Entwined (31 page)

Tell Callia the truth? Yeah, right. That’d unleash a whole new set of problems he didn’t need. Being honest—truly honest with her—meant opening himself up to his humanity, something he’d been trained not to do. Could he do it now? Let go of that self-control, tear open his soul and give it to her once and for all? Consequences swirled in his mind. History and stories of Argonauts from Achilles’s line long dead. It would change him. Who and what he was. And the fundamental part of him that was a guardian. The immortal fighter he and the others had come to rely on. And then there was his son…

Footsteps drew close. A door slammed. Slowly his eyes lifted until he was staring at the very face he’d conjured in his mind. “
Thea
.”

“I trusted you.” Her eyes flashed. “‘I won’t shut you out.’ That’s what you said to me. I trusted you and you left me there while you ran off to play god.”

“
Thea
—”

“Don’t ‘
thea
’ me.” Callia advanced on him, shoved her index finger into his chest. Was as pissed as he’d ever seen her. And more gorgeous than he could have imagined. “You don’t ever get to call me that. He’s my son, Zander. Do you get that? Mine. You didn’t even know about him until recently.”

“Callia—”

She swatted at his hands. “Go to hell. I don’t need you, you know. I can get Theron or one of the others to help me get him back. I only came up here to warn you that you’re not going to push me out of this. I won’t let you.” Her eyes blazed as she turned for the door. “Stay clear of me, Zander.”

She had one hand on the door handle by the time he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and lifted her off the floor. “Wait.”

She struggled against his hold. “Let me go.”

“I can’t.” He pulled her back against his chest as words he hadn’t yet decided to speak bubbled up. “I’ve tried. Gods, I’ve tried but I haven’t been able to. I need you.”

“You never needed me. I was nothing more than a fling. A way to stick it to the Council. Something to pass your precious time.”

“That’s not true.” She squirmed against him, and though it wasn’t the reaction he wanted, he couldn’t help it. His blood ran hot and went due south. Being close to her always electrified him, especially when she was grinding her sweet ass into his hips like she was doing now. “You were everything.
Are
everything.”

“Liar.” She pushed back, jammed the heel of her boot into his shin. He winced as pain shot up his leg. “You believed the worst about me without hesitation.”

He had. She was right. And he’d never forgive himself for that fact. “I didn’t stop needing you. I never stopped wanting you.”

“Oh, yeah,” she scoffed. “I can feel how much you want me. That’s all you ever wanted from me, isn’t it, Zander? Sex. Yeah, we were good at that, weren’t we?”

A space in his chest went cold at the bite to her words. Instinctively, he let go.

She didn’t flee like he expected. Instead, she turned slowly, the fire brewing in her rivaling the rage he kept locked inside. “Why don’t you come and take me then, Zander? Since we both know that’s all I ever was to you.”

“Callia.” Something had shifted in her. Something fueled by revenge and that wicked attraction that had drawn them together the first time. “Stop.”

“Why?” One side of her mouth twitched, but there was no humor in her eyes. There was only anger and heat and malice. “I thought you said you
needed
me.”

“I do.” He backed up until he hit the couch. Held up his hands as she advanced, hoping to ward her off. Had no idea how things had turned so fast. “But not like this.”

Her eyes narrowed. “I think
just
like this. Come on, Zander. I’m just a weak female. You have all the power here.”

“No, I don’t.” Warning bells went off in his head. Even though this was wrong, even though he knew what she was doing had nothing to do with him and was all about making her point, he knew he wouldn’t be able to resist her for long. Not when she was the one person he’d never been able to resist. “You do. You always have.”

The muscles around her violet eyes tightened. She had her hand on the towel at his waist before he even saw her arm dart out. “You’re right. I do.”

She yanked the towel from his body and tossed it on the ground. Her eyes settled on his hips and his very—dammit—erect arousal. “You may be saying no, but your body is definitely saying yes.” She lifted her gaze. Pushed her hands against his chest and moved closer until the long lean length of her body was pressed tight against his. “Come on, Zander. Show me how much you
need
me.”

The blood pounded hard in his veins. Her sweet female scent surrounded him, enticed him, latched on and wouldn’t let go. The tips of her breasts pushing into his chest and the soft sway of her hips cradling his erection drove him wild. But the callousness of her tone was the one thing he couldn’t ignore.

“Callia,” he gripped her shoulders. “Don’t tempt me right now.”

“Why not?” She resisted his push, sank her teeth into the base of his neck. “You said you wanted to fuck me in that
cave.” Her voice dropped to a husky whisper. “Now’s your chance.”

He closed his eyes, swallowed hard, knew he needed to get the hell out of here but couldn’t seem to move. She was angry and hurt and feeling self-destructive after everything she’d learned today, which was the only reason she was here doing this to him now. But even though he understood that, it didn’t change what he wanted. What he
needed
.

Heaven help him…

He let go of her shoulders, slid his arms around her waist. Tugged her close and buried his face in her hair. “
Thea
…”

“I knew it.” She lifted her head, dug her fingernails into his chest. “You son of a bitch.” As it had in the cave, an energy force shot from his body into her hands and straight back out again, hitting him square in the torso.

He gasped, the rush of power strong enough to knock him off balance. But this one wasn’t nearly as powerful as the one she’d thrown at him before, and he didn’t go down. Instead he reached for her shoulders again, but she twisted out of his grasp. “Go to hell, Zander.”

She made it three steps before he snagged her by the arm. “I’ve been there way too long. And I don’t want it anymore.”

“Zan—”

He yanked her close, covered her mouth with his. The kiss was hard and pointed and left no doubt as to what he wanted. When she pounded her fist against his chest, he didn’t let go. When she curled her fingers into his skin again, he drew her tighter, locked one arm around her waist and slid his other hand up into her silky hair so she couldn’t throw his own pain back at him again. He walked her backward toward the door. Her spine hit the wood. She mumbled something against his lips, but he didn’t loosen his grasp. Instead he changed the angle of the kiss, stroked his tongue over hers and pushed aside all the consequences of what he was about to do.

Her shocked violet eyes seared his when he pulled back,
but he didn’t let it deter him. “You don’t need me?” he said. “I got that loud and clear. But you get this. I didn’t do anything to protect you when I should have, and I have to live with that, but I won’t make the same mistake twice. And if that means leaving you a hundred times in Argolea where you’re safe, then that’s exactly what I’ll do.”

“You—”

“As for this?” He nodded down to where he still held her tight against him. “It’s not at all what you think it is. Its eight hundred years of searching for you and ten trying to live without you. It’s being close to you and wanting something I can’t have. And that’s not sex, Callia. That’s you. Just you. The only thing I’ve ever wanted.”

He let go of her and moved back, but he kept his eyes on her in case she came at him again. A storm brewed in her violet irises. One he knew all too well. Her lips were plump and pink from his kiss. Her hair a tangled mess around her shoulders. She glared at him as her chest rose and fell with her deep breaths. When she took a step forward, he braced himself.

“You don’t fight fair,” she whispered.

“I never claimed to.”

“The soul-mate curse is bullshit.”

His eyes ran over her face. Her perfect, familiar, gorgeous face. “It’s my reality. Not yours.”

“It’s a cop-out. I don’t belong to you, Zander. I don’t belong to anyone.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “I make my own choices now.”

She pressed her mouth to his so fast he barely had time to suck in a breath. Her kiss was as forceful and bruising as his had just been, and full of heat and passion and desire. And gods help him, it didn’t matter if the move was made in anger or frustration or even self-destruction. Because this was her. His soul mate. His life. His heart.

“Callia—”

“Don’t talk.” She let go of him, grasped the hem of her sweater and pulled it over her head. The garment hit the
floor at their feet. He caught a flash of fabric and skin before she kissed him again and her hands slid into his hair.

Her full breasts pressed against his bare chest, her tongue slid into his mouth. Her erect fabric-covered nipples abraded his skin as he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her back.

He wished she’d jerked the camisole off along with her sweater, wished she’d ditched the pants at the same time. Wished he weren’t so delirious from the taste of her so he could slow things down and savor this moment like he should. “Callia—”

“Uh-uh.” She let go again, popped the buttons on her pants and shimmied out of them. Before he had a chance to look, she was pressed up tight against him again, naked from the waist down and his for the taking. “No talking.”

Oh, holy gods…

Her tongue tangled with his and her fingers knotted in his hair. She tugged his head where she wanted it and kissed him deeper. Moaned into his mouth and pulled harder. Drugged from the dark, erotic taste of her, he groaned against her mouth and didn’t realize she’d turned him around until he pressed against her and found resistance where she hit the back of the couch.

“Pick me up,” she mouthed against his lips.

He was powerless to do anything but what she wanted. His hands rushed to her backside and he lifted her easily to set her on the back of the couch, all the while stroking her lips, her tongue, her mouth with his own. Her legs parted, wrapped around his hips, pulled him in. When the tip of his cock grazed her soft, wet slit, he realized this was going to be over way faster than he wanted.

“Callia, I—”

“No talking, Zander.” Her teeth latched on to his earlobe. She bit down just as her hand found his cock. A lick of pain shot across his ear, but he groaned when she closed her fingers around his length. Slowly she drew her hand up, let the hard cylinder of flesh glide through her grip. When she
reached the underside of the tip, she squeezed, drew his earlobe deep into her sultry mouth and sucked.

Every muscle in his body tightened. Rational thought flew out of his mind. He had one coherent need, and that was to get inside his soul mate
right now
.

A growl rumbled in his chest as he pulled his ear from her lips and drove his tongue into her mouth, kissing her with a rabid desire he hadn’t felt in years. She mumbled “Yes” against his lips and drew his cock to her opening. Instinct ruled as her burning, slick wetness surrounded him, and he thrust hard at the first touch until he was seated deep inside her.

She moaned, shifted her hips and took him even deeper when he thought there was nowhere left to go. “Yes, yes, gods yes, Zander.”

Frantic for more, he slid out and back in. Her arms locked around his shoulders, her legs around his back. Her silky camisole rubbed against his chest as she licked into his mouth, not the skin-on-skin sensation he wanted, but just as erotic when he thought of the fact she was still half-clothed and hanging on to him for dear life while he pushed into her and their coupling picked up speed.

Electricity shot down his spine. Sweat slicked his skin. She didn’t stop kissing him, wouldn’t give him a chance to talk. Every time he tried to slow down she held on tighter, pressed back, urging him faster. His breaths came fast and hard as he moved inside her and she tipped his head with her hands and kissed him crazy again and again.

He was pretty sure he could die right now and be happy for all eternity. The feel of her tight, moist sheath surrounding him, the taste of her dark, spicy essence on his tongue, the scent of his one perfect female aroused and wanting nothing but him…This was better than any heaven he could imagine.

She tightened around him, dug her fingernails into his shoulders, moaned against his lips. He moved quicker, kissed her harder, knew her climax was building—knew
every one of her tells. Desperate to give her exactly what she needed, he plunged deeper, pulled her hips tighter to his, angled her body so the tip of his cock hit her sweetest spot over and over and over again.

She pushed against him, lifted herself in his arms, tore her mouth from his and groaned long and low as her body pulsed around him. And in that moment, he didn’t hesitate. He latched on to her neck as she rode him, licked the sweet, tender flesh with his tongue and sucked. Then gave himself over to the sensations enveloping his cock and came harder than he had in his whole life.

Spent, she collapsed against his chest, rested her forehead on his shoulder. Her torso rose and fell with her rapid breaths, her pulse pounded in time with his. And his heart swelled as he drank her in inch by inch because this—
this
—was a moment he thought he’d never experience again.

“
Thea
…”

“I…oh, gods. I didn’t mean for that to happen.”

He slid his hands up in to her hair, massaged the nape of her neck, ran his fingers over the mark he now knew was there. “I don’t hear anyone complaining.”

“I…” She tipped her head so her temple rested against his chest. Was clearly trying to slow her own racing heart. “I won’t get pregnant. It’s not the right time. You don’t have to worry.”

Worry? How could she think that?

“I’m not worried,” he said. “I’d love to see you swollen with my child. I missed it the last time. I…” He pressed his lips to the top of her head as his throat grew thick and that space inside him warmed with just the thought of a family. A real family. And when they found their son…“Tell me when and I’ll make sure we hit the right time.”