and my mother getting back together again.”

Marcus found it impossible not to smile. Blunt and to the point. It was a trait of hers he’d found disconcerting at first. But he’d quickly come to appreciate it. There were so many things about his daughter that he had learned to enjoy in the short amount of time they’d spent together.

“Yes.” He nodded his head.

“I heartily approve,” Cleopatra said. “Mother loves you, and in spite of everything that’s happened over the last several weeks, she’s happier than I’ve ever seen her.”

Marcus glanced over his shoulder at his wife, who was deep in a heated discussion with Lysander and Placido. “I’m afraid she’s unhappy with me at the moment.”

“She’ll get over it.” Cleopatra tipped her head sideways to look around his shoulder. “Although not quite yet. Here she comes.”

“What in Juno’s name
were
you thinking?” Atia exclaimed as she came to a halt next to the two of them and glared up at Marcus. “Dante listens to you. He’s going to destroy the document based on your suggestion.”

“Dante made up his mind
before
anyone told him what he should do.” Cleopatra’s quiet words made both Marcus and Atia look at her in surprise. Their daughter shook her head. “No, it’s not transference from the blood bond. Dante and I have been linked for some time now. I don’t know how or why, just that it is. But I do know he made up his mind about the document before he even sent Marta after Verdi.”

“He’s going to destroy it, isn’t he?” Atia breathed with a sigh of grief.

“Let it go, Mother. You can’t win all the time. Besides, losing can actually be fun on occasion.” The devilment in Cleopatra’s violet eyes made Marcus grimace slightly, while a puzzled expression darkened Atia’s features. Laughing, Cleo stepped forward to kiss her mother’s cheek, then did the same to Marcus. The gesture of affection made his throat close with emotion. Mischief lighting her face, she looked at her mother. “I’m going to leave the two of you alone. Father has something he wants to discuss with you, and I’m missing my own blood bonding festivities.”

As his daughter grinned and sauntered off in search of her husband, Marcus and Atia were left to stare after her.

“Did she just call you
Father
?” The wonderment in Atia’s voice matched his own sense of astonishment.

“Yes.” Still amazed by his daughter’s display of affection, he shook his head in bemusement. He entwined his fingers with Atia’s and looked down into her luminous gaze. “Come, I have something for you.”

“But the reception—”

“They don’t need us,” he said firmly and pulled her out of the ceremonial hall.

“At least tell me where we’re going.”

“Back in time.”

A small smile tilted his mouth upward. Her hand clasped tightly in his, he forced her to follow him at a quick pace down the corridor. Atia muttered something beneath her breath as they walked toward her rooms, but he couldn’t quite make out her words. Several moments later, he ushered her into the suite and closed the door behind them. Exasperation flashing in her gray eyes, Atia faced him with her hands on her hips.

“Do you want to tell me why you dragged me away from my daughter’s blood bonding celebration?”

“
Our
daughter.” His firm response made her wince with regret, and she nodded.

“Why did you pull me away from
our
daughter’s blood bonding celebration?”

“Because we have a celebration of our own to attend.”

“Celebration? You’re not making any sense.”

Marcus walked to the bookcase against the wall and picked up the velvet-covered blade he’d placed there earlier in the day. He turned to face Atia then slowly pulled the weapon from its soft protective sleeve. The rubies in the blade’s hilt sparkled in the room’s subdued lighting. The moment she saw the ceremonial dagger, she drew in a sharp breath of surprise. Her reaction made it clear she recognized the blade they’d used in their blood bonding ceremony years ago.

“Tonight I intend to make you mine all over again,” he said with soft determination. With a quick movement he flipped the blade and sliced open the old scar in the palm of his hand. “My life for your life.”

“What are you doing?” Atia gasped and took a quick step forward to grab his hand. “We blood bonded a long time ago.”

“But that bond wasn’t strong enough, was it?” He handed her the blade, hilt first. “This time I want it to be unbreakable, because I’m never going to let you go again.”

She didn’t move for a long, quiet moment, and for several seconds he thought she would refuse. Slowly, Atia took the dagger from him and flinched as she cut into the scar on her palm.

“My heart for your heart,” she whispered. “My blood for your blood.”

As they clasped their bleeding hands together, Marcus bent his head and kissed her.
“I love you, Atia. I’ll never stop loving you,
carissima
.”

Beneath his mouth, her lips were soft and compliant as he deepened their kiss. A searing heat registered in his hand where their blood merged to become one. Their bond in the past had been strong, but as her energy wound its way through his blood, he knew their renewed commitment to each other was indestructible. With a tender bite against her lower lip, he made her open her mouth to him. In a split second, his tongue mated with hers as the sweet taste of her assaulted his senses. Desire surged through him, and he was hard in an instant.
Christus
, if the woman only knew what she did to him.

“I do know.”
The soft whisper of her laughter echoed in his head, tugging a responding laugh from him as he lifted his head.

“You’re far too confident,
mea amor
. I think it’s time I show you how difficult it is for you to resist me.”

“A challenge.” Her voice was soft with a streak of mischief running through it.

“No,
carissima
. A promise.” He smiled as he gently pulled her toward the bedroom. “We belong to each other, body, mind, and heart.”

She went eagerly with him, and they were almost at her bedroom door when she drew up short.
“Cleo.”

“What about her?”

“I need to tell her . . .”

“If you’re worried she won’t approve, don’t be,” he murmured as he trailed his forefinger down the side of her neck. “She’s already said she does.”

“She did?” The bemused note in Atia’s voice made him grin.

“Yes, just a short while ago,” he said patiently. Her eyes widened as she stared up at him. A moment later her gray eyes narrowed with a small amount of irritation.

“You’re manipulating me again, Marcus Vorenus.”

“
No one
has
ever
manipulated you,
dolce cuore
.” For a moment it looked like she was going to argue with him. He quirked an eyebrow at her, and she laughed.

“You’re impossible.”

“Which is one of the reasons why you love me.” Marcus raised their clasped hands to his mouth and kissed her fingertips. “Come, I have a present for you. Close your eyes.”

Gently, he guided her to the bedroom door and opened it. “Look,
mea amor
.”

The scent of roses filled the air as she obeyed his command. Her gasp of delight when she saw the room gave him the same immense pleasure it had more than thirty years ago when he’d surprised her in the same manner. This time it had been more difficult to keep her from discovering the surprise. But the expression of joy on her face as she stared at the deep red rose petals sprinkled across the floor and the bed made his efforts worth it.

“When?” she whispered.

“I made arrangements with one of the
Vigilavi
. Do you like it?” Marcus knew what her answer would be, but he wanted to hear her say it.

“It’s . . . it’s beautiful,
caro
. Thank you.” Atia’s gaze met his, and a sultry look darkened her gray eyes. It was a look he knew he would never be able to resist. He pulled her deeper into the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

“Then thank me properly,” he said with a wicked grin.

She laughed then willingly obeyed the Sicari Lord’s command.

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Berkley Sensation titles by Monica Burns

KISMET
PLEASURE ME

Order of the Sicari Novels

ASSASSIN’S HONOR
ASSASSIN’S HEART
INFERNO’S KISS