Becoming Calder(44)

He shook his head as if what I said was nothing more than a bald-faced lie and then he took one foot and kicked the section in front of him violently.

I startled, unable to comprehend for a few brief seconds exactly what he was doing.

"No," he said, shaking his head again. "Not structurally sound at all. Practically anything could bring it down." He kicked at it again and again, and several sections beyond the one that had taken the blow, came crashing to the ground. I was frozen, disbelieving. He was destroying everything I'd worked so hard for. On purpose.

"Father—" I started, stepping forward.

"See, son? When you build something from the ground up, you have to build it in such a way that no man can ruin it. It can't be flimsy and easy to destroy. Why, if that were the case, anyone could knock it over, take what was yours as if they had that right. When in fact, they should know that would be a disastrous thought and action on their part. Am I right?" His eyes bored into mine, making his point very clear.

As I stared back at him, I felt anger. I felt hot, my skin prickled, and my hands automatically curled into fists.

"I'm sorry I have to cut this meeting short, but I'm expected by the council now. Remember what I said, Water Bearer," he said as he started to leave, kicking over other sections of the system as he walked away from me. "Don't ever try to be something other than what the gods have ordained."

I stood there, watching him retreat, the world shimmering around me as if filled with heat. What had just happened?

My feet started moving before my brain had a chance to stop them. There weren't any thoughts in my head, just a loud whooshing sound. I didn't even remember covering the ground from the river to the edge of the trail leading down to the spring, but suddenly I was there. I made my way downhill, my calves straining, dust clouding at my feet as I practically ran down the steep incline.

Anger coursed through me, but below that was deep hurt. I had trusted Hector. I had trusted his respect, in the very least, for me, for all of his people. All my life, I had trusted Hector. And in an instant, that was gone.

I moved the brush aside roughly, practically crashing through the small opening to our spring. When I stepped out onto the other side, there she was, just turning toward me from across the grass, a large rock behind her.

"Calder," she breathed, beginning to smile. Her pale blonde hair shone in the sun and her gentle eyes blinked and widened as she took me in. She was so damned beautiful. "I didn't know if you'd be able to make it."

I strode toward her and as she took in my expression, her smile faltered. "Calder, what are you—" Her words died as I made it to her, still breathing hard from my fast descent down the trail. I took her face in my hands, glanced at her lips, and then back at her eyes. They widened even further and she breathed out, "Ohhh," understanding suddenly filling those beautiful blue pools. And then my mouth was on hers, and I plunged my tongue into the forbidden fruit. Hard. Demanding. Despite my harshness, her mouth opened under mine and she let out a breathy sigh, her arms wrapping around my neck. I pushed my tongue deeper into her mouth with no finesse whatsoever, wondering if she'd pull away, but she didn't shrink back. She met my probing tongue with her own and sucked lightly on mine. A growl rose up my throat as if I was a savage. I was on fire everywhere, not from anger now, but from her, from her taste, from the soft yet bold way she was responding to me. She took everything I had to give unflinchingly and gave more in return.

And just like that, the whole world was a place I no longer recognized.

My senses cleared and our kiss slowed. Suddenly, the only thing I was focusing on was Eden: the way her hands were gripping the hair at the nape of my neck, the way her skin smelled like apple blossoms, the way her mouth tasted like the very first springtime. This was her first real kiss, and I had practically mauled her. Shame hit me in waves. But I couldn't stop. It was my first real kiss, too.

I kissed her with all I had and everything I was worth, which, most likely, wasn't very much right about then.

We kissed and tasted and sucked and nipped at each other's mouths, lips and tongues, until we were both so breathless I had to pull away. She mewled and her head fell back as I dragged my lips down the satiny skin of her throat. She wrapped one leg around my hips. I put my hands under her bottom and lifted her up so we were at the same level. I took a few steps and pressed her against the flat rock behind her, her legs circled around my hips. My erection, hot and pulsating, was pressed to her core now and we both moaned together. It felt so blessedly good, so right.

As I nipped at the skin at her neck, words came flowing out of my mouth, unbidden. I barely knew what I was saying. It was as if a dam of emotion had opened and I was helpless to stop. "I've wanted you for so long. So long. Every waking minute, in my dreams, too. I want to bury myself in you, drown in you, and never come up for air. I want you to be mine, and only mine. I'm so sorry, Eden, so sorry—"