Something was definitely wrong here.
“You are so beautiful,” he whispered, running his thumb softly along her temple. “So beautiful and so fragile. Like the most exquisite crystal in my hands.”
Okay, that was sweet but…there was more he wasn’t saying. She could see it in his eyes. Like he knew something she didn’t. She searched for answers in his face as his words whirled in her head. Beautiful. Fragile. Breakable.
Those weren’t words she’d ever use to describe herself. Unless she was sick.
And suddenly it all made sense.
What if the whole mystery illness Dr. Jill had found wasn’t such a mystery after all? What if it had to do with her Argolean half? And what if that’s what was making her sick? It explained why her long-lost father was looking for her. Explained Theron’s sudden search for her and the need to bring her here before her time was up.
Holy…hell. Was her time nearly up?
She searched his face, hoping for some sign she was wrong, but she didn’t see it. All she saw was…pity. A lump formed in her throat. “How long do I have?”
If her question surprised him, he didn’t show it, and that fact just cemented her suspicions. “I don’t know,” he said softly.
Wow. Now there was a mood buster. She was too stunned to feel anything other than disbelief as she ran her fingers through his dark hair. The strands were like silk against her skin. Soft and real and solid.
“I’m going to do whatever I can to help you, Acacia.” His resolute voice drew her attention back to him. “Nothing’s changed. I’ll still protect you.”
His eyes were hard and intense, and she saw then he was a man who always got his way. He didn’t know how to fail.
“But you can’t, can you?” she said. “Because what’s happening to me isn’t something that can be fixed.”
His eyes slid to her hair, where he played with a stray lock without answering. But it wasn’t only pity she saw on his face anymore, it was secrets. And sadness.
“Don’t hold out on me, Theron. If you know what’s wrong with me, I want to know too.”
He sighed, as if he didn’t want to answer but knew he was stuck. “I don’t know. Not completely.”
“Best guess, then.”
He hesitated so long she was sure he wasn’t going to answer, and then he said, “If I had to guess, I’d say your body isn’t strong enough to handle all the changes you’re going through right now.”
The changes. Meaning her Argolean side coming out of nowhere. Which explained why she was suddenly having glimpses into the past. “Is it normal for people in your race to come into their powers? To go through a change of sorts?”
He looked back to her eyes and shook his head, and she didn’t miss the shot of gut-wrenching sorrow there. “No. But it could be different for a Misos. Nick would know. We could ask him.”
We. The one word both electrified and scared her all at the same time. Because she wanted to read so much more into it than what he implied.
Which was dumb, considering she was growing weaker by the day. Nick couldn’t help her. If he could, he would have already. And that meant this was a losing battle. And Theron knew it. Her chest tightened with the reality she was suddenly facing until all she wanted to do was forget.
Threading her fingers in his hair, she pulled his mouth back to hers. “Just kiss me, Theron.”
He hesitated, and she sensed the war inside him between what he wanted and what he deemed right. But when her fingers touched his cheek, his restraint broke. Suddenly he was kissing her deeply, pushing his hips into hers, driving her deeper into the mattress, filling not only her mouth but her heart and soul as well.
“Yes, yes, yes,” she mouthed against him. This was exactly what she wanted. What she’d wanted from the first moment she’d met him but was too afraid to ask for. Now? Now there was no reason to hold back. She ran her hands up his spine and groaned when he shifted his weight, pressing into the one spot she needed him to touch most.
His tongue slid over and around hers, stroking until she felt her entire body come alive. He nipped at her bottom lip and she felt a lick of pain, then sucked the spot until she melted. Just when she was sure she couldn’t stand a second more teasing with his mouth, his lips blazed a trail across her jaw to her ear, while his hand found the edge of her shirt and slid along her abdomen, sending sparks down the column of her neck and the length of her torso. “You’re a gift, Acacia,” he said against her neck, kissing, licking, lavishing her with his touch. “One I never expected.”
She was already on fire and he’d barely even kissed her. She pulled his mouth back to hers. “No, you are.”
He obviously liked that, because he slanted his mouth over hers again and kissed her deep, and when his hand found her breast again, they both moaned in unison.
For this moment at least, she wasn’t exhausted and weak. She was powerful. She loved what he was doing to her mouth with his own, to her breasts with his fingers, but she wanted more. She wanted as much as he could give, for as long as he could give it. And she wanted to give him all of it back tenfold.
“Theron,” she mumbled against his lips. “I want you. Now. Here. No more waiting.”
He eased back just enough to look down at her. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
She ran her finger along the exposed vee of his chest. “Based on personal observation, I have a good idea what I’m up against.” She lifted her hips to his and watched desire flash in his midnight eyes. “And I’m pretty sure I can handle you.” She slid her fingers down his chest to the waistband of his jeans. “I know I want to.”
He groaned and pushed that impressive erection against her softest spot until she shivered. “You tease me, meli.”
She smiled as she fumbled with the button on his jeans. “No, guardian, I promise.”
A slow grin spread across his face just before he kissed her. He found the front latch on her bra and released it, finally touching her, skin on skin, just the way she wanted, until her nipples pebbled into stiff points. Cool air washed over her when he pulled her shirt up and lowered his mouth to her breast. And when his tongue found her nipple, electricity raced through every cell in her body.
She arched her back. Offered him more. Moaned in desperation when he released her breast and lifted his head.
“Don’t stop. Theron—”
“Shh.”
Her eyes flew open. She looked up and saw he was intently listening to something.
The heavy footfalls outside registered for both of them at the same time. He climbed off her quickly and reached the door in three long strides. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”
Theron exited the bedroom and closed the door firmly behind him. Dazed, Casey readjusted in the pillows, pulled her shirt down and fixed the sheets. Then listened closely. She heard Theron’s deep voice, followed by two other male voices she didn’t recognize. She couldn’t make out any of their conversation.
He’d said the daemons couldn’t get into Argolea. And that Nick had gone back to the colony. Whom then was he talking to?
The footsteps receded until all she heard was silence. She waited for Theron to come back into the room, but he didn’t.
Curiosity finally got the best of her. She climbed out of bed, fixed her clothes and headed for the door.
The bedroom opened to a long hallway. Skylights in the vaulted ceiling filtered in sunlight and cast shadows along the floor. Dark wood ran beneath her bare feet as she headed toward what she hoped was the main part of the house. As she drew closer, she heard voices again—Theron’s mixed with the other two.