“So,” Tamar cleared her throat and knit her fingers together, “that would make you the Dimios.”
Again, he lowered his head, this time slower. His lilac eyes, so startling in his hard face, captured hers and silence permeated the room. In her mind, she rewound and viewed the battle scenes she’d seen him engaged in over three years of dreams. Always bare-chested with huge wings of the deepest chocolate and richest cream. He fought with a stunning ferocity that stole her breath, his skill and power awesome to behold.
In those nights, he’d become Tamar’s champion, savior…her escape. The dreams had started the first night after she’d awakened in the hospital after the crash and had saved her sanity. How ironic that a figment of her imagination had kept her sane. Nevertheless, when she couldn’t move, imprisoned within a broken body, and then later tortured by Kyle, Nicolai had been the one thing to help her hold on.
Not only had he been the protector of his people, he’d been hers as well.
Nicolai returned to the chair he’d vacated and reached for her again. His hand covered her knee and the heavy weight was…comforting. He pinned her with a penetrating stare, intensifying their connection.
“Tamar,” he said, voice solemn, earnest. “Please let me protect you. Through no fault of your own you’ve become the target of a killer, but we can’t change that. I’ve already lost a friend—”
“You didn’t mention that.” Sympathy flooded her. First his wife, then his friend. Damn. “Evander?”
“Yes,” he said gruffly. “Like you, Bastien had no place in this battle. Evander targeted him to hurt me.” His voice deepened, roughened. “I’m asking you to place your trust in me. I know that’s difficult,” he stressed and squeezed her knee, “but I promise once Evander is caught, I will return you here, safe. And you’ll never hear from me or be bothered by our world again. You can go back to your life without any interference from us.”
He shifted his hands and gripped hers within his. The warmth from his strong palms seeped through her, transmitting a tingle that reminded her of the pleasure those big, knowledgeable fingers could bring. A part of her protested against the idea of never seeing him again. Not when he’d been such an important factor in her life for the past three years. Falling asleep and not seeing him, not touching him or being held and filled by him…inconceivable.
Yet those were dreams—albeit very vivid, sexy, hungry, soul-snatching, orgasm-rich dreams. She had a life that included her home, her job and the kids she taught. While that might not sound like Thrillsville to other people, it was everything to her. Everything. She’d rebuilt a world free of abuse, terror and insecurity—a world where she could walk out her door every morning to a job she loved, then return each night to a home free of violence.
Yet if she didn’t agree to Nicolai’s request, she risked losing it all anyway. And her life right along with it.
“For how long?” she asked, searching his face.
His expression hardened but the amethyst gaze never wavered. “I don’t know.”
She grimaced, closed her eyes. At least he’d been honest.
“Let me protect you,” he repeated.
Beneath the urgency in his tone lay something else. A plea she wouldn’t have expected from this warrior. The supplication undermined any objection she could’ve voiced. Nicolai, whether because of his role as the guardian of his race or a misplaced responsibility to his wife, wanted to defend her.
Damn.
“Okay,” she said. “I’ll go.”
Chapter Five
The Massachusetts Berkshires spread out before Nicolai in a majestic panorama of rock, forests and sky. Hidden in the wilderness near the Bash Bish Falls, the safe house was isolated, surrounded by a copse of thick trees, a sheer rock wall and a hundred-foot gorge.
It was beautiful.
It was secure.
It was hell.
The last two days had been his personal version of Tartarus. In that deep pit, Tantalus had water he could never drink and fruit he could never eat as his eternal punishment.
Nicolai had Tamar.
Secreting her away for safety had sounded like a great idea—in theory. Getting her away from Evander had consumed him, so he hadn’t taken into account the effect of being in close proximity to her all day and night would have on his mind and body. Body, hell. His dick.
He wanted. No, that word was too anemic to describe the ceaseless hunger that clawed and bit at him with dagger-sharp talons. His beast snarled constantly, demanding Nicolai take what he allowed himself only in dreams.
The dreams.
Damn. He blew out a hard gust of breath. His balls drew up tight under an erection that hadn’t gone down in forty-eight hours. The dreams had continued in spite of their seclusion. One would think the Fates would give them a break considering he and Tamar were in one another’s back pockets, but nope. Apparently the three goddesses had a warped sense of humor. Bitches.