The Fury (24 page)

In the firelight, the sweat on her body made her skin glisten. He stretched his arms over his head, took a deep breath and tried to relax. Expelling the breath as he brought his arms down, he grabbed his cock and stroked it slowly. She licked her lips while watching his shaft jump.

Reese crawled onto her knees and came to the edge of the bed where he stood. Lifting one light brow and with a quirk on her lips, she darted her tongue out to caress the tip. He sucked in a breath. The sensations crawling over his skin threatened to make him lose control—again.

Growling, he gently pushed her so she fell onto the bed and he followed her down, covering her body with his. Massaging the base of her skull with anxious fingers, he delved into the sweet cavern of her mouth and groaned.

She locked her legs with his and massaged his ribcage with her pussy, giving them both benefit from it. Her juices coated his skin and his heightened senses flooded with her scent and taste. The
fury
was building again. She had no idea what she could do to him during this time if he let her. Reese could make him wither into a begging mass of bulk if she put her mind to it.

He had no intention of allowing her time to do it.

Dagan tore his lips from her and rolled to lie next to her, propping his head on his hand. He plucked her nipple until it stood erect then rolled it between his thumb and forefinger. Moving his hand down to her stomach, he snuggled her closer. Finally, he ran a lazy finger in the crease between her legs. She responded by spreading her legs wider.

He spent the rest of the night letting the
fury
have free reign.

The morning came too soon in Reese’s opinion. Exhaustion pulled at her to dive back into the depths of sleep, but she smelled the delightful aromas of coffee and bacon. Memories of the night came rushing back. She smiled and stretched.

Getting out of bed, she ruffled her hair, put on an oversized T-shirt and socks, and headed for the kitchen. She stopped in the doorway. The bacon sizzled in the frying pan, steam wafted off the biscuits on the counter, and Dagan stood at the stove scrambling eggs. He was bare on top and she took a moment to appreciate his broad shoulders and narrow hips where a pair of jeans hung loosely. His back stiffened.

“You make it hard to concentrate when you do that.”

She smiled and walked further into the room. “Do what? Look at you like you’re candy in the store window and I want to eat you up?”

He spun around, grabbed her by the waist and hoisted her up to sit on the sink. “Yes.” He gave her a quick kiss. “Good morning, beautiful.”

“Don’t you say the nicest things?” She batted her eyelashes.

“Don’t get used to it. I’m sure we’ll be at each other’s throats before the day is out.”

She nudged his shoulder. “You’re cooking.”

“Looks like,” he said as he turned back to the stove.

“I didn’t know you could cook.”

“There are a lot of things you don’t know about me, Reese.”

How true. They really didn’t know that much about each other.

The doorbell rang.

Reese looked at Dagan. He shrugged. “The seal has expired. It’s not
galla
or I would sense it.”

She jumped down from her seat. Dagan grabbed her arm. “But be careful.”

“I will,” she said and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

Smiling, she opened the front door to find her sister, Riley, standing there.

“Hi, sis,” Riley said and pushed her way into the house.

Stunned and trying to recover from the shock of it Reese said, “Riley, what are you doing here? I thought you were in Europe.”

Riley dropped her purse on the couch. “Was.”

Reese waited for further explanation but none came. “And?”

“Daddy called a couple of days ago. He sounded so good and more like his old self again.”

“So you decided since he seems to be dealing with his misery, you could come home?”

Riley folded her arms across her chest and took her usual obstinate stance. “I don’t know what you mean. Pierre had gone back to college and Jean-Luc got a new job at the museum, so…”

“Who the hell are Pierre and Jean-Luc? What happened to Bob or Fred or whatever his name was that you supposedly followed over there in the first place?”

She frowned. “You mean Toby? He only stayed for the summer. I met and became friends with Pierre and Jean-Luc and they invited me to stay with them after Toby left.”

“I’ll bet,” Reese mumbled.

Ready to lay into her sister, Reese noticed Riley had stopped talking and stared toward the kitchen. Turning, Reese saw Dagan leaning against the open doorway frowning.

“So, who’s tall, dark and yummy?”

Reese sighed. “Riley, this is Dagan, Dagan, Riley.”

Riley let out an appreciative whistle.

“What the hell is she doing here?”

“How should I know? I opened the door and there she stood.”

He turned around mumbling and went back into the kitchen.

“Wow, where did you get him and does he have a brother, a cousin?”

Reese waved her hand in the air and followed Dagan.

“This creates more problems,” he hissed.

“Why?”

“Because now not only do I have to worry about you and your father, who at least is more able to protect and take care of himself, I have to worry about her.” He pointed to the open doorway and the other room.

She crossed her arms over her chest, a mirror of the same stance her sister had taken. “I beg your pardon, Mr. Macho He-man Stud, but as I recall, I’ve held my own. Enki was impressed at how I handle myself. You are being a real sexist pig. Why is it you think my father can take care of himself, but me you have to dote over?”

“Because he is
nephili
,” Dagan roared in exasperation.

“Hey, kids,” Riley strolled into the kitchen. “Is that food I smell?”

Dagan and Reese both glared at her. Riley raised her hands in front of her.

“Don’t mind me. I’ll just help myself.” She scooted in between them and started loading a plate.

Dagan stormed out of the room with Reese on his tail. “Where are you going?”

He grabbed his shirt from the floor and pulled it on. “If she is here, then Angelique will be as well.”

A cloud of jealousy passed over Reese’s face. “Who the hell is Angelique?”

He tucked his shirt into his pants in jerky movements. “A friend.”

“I’ll bet.”

He stopped and stared at her. “She lives in Europe and I asked her to watch over Riley when I found out about your sister being there.”

His cell phone rang. Dagan searched the pockets of his jacket to find it. “Hello.”

“Yes, I know. She’s in the kitchen.” He listened to the person on the other end of the line and shook his head. “No, I’ll come out. I’ll see you in five minutes.”

“So, what, you’re leaving?”

He strapped his weapons on his belt and his leg then laid his coat and sword on the bed. He took her chin between his fingertips and lifted her face to his. “I would love nothing more than to stay here with you forever in that bed.” He nodded in the bed’s direction. “But I have work to do and so do you. I have to make arrangements with Gideon and Angelique.”

She stiffened at the mention of the other woman’s name.

“Where will your sister be staying?”

She sighed. “Most likely with my father.”

“Okay. I want you to go directly to your office. The others will meet you there. I’ll have Rufus and Gideon on watch. I’ll leave Angelique with your sister and father.”

“Where will you be?”

“Doing my job. I’ll come to you when I can.” He slanted his mouth over hers for a long, tender kiss.

She clung to his arms and tipped into him for the kiss. His scent seemed stronger now and that it coated her skin made it more potent.

“Okay.”

He slid the sword over his shoulder and put on his coat. “Straight to the office,” he said and ran his finger down the bridge of her nose.

When the front door closed behind Dagan, Reese turned to find Riley standing in the kitchen doorway with a plate of food and a fork.

“So, who’s Angelique and Gideon? Why would Daddy need to protect himself? And why were you so angry with that, that god?”

If her sister only knew the half of it, and she would have to know, now that she was back and in the middle of everything.

He stood outside Reese’s office. He and Rufus had coordinated the watch detail since he’d be gone. He made certain someone experienced in fighting demons would have her in sight the entire time.

“Dagan?”

“Yes, Mother.”

“The Pantheon wishes to see you immediately.”

His jaw clenched. He had a bad feeling about this. “
I’m on my way
.”

Dagan stepped up to the doors outside the colossal hall where the Pantheon met to debate and settle specific issues serious enough to be brought before them. He had changed into his leathers, black T-shirt and duster and carried his full time-walker armory. If he was going in to stand before the high council, he was going in armed as a visual reminder of his duty.

The doors opened and he was summoned inside. He nodded acknowledgement of Nammu, Inanna, his mother and father, and Enki, who sat off to the left with one leg hanging over the arm of his stone seat. Dagan stepped closer and bowed to An and Ki.

An said, “Dark news has reached our ears, Time Walker.”

“I dare say it is not so dark for my lineage,” Enki chimed in.

Leave it to him to see benefit in aligning his house with Enlil’s.

Dagan glared in his direction. Enki just waved.

Ki stood. “This is a serious matter, Enki. I see no amusement in the situation. We have many time walkers and dream walkers roaming the planet. If this happens to one it can happen to others.”

“Serious business for our race,” Inanna agreed. She floated down the steps coming toward him in an ethereal wisp of motion. “Not the first time you’ve been brought before us because you developed feelings for a human.”

“No, my lady.” Dagan responded. The bright eyes and brilliant smile of Lila caressed his memory. Happy days until Kur and his soldiers had cut him down and forced him to watch as Lila’s life drained from her body.

“You were severely beaten the last time, if I recall.”

He raised his eyes to look steadily into hers. “Yes, my lady.”

A delicate brow arched. “And you come here fully armed.” Inanna walked a slow circle around him. “Did you plan to do battle?”

He clenched his jaw rather than say he’d do whatever it took to keep Reese safe and be with her.

“Ah, no answer. Smart of you.” She moved in close and whispered in his ear. “But do not believe you can keep your thoughts from me, Dagan, son of Enlil.”

Ki’s artic voice toned in. “Do you wish to forfeit your duties as time walker?”

“No, my queen.”

“Good. You are one of our best.”

An, the king, rose from his elevated place, which looked down on the others. His stoic silence and fierce features were well-known to all Naruki. With a growl and a glower his deep, baritone voice bounced off the glimmering walls when he said, “The decision has been made.”

Dagan looked up to the illustrious leader of their race with a mixture of trepidation and concern.

“You will turn over the protection of Reese Whittaker to Scion and report back here to Dilmun. It is our desire to have you back in the fold. You will assist Gilgamesh in the training of new time walkers until such time as we deem you can be put back in the field.”

Dagan’s fists clenched and if he ground his teeth any harder, he’d have none left. He glanced at his mother’s sorrowful expression.

“It is because of Ninmah’s argument that we will not order punishment by the
sukkal
. In your defense she has forced it to our attention that you cannot choose your
blethred
.”

Dagan didn’t feel entirely grateful at the moment. He felt as though his heart would explode and his skin would ignite at any minute.

“Should you live through the separation from this human female, if she is truly your life mate, the pain will be more severe a punishment than this council could inflict upon you for this offense.”

Dagan dared not look at the king, and he couldn’t face his father. Chancing a glance at the water god proved to be unsettling for Enki only smiled, which Dagan considered rather odd. When the
fury
reaches its most uncontrollable part, the thing he would need most would be the bonding of his body with Reese. If the male did not bond, a rare enzyme released causing muscle spasms, fits of rage, severe pain like every nerve in his body had been filleted and impossible cravings, none of which could ever be satisfied. Dagan remembered no story of survival in these cases. He didn’t worry about surviving the holocaust because even if his body endured the separation, his heart would not.