The unfriendliness isnt a challenge, he informed his demon as the stupid shit perked up.
There was no reply. Truth was, Defeat was intimidated by Kaia and didnt often wish to draw her notice.
And really, the only time Defeat deigned to speak to Strider was when his competitive spirit was engaged. Competitive spirit being a nice way of saying Striders ass had been glued to the chopping block. He much preferred the little bastard to stay at the back of his mind, a dark, silent presence easily ignored.
I expected you to send someone, not show up yourself, Kaia added, rocking back on her heels.
After the message you left me? He snorted. Hardly.
Are you whining? Because I hear a whiny schoolboy tone.
She does not amuse me. I dont whine.
Hed listened to that message a thousand times and knew every word, every hitch in her breath by heart. Beep. Strider. Hey. Its Kaia. You know, the girl who saved your life a few weeks ago? The same girl you stomped all over afterward? Well, its payback time. Why dont you get your lazy ass out of bed and come bail me out of jail before I decide to break out and use your face to test the stilettos on my boots. Beep.
Animosity was good, and he seriously hoped she maintained a tight grip on it, despite the fact that hed had to move heaven and earth to get here. Heavenphoning Paris and convincing the warrior to drop everything up there, have Lysander bring him home, and come with Strider. Earthphoning Lucien and convincing the warrior to drop everything and use his flashing ability to get them from Budapest to Alaska in a mere blink of time. Neither of which had been an easy task.
In fact, he would rather have had his tongue removed with a dull, rusty butter knife. Both men had asked questions. Lots and lots of questions he hadnt wanted to answer.
And yeah, Strider now owed the keeper of Death a favor, too. They were piling up, all because of the deceptively delicate-looking, utterly curvy stunner in front of himwho clearly wanted his head on a pike.
Would have been nice if youd given me some direction. Torin had to search every Strider stopped himself before he publicly admitted that Torin, the keeper of Disease, could hack into every database known to man. A skill like that was better kept under wraps. He just had to search for you. Cost us some time.
So?
So. Thats all you have to say for your appalling behavior? Thank gods she was doing as hed hoped and holding tight to that animosity of hers. Yeah, thank gods. You could have called Bianka. Word is, shes here in Anchorage with you. Not that shed taken his call. Instead, you waste my time with this shit.
So?
Damn it! Would it have killed her to show him a little gratitude? He could have stayed home, left her rotting. Instead, shed metaphorically batted her lashes at him and hed jumped like a girl with a rope. Frustrating woman.
Hed done her wrong, yes, and unlike Haidee, she hadnt deserved it. Thought you werent gonna ponder that. The memories came, anyway.
A group of Hunters had been riding his tail for days, but hed been too wrapped up in his pity party over losing Haidee to Amun to notice or care. Kaia had stepped in and saved the day, preventing a disastrous ambush. And gods almighty, she was sexy when she fought.
He hadnt seen that particular fight, but hed seen several before itand the one after itand had even practiced battle-moves with her. He could very well imagine the lethal dance shed performed that night.
Then had come the battle after, when shed challenged him to a round of Who Can Slaughter More Hunters. Hed been royally pissed because one, she could slaughter more Hunters, no question, and two, hed had other things to do. Like take his first vacation in centuries. Still, the challenge had been issued, his demon had accepted, and Striderd had to drop everything or suffer a loss.
To his shock, she had let him win. Harpy that she was, she could rip through an entire army in secondsall without breaking a sweat or a nailbut rather than render the final blows, shed piled up her still-breathing conquests and given them to Strider. Then shed taken off.
He hadnt heard from her again until shed left that message.
Yeah, he needed to apologize.
Not to point out how lame you are or anything, Kaia said to him, buffing her nails on her shirt, but I once had to bail Bianka out of jail twelve times in one day. I didnt complain a single time.
Not amused, he reminded himself. Have I ever told you how much I hate when people exaggerate?
I swear! She stomped her foot. I honestly didnt complain.
Really not amused. I wont laugh. Not what I was calling you on.
Oh, well. The indignation drained from her. I never exaggerate. Ever.
His throat got tight as he swallowed back a laughof exasperation, not amusement, he assured himself. Youre exaggerating now.
And youre still whining, you crybaby!
Gods, she was lovely when she was pissed. Her eyes glittered more gold than gray, as if flames danced through her irises, and her cheeks flushed the color of a rare, exotic rose. That glorious mane of red hair practically lifted from her scalp, as if shed stuck her finger into a socket. Energy crackled around her.
Wow, Paris said, glancing around. This is a lot of fun.
Have I ever told you how much I hate sarcasm? Strider asked him.
Kaia drew in a measured breath, her gaze remaining on Strider. Lookit, all your crybaby bawling aside, Im not paying you back and Im not showing up for my hearing. Her chin flew into the air, all snotty attitude and refusal to forgive. So there.
Goodbye, non-amusement. Screw an apology. Defeat was humming now, gearing up to fight, intimidated by her or not. Strider popped his jaw but didnt say another word. He just turned on his heel and stomped out of the building before things got ugly, forcing Paris and Kaia to follow. Together. Maybe theyd do him a solid and hold hands.
He heard them clomping behind him, chattering steadily, and jerked his sunglasses from his jacket pocket. He slid the metal frames up his nose. Despite the chill in the air, the sun was bright, glaring. Down the steps he stomped, then he stopped, whipped around.
No hand-holding, but definite weve-seen-each-other-naked sparks. Their heads were pressed together, their tones low, intimate. They were probably reminiscing about the thousands of orgasms theyd shared.
This was exactly what hed wanted, needed. A reminder.
A reminder that Paris had once ripped the clothes from Kaias body. Had once tossed her down on his bed, watching her lush breasts jiggle as she bounced. Had grabbed her knees and pried them apart. Had stared into the hottest, wettest slice of heaven ever to grace the earth. Had bent his head, licked, tasted, feasted, hearing feminine cries of surrender and passion ringing in his ears, soft yet firm legs pressing into his back. Maybe even stilettos. And then, when the hunger had become too much for him, Paris had surged up and sunk into a core so tight, so exquisite, he would never be the same.
Kaia had wrapped herself around the warrior. Had screamed his name. Had scratched him and bitten him and begged him for more.
Pariss face suddenly morphed into Striders, and it was Strider who slammed into that lithe little body, in and out, over and over again. Hard and fast as he grunted and groaned, desperate for more.
Fantasyoverload
His hands curled into fists. Damn this, and damn Paris and Kaia. Because, if he were being honest, he was as furious with Paris as he was aroused by Kaia. And he was so damn aroused just then he had to fit his T-shirt over the waist of his slacks to hide the growing evidence. Paris should have resisted Kaia; he desired someone else, and Kaia deserved better than to be second place.
Why couldnt Kaia see that?
Any moment now, Strider would stop wanting to rip them apart, stop wanting to grind Pariss face into the concrete and afterward, suck the air right out of Kaias lungs. Any moment, hed want to slap his boy on the back for a job well done and start thinking about Kaia as a pretty girl he counted as a friend but not a potential lover.
Yes. Any moment.
CHAPTER THREE
GET LOST, WOULD YOU, Kaia whispered fiercely to Paris as they descended the steps that led to her freedomand Strider. Youre like a bad rash that keeps coming back.
He laughed, a booming sound that still managed to hold traces of pain.
Seriously. This is the most attention Strider has paid me in forever, and youre ruining everything. Beat it before I beat you.
Paris stopped and gripped her arm, forcing her to stop, as well. Sympathy had replaced his amusement, highlighted now by the golden rays stroking him with the care and concern of a lover. Such a beautiful man. Even the elements had trouble resisting him.
Listen up, sweetheart, because Im about to give you a lifesaving tip. Be a good girl, and dont poke at the bear today. Hes on edge already.
Her eyes narrowed, dark lashes fusing together to keep Paris and only Paris in the crosshairs. I thought you were the smart one, giving in to my wiles as easily as you did, but, hello. Sometimes the bear needs poking or hell never come out of hibernation.
One corner of his mouth twitched. Oh, yeah? Well, think about this. Whats the first thing a bear out of hibernation does?
Duh. He eats. And to be honest, Im really looking forward to that.
Yeah, yeah, I know. That can be fun. Leaning down, mouth still twitching, Paris whispered, But you know what else? Bears torture. Bears love to torture, Kye. Theyre mean. When a human gets in a bears way, especially after a long sleep, the end result is never pretty. Let this one acclimate to yourwhat did you call your smart-ass mouth? Wiles.
First, Im not exactly human, she said, raising her chin. And heres a news flash for you, my little man candy. Im stronger than you are. Stronger than he is. Stronger than all of you put together. I can handle anything he dishes out.
For fucks sake, Strider suddenly snarled. Enough already. We need to leave, Paris, so you can stop making out with our fugitive.
Our, hed said. Not your. Such sweet progress. Trying not to smile, Kaia stepped away from Paris and slowly turned to face Strider, some of her annoyance with him cooling out. Breath snagged in her throat. Paris was beautiful, yes, but StriderStrider was magnificent.
Her first glimpse in weeks had been of him standing in the stations lobby, stark white walls surrounding him, and her knees had almost buckled. His finger-combed pale hair had been in complete disarray, sticking out in spikes. His navy blue eyes had swept over her, lingering in all the right places, and her stomach had quivered.
Now, at this second glimpse He was tall, towering over her even though she stood several steps up and wore high heels. He had a delicious muscle mass that couldnt be hidden underneath the long leather jacket, tight black shirt and denim. And gods, his face. His oh-so-innocent, yet oh-so-wicked fallen angel face.
At first, she hadnt recognized that face for the luscious contradiction it was. She had seen only the innocence, and had continued searching for someone with the qualities shed always found most attractive: brooding, dangerous and temporary.
Thats why Paris had snagged her attention.
He mourned the loss of his human female. Broodingcheck. He was an ambrosia addict who could kill without hesitation. Dangerouscheck. He was a sure thing, a onetime-only event, and wouldnt cling. Temporarycheck. Afterward, though, shed snuck out of his beda Harpy always left after the main eventhollow and empty.
Which was probably why shed gone back for seconds a few weeks later. Shed wanted to feel what shed felt while they were together. Fulfilled. Satisfied. But hed turned her down, physically unable to give her a repeat, and pushed her out of his room. Yeah, he could have pleasured her and taken nothing for himself, but that would have been a pity-session and wasnt something she could tolerate.
So, because shed worn a robe and only a robe to his second seduction, shed left in a robe and only a robeand, distracted as shed been, shed smacked into Strider in the hallway.
Thats when she first saw the devil in his eyes.
In that moment, she felt as if a switch had been thrown inside her. Shed made a mistake going after Paris. The man in front of her was everything shed ever wanted and more.
His hair had been wet and plastered to his temples, darkening the strands. Hed had a white towel wrapped around his neck and no shirt to hide a stomach that boasted rope after rope of bronze strength. Shed watched, fascinated, as little droplets of sweat had traveled his golden happy trail before disappearing into paradise. A paradise shed wanted to visit. With her tongue.
His shorts had hung low on his waist, revealing the jagged edges of the sapphire butterfly tattoo on his right hip. The moisture in her mouth had dried. Clearly, hed just come from a workout. A very intense workout. Breath had still sawed in and out of his lips. Lips, she had realized, that promised untold pleasure when they curled in sinful amusement.
Nice outfit, hed said, navy gaze blazing a slow journey from the top of her rumpled head to the purple polish on her toenails, lingering on her pearled nipples and between her quivering thighs.
Alls I could find, shed replied in an uncertain voice, thinking this might turn out to be the immortal version of a walk of shame. How can I fix this?
Lucky robe, then. Itd look better without the belt, though.
Okay, maybe I dont have to fix anything. For the first time in their acquaintance, desire had layered his tone. That desire affected her far more strongly than the once-over had. Yeah?
Oh, yeah. So, you looking for someone in particular?
That depends. Sultry arousal sweeping through her, she stepped closer to him. What does someone have in mind?
Behind her, hinges squeaked as a door opened. Kaia? Paris suddenly said, and she turned, her stomach rolling. He tossed a pair of fluffy pink slippers at her. You forgot these. Id keep em, but they arent my size.