She glanced out the window. A sense of sadness surrounded her. Roric wanted to make it disappear but knew that was impossible. Her life path was irrevocably tied to his now. There was no going back. Not for either of them.
“Do you ever wonder what it would be like to be able to change the past?” There was a note of wistfulness in her voice that touched a part of him he’d thought frozen by anger and time.
Hardening himself, he ignored the ache in his heart. As a result, his answer was brusque, almost cold. “No. There is no going back, only going forward.”
Turning away, she rested her forehead against the pane of glass and peered out the window. Roric looked over the top of her head, seeing what she was seeing. The mountains stood in the distance—majestic, unyielding, eternal. Below them was a sea of color. Autumn had spread its cloak over the land, coating it in brilliant yellows, reds and oranges mixed with the browns and greens of the forest. Even for an eternal warrior who’d lived for longer than mankind, it was awe-inspiring.
“I know you can’t go back.” She raised her hand and laid it flat against the pane of glass. “But do you ever think about it. About what if?”
He had no idea what point she was trying to make. He was a warrior. He dealt with what was, not what might be. “No. There is no point. It clouds the issue and makes you weak.”
Aimee sighed and her breath fogged slightly against the glass. “It makes you human.” She clenched her fingers into a fist. “I grew up playing in these mountains. My daddy would always be working out around the yard, chopping wood or fixing something in his shed. Momma would be in the kitchen cooking supper or baking a pie. I miss them.”
The pain in her voice nearly brought Roric to his knees. He could feel her sadness like a living, breathing entity. The connection he shared with Aimee was unlike anything he’d experienced in his long life. Not even with the Lady did he feel such a bond.
That thought brought him up short. That was blasphemy. He could not allow himself to be swayed from his duty.
“He offered to go back in time and stop the accident from happening.” She gazed out over the land. “All I had to do to make it happen was to betray you.”
Roric stiffened. This wasn’t good. The devil’s minions were tempting Aimee with what she most wanted. He was nothing to her. Just a man, an immortal being who’d turned her life upside down. “What did you tell him?”
She laughed, but it was a sad sound. Turning, she stared up at him, her green eyes dark with pain. “What do you think I said?” she countered.
He wanted to say with conviction that she’d declined, but he couldn’t be certain. Maybe she was telling him this to throw him off, only to betray him when the time was right. Roric decided he would be honest with her. He opened his mouth to speak, but she held up her hand, stopping him.
“No, don’t tell me. I can see the answer in your eyes. You expect me to betray you.”
He frowned. “I do trust you.” Deep in his gut he did. “But that doesn’t mean that the devil can’t tempt you. Stronger people than yourself have succumbed to the lure of false promises.”
A tinge of red flowed up her cheeks, driving away the paleness from her skin. Roric knew it was due to anger, but it was very similar to the flush her face took on during sex. His body responded immediately, muscles tightening, cock growing and thickening.
“Thank you very much,” she replied tartly. She shoved by him and strode toward the door. “I said no, if you’re interested,” she tossed over her shoulder as she left the room.
Roric followed her as she hurried down the stairs. Ignoring the scorched and blackened living area, she entered the kitchen and went straight to the back door. She flung it open and stepped out onto the covered back deck that ran the width of the house.
Aimee walked to the corner and leaned against a thick post. “Of course, I could be lying to you.” Her words were faint, but he heard them all the same.
He might be a fool, but he couldn’t leave things like this between them. The sun was bright, but the air was crisp. “You should have on a sweater or a coat,” he muttered.
Her eyes widened in disbelief. “You think I’m going to betray you to Hades himself, but you’re worried I’m not wearing a coat?”
Put like that, it did sound silly. Still, Roric didn’t back down. “I don’t want you getting ill.”
“Certainly not. I might not be as useful to you if that happened.”
“Stop it.” He grabbed her upper arms and yanked her to him. Not giving her a chance to refuse him, he lowered his mouth to hers, kissing her with all the pent-up frustration, anger and lust that coursed through his veins. He wanted her to respond to him, needed her to respond. He had to feel the pulse of her passion mixing with his.