Unexpected Eden (11 page)

The claim brushed through her, tempting her to hope. She clenched her eyes shut. Didn’t dare meet his gaze for fear she might actually believe it.

He gripped her hip, the tip of his staff poised and ready. “Look at me.”

Oh, God. This would kill her. Leave her powerless.

His cock teased her entrance. In and out. Enough to entice, not nearly enough to ease the ache. “Lexi.”

His gaze rattled her soul. “You belong with me. Tell me you understand.”

There was no way to move. No way to force the fullness she craved, and no protection for her heart. “Yes.” A raged cry. Desperate. “Please.”

He filled her in one, hard press, stretching her still fluttering walls to the point of delicious pain. One perfect, primitive moment that reached beyond their joined flesh to coil around her heart. The head of his erection scraped against her tender flesh, back and forth in powerful surges. She was lost, deliciously unplugged from everything in the world but the man driving at her hips.

Need pounded from every quarter, an all-consuming demand for something beyond the promise of physical release. “Eryx.” She anchored her hand at his chest. His heart hammered beneath it. Her energy leapt to surround it, the move as instinctive as a toddler’s need to walk, driving for a connection to ground her before she shattered into a million tiny pieces.

He shuddered and his eyes clenched tight, hands fisted against the mattress.

“Please.” She was so close. Desperate for an illusive touch she couldn’t identify, her nails scored the skin above his heart.

He met her gaze. He knew what she needed, the tortured slant of his eyes damning him even as his hips rammed in a wicked rhythm. He slid his hand between their bodies and circled her clit. Slick, perfect pressure. “Let go.”

Her pussy clamped around his iron length and he slammed deep, catapulting her beyond suspicions and secrets into a bright abyss.

He reared back on a jagged bellow. Violet shards of electricity shot toward the ceiling and a crash of thunder racked the skies outside as his cock jerked inside her.

She rode the storm, arms and legs locked tight around him. Wind snapped and soothed their sweat-slick skin as she reveled in his weight. The slow, steady glide of his hips and each delicious aftershock.

The tightly coiled muscles in his shoulders eased and eager arms wrapped her tight.

A ragged breath shook from her lungs, her body thrumming on a steady hum. The pain from her awakening was gone, replaced with the pleasant ache in muscles too long ignored. For the first time in her life, her heart vibrated with connection. As though the grooves of her life had settled into their perfect notch.

Almost.

Eryx’s guilty expression—the point just before he’d shoved her over the ledge with his clever fingers—replayed in her mind.

Whatever he’d withheld wasn’t about deceit. Of that much, she was certain. But he was hiding something. Something she had every intention of finding.

Chapter 12

Maxis ducked inside Phybe’s sheltered porch and checked the street behind him. Quiet, not a soul out in the early afternoon, the quaint warriorville cottages locked tight. Most families made their rounds to sanctuary and family dinners this time of day. The tradition was a bit too close to human ritual to suit his taste, but in this instance it came in handy.

Unlike the others, Phybe was home, a confirmation he’d made before setting out. No point in roasting his retinas with a wasted trip. He rapped on the evergreen-colored door and waited.

The door opened with a high-pitched groan, the entry shadowed and empty.

“Come in.” Phybe’s voice echoed from somewhere deep within the home. Whatever she was doing, her words held a bite he’d have never associated with her mousy demeanor.

The foyer was little more than a short hallway opening to a vaulted living room. Ivory chaises and fluffy sage chairs sat in casual arrangements. Matching rugs in conservative patterns covered a pale slate floor. Beyond it was a sliding glass door spanning the far wall, the entire length open wide to let in the blasted sun.

“Wesley.” Phybe kneeled on the patio beyond the doors, clumps of near-black dirt scattered atop the sandstone pavers. She staggered to a stand and swiped the back of one soil-crusted hand across her forehead. “I wasn’t expecting you. I look horrid.”

Maxis strolled toward the mess of pots and overturned blooms. “You have a love of plants?”

“Praise The Great One, no.” She motioned to a nearby chair beneath an awning, its weathered cushions indicative of too many hours in the sun. She resumed her place in front of her most recent horticultural victim. “The malran’s sister is helping me keep my mind off things. She thinks blending my soul with Mother Earth will help heal my heart.”

“I’ve heard it said she’s a renowned healer. Perhaps she’s right.” Maxis noted the particular bloom teetering cockeyed in the center of the ruby colored pot. “Your choice of flower warms my heart.”

A flush rushed her cheeks and she ducked her head. “I can’t take too much credit. Galena brought them to me. I took the flower you gave me to my presentation to the malran. I told her a friend had given it to me and it gave me strength.”

Maxis’ gut cramped, the absent tapping of his finger along the armrest freezing midair.

Phybe gripped the edge of the clay pot so hard the petals shook. Her eyes were hidden behind a veil of pale lashes. “When she came by yesterday, she said she thought your gesture was lovely and wanted to enforce the sentiment.”

“You told her about me?” He tried for a lighthearted tone. Difficult when sparks threatened to leap from his palm.

She ducked her head and scooped a pile of rich dirt. “Very little. Only that I’d made a new friend and you’d seen me safely home.”

Maxis sucked in a lungful of air and let it out, a good part of his temper sliding out along with it. “I take it the presentation went well?”

“As well as can be expected.” With a wistful smile, she shoved the pot away and dropped her hands to her lap. The dreary tan color of her leggings was perfect for her work, but a drab blend for her already pale skin. “The malran was very kind. Assuring.”

“So Galena was in attendance. Anyone else?” More direct than he’d intended, but the constant drift of the sun as it inched past the awning pricked at his attention.

She shook her head and swept piles of dirt toward the burlap bag at her right. “No. It was just the two of them.” Her sardonic chuckle tinkled through the air. “At least until Serena showed.”

“Serena?”

Phybe huffed out a tired breath and stood. “The malran’s former lover. I knew nothing of her, but a few of the wives told me about her once I got home.” She scooted the bag of dirt to the far edge of the patio wall with a flick of her wrist to guide her mental push. “They say she and the malran were an item many years ago. Apparently, he lost interest quickly, but she never did. Galena said the scene after I left was quite nasty.”

“Intriguing.” Maxis crossed one leg over the other. “Such gossip among the royals. Too bad he didn’t have a current love to throw into the mix. Would have made for good entertainment.”

Phybe situated herself in the chair beside his, and the sun angled off her pale hair in a blinding ray. “No. No, current loves. At least not that I saw. Which was fine with me. Serena brings enough drama on her own.”

Damn it all. The woman needed to stay on point. He held out his hand. “And how are you?”

She placed her hand in his with a gentle sigh. “Tired. Every time I close my eyes, I see Saul’s face. I wonder if he felt pain at his passing. How my future will be without him.”

He barely registered her words, focusing instead of the full stream of memories from her time at the castle.

“Wesley?”

The question tapped at his attention. “Forgive me.” He shook his head, feigning sadness to cover his intrigue. “Your comments brought to mind losses of my own. What did you say?”

“I asked if I could get you something to drink?”

Impatience whipped and tugged at his muscles. “No. I was merely out on errands and thought to check in as I’d promised. I think it’s best I be on my way. One can never be too cautious with gossip. Particularly in your situation.” He stood, eager to escape to the only slightly dimmer living area. “Of course, you’re always welcome to come see me. It’s more private there. Secluded.”

Phybe avoided his gaze and didn’t answer, hands clasped tightly in front of her.

“Well, then.” Wasn’t this awkward? “I’ll leave you to your planting. I’ll check on you again soon to see how you’re doing.”

She trailed behind him on his way to the door, but he didn’t look back. No sign of Lexi and too close of a call with the malran learning of his involvement. Neither played into his plans. Then again, the trip hadn’t been all bad.

Serena Doroz—long, white-blonde hair, vivid blue eyes, and loads of attitude—trouncing through Phybe’s memories.

That was a woman he could work with.

* * * *

By the time they pried themselves from Eryx’s bed, the red-rimmed Eden sun was well past noon. Lexi and Eryx trudged up a soft-sloping hill covered in Eden’s shimmering green grass. Clouds capped the azure horizon. Lexi’s body buzzed, ready to kick ass and take on the world—including Eryx and whatever had his brow wrinkled to match a shar-pei.

“So, what secret have you got tucked away this time?” Her sarcasm came off a little thick, teetering on self-righteous snark.

He shook his head.

“Oh, come on. No man I’ve ever known has thunderbolt sex and walks away grumpy.”

He grabbed her arm and ground them both to a halt. “You’ve never known a man to throw the kind of bolts I do, and the thought of you post-orgasm with anyone but me doesn’t improve my mood.”

Whoa. Okay. Maybe more finesse. “You know how I feel about secrets. I know you’re keeping one. Or several. You ever thought about talking to me instead of tiptoeing around every issue in sight?”

He planted his hands on either hip and worked his jaw in slow circles.

“Let’s try this,” she said. “How many more whammies am I due for?”

He hung his head and rubbed the back of his neck. He’d plaited his hair in a mass of braids, the ends capped off in all manner of metal beads. In lieu of the jeans and T-shirts she’d grown to love, he sported a charcoal gray linen tank and pants. A spiritual rendition of Braveheart on steroids.

“Two.” He looked up from his vacant perusal of the grass. “They’re mine to wrestle. I’ll share them when I’m ready.”

She opened her mouth.

“We’ve already established you have secrets of your own,” he said. “The fact that Ludan knows every dark nook and cranny of your mind including those secrets makes me mental. The fact that they’re significant enough to make you freeze when you’re naked beneath me drives me to near murder.”

Put that way, she couldn’t help but mentally downshift and reevaluate. She took a deep breath and raised her chin. “You’re right.” The words tasted like shit. “Just promise me there aren’t any others to rip the rug out from under me.”

“I can’t do that.” His lips flat-lined. “Who I am in this realm affects you, but it’s still about me. I’m asking you for patience. To get to know me before I heap on everything else.”

A cool breeze tickled the side of her face. She lowered her eyelids and fixated on the sun’s warmth, the crisp bite of grass as it hit her nose. “Does it have anything to do with this morning?” She locked onto his gaze. “There was something…” What words could she use? The words she had to work with wouldn’t come together in the right formation. “Something missing.”

He straightened and his lips parted. “Okay, make that three.”

Son of a bitch. Seriously? She fisted her hand. She was faster now. Surely she could get at least one jab in before he stopped her.

His lips curled into a shit-eating grin.

Screw that. She’d go for a right hook.

“In my defense, there’s not an unmated female Myren alive who knows the third secret, so sharing that one’s non-negotiable.” He resumed his trek up the hill.

She hustled to catch up. “What the hell does that mean?”

“It means exactly what I said.”

“Sounds like a whomping pile of crap to me.”

He shrugged and kept moving, but cast a wicked wink over his shoulder. “Human kids believe in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, but I don’t see you yakkin’ that up. We’re Myren. We have our traditions.” He snatched her wrist, tugged her closer, and wrapped his arm along her shoulder. “May as well get used to it.” He dropped a kiss to the top of her head as they reached the highest peak.

Wow. Just, wow. A deep valley ran below them, water the color of the sky back home running down its center with happy whitecaps bubbling against smooth gray boulders. At either side, black-trunked trees with violet leaves covered the mountain slopes. One thing was certain. Color schemes definitely ran the gamut in Eden.

“I love this spot.” Eryx pulled her in front of him. With a contented sigh, he hugged her close and rested his chin on top of her head. “Graylin brought me here not too long after he built his place. Said every man needed a place to be quiet.”

“Have you ever brought anyone else here?” She sounded about as foolish as she felt, but figured what the hell.

His lips grazed her temple. “Never wanted to.”

God she wanted him. Skin to skin and sweaty as hell like they’d been this morning. Then again, she wouldn’t mind kicking him in the shins a few times either. She tamped her chaotic emotions down. This place, this moment, was special. Sacred. She’d get her answers when Eryx was ready. Now was a quiet time for them. Maybe even a beginning. So peaceful, the slow steady rhythm of Eryx’s heartbeat against her back. A hint of something floral on the wind. Honeysuckle maybe, but a little sharper.

Prickles danced beneath her skin. Unexpected and out of place. The same cautionary flare that had saved her bacon off and on her whole life, only bigger. More pronounced and accompanied by the taste of burnt toast. Where the hell did that come from?

Eryx stared at the rushing waters below, his gaze distant. Despite his relaxed shoulders and easy embrace, sharpness marred his features. More the look of a troubled man than one in sync with an idyllic landscape.

“Everything okay?”

He blinked, mildly startled, and refocused on her. “I was thinking about Graylin. I caught him with an odd look on his face while he was watching Orla this morning. I haven’t seen that expression since before his baineann died.” His eyes darkened. “She’s been with The Great One for a long time.”

“A baineann’s a mate, right? But I thought Myrens lived a long time.”

He turned her and pulled her close. “Doesn’t make us exempt from tragedy. Ludan’s uncle killed her. Went crazy one day and murdered her in cold blood.”

“What made him do it?”

He shook his head and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “No one got a chance to find out. Ludan found him minutes after it happened and snapped his neck.”

“Ludan could have looked, right? Scanned his memories like he did mine?”

“He claims he acted on impulse, trying to save his mother.” Eryx’s mouth twitched. “I’m pretty sure he knows though. He was always a little harder than everyone else growing up, but after that he was different. Colder.”

Lexi stroked his arms and shoulders. The sadness coming off of him made her want to fidget. “I caught Orla looking at Graylin pretty intently too.” Okay, not her smoothest redirect.

He froze. “Intently as in angry? Or intently like waiting for something?”

The world around her blurred and her senses drifted. The memory replayed with a clarity she’d never experienced before, though with it came emotions she felt as though they were her own. “Like she saw the raw man underneath.”

He cupped her shoulders and edged her back. “That’s a pretty precise observation.”

Lexi shrugged and stepped away, uncomfortable with the whole petri dish level scrutiny. “I guess. It just came to me.” She looked out over the beautiful scene, but couldn’t focus on a bit of it. Not with his stare so heavy at her side.

“Fair enough.” He nodded. “Then let’s get on with what I brought you here for.”

Thank God. “I though you brought me for the view.”

He shook his head and a wicked grin crept across his face. “I thought you might like to learn to fly.”