The fish swam close and he tensed, ready to strike, but it darted away before he could thrust the blade into the water. He moved to another rock, one that was closer to the reef. “Any temples are going to be built on higher ground farther inland.”
“Why wouldn’t they be near the ruins?” she asked.
He caught sight of a big juicy fish with a shimmer of color across its side. “Because the ruins are more recent, built by the original seven after they rounded up all the nasties and stuck them on this island. The temples will have been built by early dwellers who inhabited this island before that. And as such they would have constructed their temples on the highest points so they were closer to Olympus. Burial grounds will be near there as well.”
“Why didn’t we search farther inland today, then?”
“Because we needed to get the lay of the land.” And because farther inland was at least a day’s hike, probably more. He wasn’t about to take Isadora on a jaunt that long, especially not when she was so weak. It screwed with his plans, but a couple of hours out here with her today and he’d realized he had to wait until she was stronger before they ventured that deep into the island.
Which, yeah, created a whole other set of problems he just didn’t want to think about yet.
“That’s it, buddy,” he whispered as the fat fish swam close. “Just a little more.” He lifted the sword, ready to strike.
“I get the feeling you’re holding out on me.”
The sound of her voice right at his back caught him off guard. His sword stabbed into the water. He lost his footing and whipped around to grab her arm and steady himself. But his center of gravity was already shooting backward, and instead of stopping him from going in, she went down with him.
“Demet—!”
Her shriek turned to a muffled rumble as water rushed over his head. He quickly found his footing in the six or so feet of water, pushed his arms around until he found her, and dragged her up with him.
He gasped as he broke the surface, drew air into his lungs, and had a moment of Oh, shit when he realized he could have smacked her head against those rocks or ripped her arm out of its socket or—
Her laughter stopped him cold.
She wasn’t unconscious. She wasn’t injured. She wasn’t anything but soaking wet and laughing hysterically in his arms. Her fingers sank into his forearms, his biceps, and then his shoulders as she pulled herself closer and the laughter died on her smiling lips. “That doesn’t count as a rescue. Now I think you’re just trying to pad your numbers.”
Rescue? What—?
Water sluiced over her face, dripped down her forehead from her short blond hair, made her rosy cheeks glisten in the afternoon sunlight. And her eyes absolutely sparkled as she looked up and grinned as if he were the biggest idiot on the planet.
Before he could stop it, a smile wound its way across his lips as well. “I thought you said you were going to start returning the favor. That was a crappy save.”
Her fingers felt like heaven sliding around his neck. He didn’t think, simply reacted and let his arms twine around her waist and draw her closer to his suddenly aware, suddenly aching body.
“I’m new at this. You have to give me a little time to practice.”
He couldn’t help it, he laughed. And though the sensation vibrating through his chest felt foreign, it also felt…good. Damn good.
Her smiling eyes flicked from his down to his lips and hovered. And just that fast, heat erupted in his belly and spread lower, lighting up his groin and every nerve ending in his body.
Her soft little tongue darted out, licked her luscious lips tugged at his desire, and tempted him to give in. She shifted closer, until her perky breasts were pressed up tight against his chest and she was all he felt.
“Kardia,” he whispered in a warning tone.
“I know,” she whispered back, still focused on his lips. “It’s a bad idea.”
“Yeah.” Gods, was that his voice? It didn’t sound like him at all.
“And it’ll be dark soon.”
“Yeah, that too.”
“Then we’ll have to make this quick.”
Her lips pressed against his before he could stop her, and that tongue slid inside his mouth without hesitation. He groaned at the taste of her, at the heat searing his body, at the near perfection of her skin pressed up against his, and gave in completely.
He cupped the back of her head, kissed her deeper, let himself go. Just for a minute.
When they both came up for air, desire darkened her eyes and need flushed her cheeks. A need he could sate right here, right now.
Her gaze roamed his features and she reached up to brush a lock of hair away from his forehead. The move was so tender, something in his chest unlocked right there in that water. Something he’d kept guarded and off limits his whole life.
“I think we might have scared all the fish away,” she said.
“Maybe.”
“Good thing I like fruit.” She let go and swam back to the rocks before he could stop her, pulled herself up and out of the water. She shifted to sit on the rocks and wiped her wet hair back from her face. As she did, her nipples hardened in the breeze, pressing against the thin cotton tank to supercharge his blood all over again.
Oh, man. He was in over his head with her. Every minute they spent together drew him that much closer to her. Especially now, when she wasn’t the least bit afraid of him. He needed to stop drooling over her body and remember his vow to keep his distance. Needed to remember what was at stake here.
The only problem? He was starting to forget just what that was. And why the hell he couldn’t have her in the first place.
Chapter 15
Isadora leaned back against the wall in the great hall of the ruins and stared into the dancing flames of the fire Demetrius had built to cook the fish he’d finally caught. Stars twinkled overhead where the roof should have been, and not for the first time she marveled at the fact there was absolutely no smoke drifting up to the inky sky giving away their location to the monsters in the trees down the hill below. Maybe witchcraft wasn’t such a bad thing after all.
“What are you thinking?” he asked from across the fire. He sat on a log he’d hauled in along with the rest of the firewood, tipped forward, his elbows perched on his knees as he stoked the coals.
She drew her legs up to her chest. Her belly was full, her head felt light, and something about the way he kept watching her told her tonight was going to change her life forever. She might not have her sense of foresight anymore, but she was a female. And as such she still had her intuition.
“I was just thinking that your little tricks come in handy now and then.”
He smirked—gods, how she loved the way his lips curled with ease now—and went back to stoking the coals. She’d done that. She’d gotten under his skin and brought out that part of him he’d closed off to everyone else. It still amazed her this was the same ándras who’d scowled and snarled and berated her back at the castle.
“Not everyone thinks so.”
“Do the other guardians know?”
“No. And it’s none of their damn business.”
She got that. “Then who—?”
“My father wasn’t wild about my tricks.”
It was the first time she’d ever heard him talk of his family. And though a small part of her realized it was strange he was suddenly being so open with her, she wanted to capitalize on it. “He didn’t have the same gift?”
He harrumphed. “No. Akrisios abhorred all things witch related.”
“Even though Medea was his ancestor?”
“Because Medea was his ancestor.”