"Maybe I should go home to Mexico," she said.
"If you wish. But not until morning."
Stubborn goat.
"Fine, but you're not staying with me in the room."
"You won't even know I'm there."
Ugh.
Forty minutes later, they pulled into the luxury spa and resort in Sedona. Máax had never stayed there, but he'd asked Penelope, his sister in-law, for a recommendation. His plan was simple. He might not have an eternity to be with Ashli, but he'd settle for one night. One night of holding her. No, it would not be enough, but if that was all he could get, he'd take it.
Ashli shut off the engine. "That was fun. I've never driven a BMW."
"Yes. Kinich has quite the collection of cars, but I selected this one for the tinted windows, given I drove it to the event myself."
"I can see how that might come in handy when one is invisible," she said.
"Or painted in gold."
She snickered. Damn he loved her smile.
She ran her hands over the steering wheel. "So what's the plan?"
"You check in. I will make some phone calls and figure this out. I only wish I had not committed to turn myself in tomorrow."
She sighed. "How long will you be gone?"
"Forever. As I told you earlier."
Her head snapped in his direction. "I thought you were kidding."
"No," he said.
Ashli's beautiful, delicate face turned a pallid shade of mocha. "But what did you do?"
He didn't answer immediately. "I do not wish to lie or conceal the truth, so I simply prefer to say that I did what I felt was right."
"Are they really going to send you away forever?" Ashli appeared to be genuinely distraught, and he had to admit, it made him feel … loved.
"The laws are quite clear, and though a unanimous vote can modify the laws, I am certain my sister Fate will block such a move."
"But why?"
"She is angry at us. It is a long story. One I do not care to recount." Honestly, he wished he'd not sworn an oath to keep his sister's secret. The temptation to throw her under the bus and save his own ass was far too great now. But he was determined not to be that sort of man. It was one thing to lie or break a promise to save another, but to save himself? That would make him a selfish, greedy bastard.
Ashli looked out through the windshield, her eyes tearing up. That was the one thing he'd hoped to avoid. In fact, he hadn't thought about it, but what was to become of Ashli once his punishment was handed down? Her bond with him would prevent her from moving on.
Yes, I will ask my other sister to remove Ashli's memories of me. She will have a chance to find some semblance of love. Although it would not come close to the love they could have shared.
As for Máax, he'd already decided that he didn't want to forget Ashli. He would cherish his memories of her for eternity. He would never let her go, he would never move on. He simply didn't want to.
"Will you be put to sleep?" she asked.
"No. I will be awake, but entombed and powerless. But this is not your concern."
"Not my concern," she repeated in a whisper and then pinched the bridge of her nose. "Máax, this is horrible. Why didn't you tell me?"
"Truthfully, it was not important. To me, anyway. I knew this was coming even before I met you. Then, I suppose, I was distracted by saving you and preventing the apocalypse," he paused, "getting you to forgive me for lying."
She sighed. "Are you sure? I mean, there has to be a way to change this."
"You are not so anxious to rid yourself of me, after all?"
She shook her head. "I guess not. But-Christ, Máax. You should've told me."
"Perhaps. But what would it have changed?"
She shrugged. "How can you be so calm?"
"Ashli, have you not learned by now that there are no guarantees? We have this moment, and this moment alone. And in this moment, I am here with the woman I love. Tomorrow brings another battle."
One he knew he'd lose.
He exited the vehicle and opened the driver's side door for Ashli. "Are you all right?"
"No. Not really." She slid from the car, long legs first. He loved the way she looked in her tiny little white toga dress. She was the most beautiful woman in the world. Every damned silky tanned inch of her. Of course the men would want to fight over her. Although that bit back at the party was rather extreme. He had no clue what was going on.
He stepped to the side and closed the door, but instead of walking toward the reception area, she leaned against the car and folded her arms. "This plan is never going to work."
"Of course it will; I have made a reservation under your name. I will follow you to the room."
"No. I mean, you and me sharing a room.
"Why is that?" he asked.
"Because the only thing I can think about is kissing you. While naked."
"I see you still wear the necklace I gave you, so I think that might be arranged."
Ashli shook her head and sighed. Well, of course he would answer that way. Men. But didn't he get it? She didn't want to want him. Especially not now. He'd be gone from her life forever, and she seriously doubted she'd ever get over the loss. If she slept with him, it would make it impossible to forget him. Impossible.
You're already in knee-deep. Sleeping with him won't make any difference.
It won't help.
The irony was that as wounded as she felt about what he'd done, she was beginning to see the logic-he had saved her. And now, she understood there was a sacrifice on his part to do so. He'd lied, and it chafed him to do it.
Why did everything need to be so complicated? And heartbreaking? "Are you sure? Absolutely sure they won't let you go?"
"Quite," he replied.
Ohmygods, this is awful. Awful. How can this be happening?
"Do you really love me?" she asked.
"Quite."
Gods, she loved him, too. And now she was going to lose him? Forever? "Then I want one night with you."
She found herself pushed against the side of the black sedan in the dark parking lot. His body was all heat and hardness.
"Are you sure?" he whispered in her ear.
She placed her palms on his smooth, muscular chest. "Yes."
His lips covered hers, and she felt the prickly roughness of his stubble against her mouth, contrasted by the silkiness of his lips and tongue. He took his time kissing the corners of her mouth, softly biting her lower lip, sliding his tongue over hers. But that wouldn't do at all. What she really wanted was hot and hard and explosive.
Knowing he wore not a stitch, she slid her hands down his chest, savoring the rigid currents of his abdomen, until she reached her prize. He was rock hard. She leaned her body into him, massaging gently. He released an exquisitely male groan and then pressed her more firmly against the car, using his entire body to hold her in place. His sultry kiss turned into feverish lust. His breath came hard and heated from his mouth, and his warm hands slid under her dress, gripping her hips.
"Gods, Ashli, what you do to me."
No. What he did to her! She was about to show him.
She moved her arms up and around his neck, wanting to feel her breasts against his chest. She wanted to feel everything against him. He grabbed her legs and slid them around his waist. She felt his erection prodding her through the thin fabric of her panties. She was already so close, she could barely stand it.
"What the hell?" a strange voice rang out through the lot behind her.
"Shit." She gasped. It was the security guard.
Máax immediately dropped her legs.
"Lady, I don't know what the hell you were doing there-goddamned strangest thing I've ever seen-but take it somewhere else." The security guard walked around the car to her side.
Ashli heard Máax chuckle lightly in her ear.
Oh, God, this had to be the single most embarrassing moment of her life. Some guy spotted her with her dress hiked up, making out with an invisible man.
"It's a new kind of yoga. The … I love myself yoga." She wrapped her arms around herself and pretended to be kissing the air in front of her.
Again, Máax chuckled, but she didn't dare smack him.
"Sure, lady, whatever." The guard waited.
She smiled awkwardly and made her way inside to the reception area and registered. Apparently, Máax had reserved the honeymoon suite.
The moment she had her key in hand, she headed straight for the room. She knew Máax followed closely; his vibe was in the air, buzzing all around her. She slid the keycard into the lock and popped open the door. Máax pushed her inside and slammed the door shut.