“I see.” Divine stood and began gathering dishes. “I guess we should call it a night.”
Despite refusing to look directly at him, Divine caught glimpses of the worried frown suddenly on Marcus’s face, so wasn’t surprised when he said, “But what about explaining Atlantis?”
“That will have to wait,” she said, unable to keep the stiffness out of her voice. “We’ve been talking most of the night as it is and it’s nearly dawn. Morning comes early at the carnival.”
“Right,” Marcus murmured, and began to gather the salad dressings, and then stopped and frowned as he asked, “Did I say something wrong?”
“It’s what you didn’t say,” she muttered, suddenly angry. He was her life mate. He wasn’t supposed to lie to her, was he? Even by omission?
“What do you mean?” he asked at once. “What didn’t I say?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me?” Divine suggested dryly as she turned to scrape her plate into the pull-out garbage pail under the sink. She then dropped the plate in the garbage to scoot desperately to the side in an effort to avoid his touch when he went to grab her arm. No doubt he’d merely intended to pull her around to face him, but she couldn’t risk his touching her. One touch and they’d both go up like tinder. She was pretty sure of that.
“Divine,” he said with exasperation, moving to close the space between them. “I’m not going to hurt you. I could never hurt you. You’re my life mate.”
“Really?” she asked, backing away from him. “I’m not so sure of that. How do I know you’re not just like my mother? You could be lying about being younger than me. You could really be older than me and able to read and control me. Maybe you’re just claiming to be my life mate to lull me into a false sense of security or something.”
“How could I lie about being younger than you? I never said I was. All I did was tell you how old I am. I don’t know how old you are,” he said reasonably. “And why would I want to lull you into a false sense of security?”
Because you’re Uncle Lucian’s spy.
Divine so wanted to say that, but she bit back the words and stared at him.
“Besides, there is no way what we experienced out there beside the RV tonight wasn’t life mate sex,” he said firmly. “I felt every shaft of pleasure that went through your body, every quiver of excitement my touch raised. And you felt mine. Didn’t you.”
It wasn’t a question but a statement. And he was right, she had experienced his pleasure with him . . . or she thought she had. Either he really was her life mate, or he was one hell of a good faker. And the man was just standing there, so bloody beautiful with his bare chest, bare feet, and tight jeans. His hair was dry now, but lay ruffled around his head. She could remember how damned soft it had felt under her fingers, as soft as the rest of him had been hard.
She’d wanted to feel all that hardness against her softness, Divine recalled. She’d wanted his naked skin against hers. She’d wanted him filling her with the bulging erection she’d felt with her hand . . . and she’d never got the chance. Might never get the chance if she found the opportunity to slip away today, reclaim her motorcycle, and escape.
“Divine?”
She shifted her gaze to his face and noted that his eyes were sliding over her body more silver than black. Muttering, “Ah hell,” she closed the small space between them and basically plastered herself against his chest, her hands reaching to draw his head down to hers. Divine didn’t have to do much drawing. His head lowered eagerly to let his mouth claim hers and then they were on that lovely roller coaster called life mate sex again. Only this ride had a bunch of highs and exciting turns and only one low, the one that waited to drag them under at the end.