His gaze dropped to her lips, hunger to taste them rising inside him again. “So let’s hear it.”
“I can’t when you’re looking at me like that. I just want to kiss you.” She leaned towards him, pressing her chest to his.
“So kiss me,” he husked.
She tiptoed and captured his lips, her kiss brief but passionate, rousing fire in his veins that lingered when she pulled back again, a sigh escaping her.
He wanted more.
Wasn’t sure he would ever get enough of kissing her.
“I want to help you and your brothers.” She raised her hands and framed his face with them, looked deep into his eyes, hers revealing how much she wanted that. “I have some books at home, ones about forbidden magic. They might be helpful. If nothing else, they speak of necromancy. I’d like to get them and some other things.”
He nodded. “I’ll take you.”
Mostly because he didn’t want to let her out of his sight. He wasn’t sure how much the Erinyes knew about her, and he wasn’t going to risk them knowing about her island home, letting her go off alone. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if she ended up hurt or worse because he hadn’t gone with her.
“I was hoping you’d say that.” She pressed closer, the smile that tugged at her lips sending a hot thrill through him as her gaze turned hooded. “Maybe we could hide from your brothers a little longer there.”
That sounded more than good. He didn’t want to face his brothers, and he had the impression she didn’t want to face them yet either. Both of them were going to get a grilling when they returned.
He forced himself to release her, and rifled through his dresser for some underwear and a fresh roll-neck long-sleeve T-shirt. As he tugged on his trunks, Cass sighed, drawing his gaze to her.
She stared longingly at his backside.
And then her blue eyes lifted to lock with his. “It’s such a shame to cover up all that perfection.”
He stifled the blush that wanted to climb his cheeks by jerking his chin towards her bare curves. “I’d say the same about you, but I’m damned if I want you parading around like that in front of anyone but me.”
Her smile turned wicked. Teasing. “Someone sounds a little possessive.”
“A little?” He shook his head at that. “Try a lot. I’m doing my best not to lock you in this room to keep you away from my brothers and…”
He trailed off, the words he had been about to say echoing around his mind.
And any other male.
“Daimon,” she whispered.
He shook his head. “Let’s not. Not right now.”
Because he wanted to keep living in this dream, fooling himself for as long as he could.
He pulled his top on and followed it with a pair of black jeans, found some socks and then hunted for his boots, leaving Cass in the bedroom.
Needing a moment to breathe.
Daimon stopped in front of his boots where he had discarded them near the couch, stared at them as he tried to piece himself back together, rebuilding the illusion that everything was going to go the way he wanted it to.
Things never did.
He tugged his socks on and jammed his feet into his boots, had just finished lacing them when Cass emerged, her sinful curves clad in black leather trousers and her corset.
The look on her face said they were going to have to talk about things eventually.
Eventually was a damned long way off as far as he was concerned.
He was going to fight for her and he was going to win.
He crossed the room, his boots loud on the pale marble floor, and took hold of her hand.
Stepped with her to Karavostasis, to the small walled garden that hugged her island home.
Power immediately pressed down on him from all directions, had his gaze whipping to the terrace of the white building.
To the five women who stood there, all dressed in black.
Witches.
Cass tensed, her fingers clenching his so tightly it hurt, and her fear washed over him.
Daimon stared down the five witches.
It seemed he was going to be fighting for Cass much sooner than he had anticipated.
Because he was damned if they were going to take her from him.
Chapter 24
Daimon guided Cass behind him and faced the witches. One with sleek golden hair stepped down from the terrace and moved towards him, the other four following her.
“What is the meaning of this?” The blonde sorceress looked from him to Cass as she emerged from behind him.
“I’m helping this god and his brothers with an important mission.” Cass’s voice hitched, wobbled a little as she tilted her chin up and he wanted to check on her but kept his eyes on the witches.
She was afraid of these women.
He could sense it in her as she braved a step forwards, drawing level with him.
“Cassandra, we have given you time. More than enough. We have accepted your delays… your excuses.”
“They weren’t excuses. I have important—” Cass slammed her mouth shut as the blonde cast her a withering look, silver-violet flecks sparking like lightning in her dark eyes.
“You will come with us. You will return to your family and fulfil your duty. No more delays.”
Over his dead body.
He had only just found Cass and he wasn’t going to lose her. He wasn’t going to let these witches take her from him when she clearly didn’t want to go with them. While he had been trying to fool himself into believing she didn’t want to give herself to another male, to bear his child, he felt sure of it now.
He focused, silently mustering his strength, calling forth his power, stoking it so it was ready for him to unleash it at a moment’s notice.
The lead witch’s dark eyes slid to him. “It dares to threaten us?”
Damn. She had sensed the rising power within him.
Nothing else for it then.
He shrugged and ice shot up from the earth
