He would remember her forever and she would forget him completely once he left here.
That was Acheron's mandate. No DarkHunter could ever remember they had seen him. Those who were saved always had their memories purged.
Her life would go on without him. That had never bothered him before, but today…
Today he wanted more.
Wanting more is the root of all evil. The concept has ruined more lives than it has ever made.
If it wasn't for the fact that he knew it was an echo of Acheron's words, he would almost swear his boss was in his head again.
"Where are you, Ash?" he whispered. "I could really use your guidance right now."
But it was futile. There was nothing Acheron could tell him that he wanted to hear and he knew it. He was without an out clause. He was without a body or a soul. Literally, he had nothing to offer her. Ever.
He had nothing to offer any woman.
Everything has a price. Nothing is ever free. His price for not being damned was eternity spent alone.
At least I have this moment.
For that he was grateful and he would not regret it. He wouldn't.
Alexion tensed as he felt that odd prickling sensation of the sfora again.
"If that's you, Stryker, then do your worst."
If he didn't know better, he'd swear that he heard a voice in his head sneer the words, "I intend to."
Chapter 14
Danger came awake to something tickling her nose. Shaking her head, she brushed it away, only to have it return again to annoy her.
Aggravated, she opened her eyes to find Alexion kneeling on the floor beside her with a devastatingly gorgeous grin on his face. He laid the rose he'd been tormenting her with down on the mattress in front of her.
"Good evening, beautiful. I was afraid you were going to sleep the night away."
Danger returned his smile as she stretched and yawned. "What time is it?"
"Almost eight."
She froze at his words. "What?"
He leaned his chin on the mattress. There was something very innocent and sweet about that gesture. It was wholly unexpected from a man who was capable of the power this one commanded. "I told you. You were sleeping the night away."
She was completely stunned. She couldn't remember the last time she'd overslept. Come to think of it, she'd never done this before. Six hours a night was her maximum. But this time she'd managed to sleep twelve and she wasn't even in her own bed. How had that happened?
Maybe you need mind-blowing sex more often?
Well, that went without saying.
Yawning, she sat up slowly, clutching the sheet to her to find a nice dinner laid out on the small table by the window. This was just too good to be true—a man who could be terrifyingly powerful and protective, awesome in bed, and still be considerate enough to feed her a decent meal the next day.
No guy was this perfect.
She cringed as that thought went through her. Oh, yeah, he did have one serious drawback. He was rather dead and "other." But for an eternity of this kind of pampering, she just might be willing to overlook that one disturbing flaw. After all, she was no picnic herself.
Alexion turned a lamp on by the table. "I hope you like Chinese."
"As a matter of fact, I do." For some reason that made no sense whatsoever, she had a sudden case of shyness about leaving the bed buck naked while he stood there with that intense stare. She looked about the room awkwardly, wondering how she could dress without him seeing her.
Blind him?
That might be a problem, not to mention… rude.
He scratched his chin before he indicated the door with his thumb. "You want a Coke to drink? I can go get you one."
She smiled, relieved that he was a little more intuitive than most men. He really was "other." No mere mortal man would do such a thing. "Yes, please. That would be great."
He nodded, then left her alone.
Picking up the rose to inhale its fragrance, Danger took the time to lie back in the bed and remember the way they had spent the early morning hours.
To be awakened like this was something wonderful indeed.
"A woman could get used to this." She sighed dreamily as a foreign sensation of warmth and happiness rippled through her. "I think I like 'other.'"
"Other" gave her a satisfaction the likes of which she'd never known before. He made her feel things that she had never thought to feel again. She was actually giddy with the idea of spending another night with him.
Giddy? Me?
It was inconceivable that she would feel that. Yet she did. There was no way to deny it.
If only it could last. But she knew better. Their time together was all too limited.
Sighing, she got up and went to take a quick shower.
Alexion hesitated inside the room as he heard the water running in the bathroom. He had a perfect image in his mind of the water running over Danger's naked body. Of her soaping herself… Touching her flesh intimately.
An image of her in there running her hands over her breasts with her legs slightly parted.