She tapped her finger against his chest. “That’s good. You’re good. But I’m still not buying the fact that you’re an ancient warrior.”
Frustration swam through him as he absently ran his hand up and down Kellsie’s spine, trying to soothe her. He still held her wrist in his other hand and brought it to his lips again for a kiss. “I’m sorry if I hurt you.” He hated that he’d had to. But her life was more important than a bruise or two.
“I really think you are.” She sighed. “I don’t get you. On one hand, you’re crazy. On the other, you’re not really violent.”
“I would never hurt you.”
She nodded and slowly tugged on her wrist. He let it go, though he wanted to keep holding on to it, to her.
“You could have hurt me many times since I woke in the cave, but you haven’t. Why don’t you take me back to my trailer and we’ll call it even. I won’t tell anyone about what happened.”
Disappointment gnawed at his soul. What had he expected? That she’d immediately believe what he was telling her. He was a stranger. He was an ancient warrior and she was a modern woman. Of course she would think him mad.
The world no longer believed in his kind, if they did the Lady would have had the power to free herself years ago. On the other hand, Hades might have gained all the power he needed to take over the world if people still worshiped the old gods. He’d seen it, sensed it happening over the years as belief in the unseen, the magical, gave way to the rise of science and technology.
His instincts were screaming at him to get her as far away from the carnival as possible. That was Hades’ battlefield, his ground. Yet there really was no choice. If he couldn’t find some way to make her believe him, she would fight him for the next twenty-four hours. He glanced up at the night sky. Probably less than that now. More like twenty-one hours.
“What would it take to prove to you I’m telling the truth?”
“I don’t know.” Her honestly flayed him.
He thought for a moment. “How about if I sneak you back into the carnival and we find the carousel and the bear is gone? Would that do it?”
She tilted her head to one side, emphasizing her stubborn jaw. “Sure. Yeah, that would do it.”
He knew she was lying and it cut him to his core. Never had he imagined not being trusted. His word was his bond. His honor was unassailable. That she questioned it hurt worse than he thought it would.
He leaned down until their noses almost touched. She sucked in a breath and he tried not to notice how she smelled like lavender underneath the dirt and fear. “You’re lying.” He skimmed his lips over hers. She stilled as if afraid to move. He dragged his tongue over her bottom lip and she moaned. Her lips parted and he dipped inside quickly. He didn’t stay, for fear it was another ploy and he’d find his tongue bitten off.
She squirmed beneath him, and when he eased his mouth away she followed. The kiss was gentle, yet potent. Marko felt it all the way to his toes. Lust was there. But so was something else. Something more. Something he didn’t have time to examine.
Kellsie’s lips molded to his, welcoming his touch. His chest tightened and, deep inside him, something released. He tilted his head to get a better angle. She made a murmur of assent as he deepened the kiss. This time it was her tongue delving past his lips, tasting him.
The surrounding forest, the curse, his fellow warriors, everything else vanished as Kellsie touched him. She tasted like the finest wine, rich and full-bodied. Sweet. Spicy. Complex. When she withdrew her tongue, he followed it back to her mouth.
His body tightened. His cock throbbed incessantly. His fingers itched to touch her, to mold her perfect breasts and tease their hard tips. He wanted to know what color her nipples were, if her pussy was hot and wet, what she found pleasure in, what she wanted from a lover.
Reluctantly, he tore his lips from hers. Resting his forehead against hers, he sucked in much needed air. There was no time for physical pleasures. Not with so much at stake. Maybe after. If they survived.
That thought was as good as a dip in a cold mountain lake. Marko eased back and found Kellsie watching him. A thought struck him then. It was so obvious he didn’t know why he hadn’t immediately thought of it. He blamed it on the overwhelming sensations lashing his body after all the years of imprisonment. Coupled with the sensual impact of Kellsie, it was no wonder he couldn’t think straight.
“I know how to convince you.” He pushed himself up, ignoring how his erection rubbed against her mound, ignoring her gasp and his silent moan.
“How?” Kellsie scrambled to her feet.
He could still feel the tingle of her lips and tongue. Her exquisite taste and tantalizing scent would haunt him forever. “You don’t believe I’m a shapeshifter, a bear.” He didn’t wait for her answer, already knowing what it would be. “Watch.”
Chapter Eight
Kellsie shivered, the cool mountain air making itself known now that she wasn’t surrounded by Marko’s heat. Her frantic run through the woods had left her heart pounding and her body sweating. She wasn’t wearing her coat and her long-sleeved T-shirt was clinging to her torso.
She frowned as she wrapped her arms over her chest to conserve body heat. She’d had her coat when she’d left her trailer tonight but had taken it off before getting on the carousel. She honestly wasn’t certain she’d even left her trailer. Maybe it was all a weird dream or a drug-induced fantasy.
One thing she knew for certain was that Marko affected her in ways she really didn’t want to think about. On cue, Kellsie’s lips tingled and she clenched her hands into fists to keep from reaching up to touch her mouth. It was just a simple kiss, stupid on her part really, but it had rocked her world to its very foundations. He’d tasted like dark chocolate and promises. Earthy. Real. Which of course was the biggest lie of all. The guy was an actor like her.
But there was no denying the sexual attraction that existed between them. It was hot and potent and real. Her core was hot and achy and damp. Her breasts felt swollen, the tips puckered into hard nubs. Her body yearned to be closer to his.
Crazy.
There was no other explanation for it. She was losing her mind. This guy had kidnapped her and was holding her captive and she was attracted to him. If she survived this she was definitely going into therapy. Why couldn’t she be attracted to nice, normal men? She fell for a cheating, smooth-talking bastard like her ex and a rough, crazy mountain-of-a-man like Marko. God, she needed her head examined.
Marko was standing in front of her, hands on his hips, legs splayed. She tried not to notice how his leather pants clung to his muscular thighs. Really she did. And she especially tried not to notice the impressive bulge in the front of his pants. But she was only human after all.
She bit her lip to keep from moaning as every cell in her body shimmered in response to his nearness. It was insane to want a man this much, especially in such a crazy situation.
She needed to get him to take her back down to the movie set. Once she was around people again she’d be fine. She could get Marko the help he obviously needed.
Why that thought made her so sad she didn’t know. She’d just met him. Had no ties to him. But she really didn’t want him fired from the movie or worse, sent to a mental hospital for observation. She’d already decided she wouldn’t press charges against him for kidnapping as long as he took her back.
Heck, he’d talked himself into taking her back to show her the carousel. It was her own fault he hadn’t believed her when she told him she’d accept his wild story if the bear were missing from the carousel. But really, a kid could punch holes in that theory. The bear could be in the shop for repairs or Marko could have removed it himself before he’d kidnapped her. Too bad she hadn’t put her acting skills to good use by convincing him she was sincere.