Assassin's Kiss (21 page)

He stared, roaming her body in a bold, visual caress. “So what does a witch do to unwind?”

His lower lip looked so full, so bitable, that the breath left her lungs. Memories of his mouth and hands on her brought all kinds of ideas to the forefront of her brain. Things she would love to do to
unwind
. And none of them anyone could ever know about. “Walk,” her voice came out cracked. She took a deep breath. “Walk with me.”

“Lead the way.” Streaks of gold danced in his eyes.

Tessa began hiking to her meditation spot. The one place no one bothered her. A fleeting thought popped through her mind, to tell someone she was going somewhere with Scorpio. Just so the coven wouldn’t freak out and think he’d deserted them. That would be a headache and would undo the progress she had worked for. “Hang on.” She dug out her phone to call Kharv.

He picked up on the first ring. “What’s up, Tessa?”

“Just letting you know I have Scorpio with me. We’re, um, going to check another spot along the western trail.”

“No problem. Thanks for letting me know.”

“You’re welcome.” She ended the call and moved to the side of the path so Scorpio could walk next to her.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you’re starting to like me.” He slid a scorching smile her way.

She swallowed, wanting to grab his hand. But they were too close to the main working and living spaces. “Like I said, you’re not what I expected.”

“You expected a monster.” It was a statement, delivered without accusation or sarcasm.

“Well…yes.” She shoved one hand in her pocket. “I knew one fact about you. That was all.”

“And it was enough to judge.”

“I thought so, at first.” She kept her gaze on the trail ahead. “I’m not proud of that.”

“I understand,” he said. “On the surface, there are indisputable facts. And they look bad. No one digs down to the reasons that led up to the facts.”

“Maybe they should.”

“I don’t need them all to.” He stopped in the middle of the path and took her free hand, halting her and pulling her right in front of him. “I only need you to.”

“I do. I have,” she whispered. Sycamore leaves rustled high over head as she lost herself in those eyes, wanting to melt into the solid warm wall of his chest. Something deep inside her stirred, desire mixed with guilt over her wrong first impression of him. “I’m sorry I threw that witchfire at you.”

“I’m not. It showed me how tough you are. How quickly you’ll defend yourself.” He raised a hand and caressed her cheek.

She craved to lean into him, but stopped him. “We need to keep walking.” Dropping his hand, she led him farther away from possible prying eyes.

Minutes later they reached her spot. “So this is where I come to meditate,” she murmured.

He surveyed the area. “It’s a good spot. High. And it smells like you.”

“What? I haven’t been up here for a few days.” She wrinkled her nose. “What exactly do I smell like anyway?”

“Honeysuckle.” He stepped closer. “Sweet and earthy.” Strong hands landed at her hips.

She sucked in a breath and gave in to the temptation to slide her hands up his muscled chest, to his immense shoulders. “I liked kissing you last night.”

“Yeah? The feeling’s mutual.” A roguish grin tilted his lips up.

“And this morning I woke up all happy, then I opened my front door.” She frowned. “Talk about a buzzkill.”

“Ironic that a note from your future husband is a buzzkill. Think that’s a sign that the marriage is doomed from the start.” His tone was light, but his hands tightened on her hips.

“I told you I can’t change it.” She looked up at him. “And I don’t want to think about him right now. When I’m with you, things are different.”

“How’s that?” Heat rolled off his body, enveloping her in warmth and safety.

“I don’t feel like all my problems, or the coven’s problems, are pressing on me.” She curled a hand around his nape. “I feel lighter, less worried about leaving Bronwy.”

“I’m working on fixing your problems. And the coven’s problems.” He lowered his head to kiss her cheek.

“H-how?” The word came out sluggish. All she really wanted was to drown in his touch.

“I have my ways. Never doubt that a Watcher has a plan.” He slid a finger under her chin and tilted her head back. “Or three.”

She smiled. Letting herself believe for one second that this man, with blood on his hands, could somehow help her and the coven out of their unhappiness. “Oka—”

A wolf whistle pierced the air just as Scorpio froze. Tessa swiveled right and left, panicked at who from the coven had trailed them.
Oh no.

“Come out, you big bastard.” Scorpio shot a glare over her head.

Tessa whirled and pressed into him. He moved her to his side, but his posture was relaxed, not alarmed.

The thick fronds of a bracken fern parted and her mouth dropped wide. A huge blond Lash demon sauntered out, just as muscular as Scorpio and draped in weapons. Long hair hung down past his biceps and blond stubble dusted his jaw. He looked like one of the ancient Earth Vikings she’d read about.

The male crossed brawny arms over his chest and grinned at Scorpio. “Dude. You have hair.”

“Dude.
You
have shitty timing,” Scorpio shot back.

The Lash laughed. “I’m sorry to interrupt a romantic interlude.” He gave Tessa a slight bow and held out his hand. “I’m Brenin, one of Scorpio’s friends.”

“Hi. Tessa.” She extended her hand, which Brenin took and kissed.

A low growl escaped Scorpio and Brenin dropped her hand with a smirk.

“What are you doing here?” Scorpio asked.

“Boss sent me. Couple things.” Brenin dug in the pocket of his black fatigues and pulled out a phone. “First off, he wants you to have your own phone. Got all the usual apps and shit.” He tossed it to Scorpio, then pinned blue eyes on Tessa. “I trust you can keep all this on the down-low, little witchling?”

Tessa raised her eyebrows. “Um, sure.” She flicked a glance to Scorpio.

“You can say stuff in front of her,” Scorpio said. “I was just telling her I was gonna fix things.”

“Yeah, about that.” Brenin shoved a hand through his mane. “Fixing this…is gonna require some back up.”

“Why?”

“Arawn filled us in on your phone call. He talked to Whysper, too, and she says these dark ley line groupings are serious shit.”

Scorpio snorted. “Whysper said that.”

“Eh, you know. In her own words.”

“Wait, Whysper?” Tessa asked. “She…she works at your headquarters?”

“Yep.” Scorpio traced a hand down her back. “You know her?”

“We all know
of
her.” Tessa sucked in a breath. “She’s so old and powerful. She has a reputation.”

“Well, you’re about to know her for real and not just by her rep.” Brenin rocked back on his heels. “She’s coming here.”

“What?” Tessa fought to keep her voice from shriek level, so the word came out more as a whisper-yell.

“No way,” Scorpio muttered.

“Yes, way,” Brenin said. “She said there’s no way to get free of the grip of dark ley lines by brute force. No matter how physically strong we are. Said they not only strengthen the users, but they
want
to be used in that way, so they become almost sentient. You need magic to counter them.”

“So Arawn’s sending a team plus Whysper?” Scorpio shook his head.” I don’t remember her ever going on a job.”

“Guess it’s happened once or twice,” Brenin said. “And Melixa’s coming too.”

“I didn’t ask for an extraction.”

“Dude, you’re not getting out without one.”

Tessa looked up at Scorpio, fighting confusion that threatened to take root. “You said you wouldn’t leave.”

His golden eyes turned hard, aimed at Brenin. “I’m not.”

“Decision comes from the top, little witchling,” Brenin said. “Arawn ordered it. He knows Scorp won’t leave a mess behind. And this’ll get messier before it gets better.”

“Arawn would do this for me? For Bronwy?” Tessa asked. “I thought he kind of kept to demon business.”

“We take care of our own.” Brenin’s eyes twinkled, but his tone was dead serious.

“But I’m not part of you guys.” She glanced between the two warriors.

Brenin arched a brow at Scorpio, then at her. “I wouldn’t be so sure,” he said softly.

Tessa opened her mouth, then closed it, speechless.
Mate.
The word skated around the edges of her mind. Scorpio thought she was his. She still didn’t understand why he felt so strongly, when he didn’t know her. But did all the Watchers believe it too?

“I can’t allow anyone to get hurt because of me,” she said. “I made my decision, my arrangement with the rival leader. It will help us.”

“But it won’t get you your land back,” Scorpio said. “And those dark ley lines will still be misused.”

She gazed up at him, lost in the sincerity of his eyes. Sincerity that had radiated off him like sunlight ever since she’d first gotten near him. Warrior. Honor. Duty. Protect.

Brenin cleared his throat, not bothering to hide a grin. “And, that’s my cue to leave. Here.” He tossed an amulet to Scorpio. “I know you won’t use it, but just in case. Maybe someone else will need to get out of somewhere fast.”

Scorpio caught it and held his palm open for Tessa to see the dull silver orb on a chain. “A transportation amulet. Prespelled to HQ.” He tucked it into her front pocket. “I want you to have it on you at all times.”

The brush of his fingers across her lower belly made her stomach clench. “Okay.” It came out a breathy squeak.

The air hummed with magic as Brenin used his own amulet to open the large shimmering ring of a portal. With a wink, he stepped in and disappeared.

“He seems nice. Funny. Kind of a flirt.” She stared as the circle closed, its diameter shrinking down to a tiny light that went out with a soft pop. “Have you worked with him long?”

“Nah. Arawn usually has him on assignment on Earth. He came over for a problem we had a few months back. And he’s still here.”

“I bet he gets a lot of attention from the ladies,” Tessa said, turning to face Scorpio and stepping close.

“Even better reason to keep him on Earth,” Scorpio muttered. “The women there all think he looks like some Norse god.”

“Let me guess…Thor?”

“Yeah. That’s the one.”

“I can see that,” she mused, smiling.

A growl rumbled from Scorpio’s chest.

“But they can have him.” She tugged his face closer to hers. “I prefer guys with short hair.”

“Good. Otherwise I might have to kill him.”

She giggled. “What did he mean about your hair, anyway?”

“Oh, that.” Scorpio dropped his forehead to meet hers. “I have the most pansy-assed hair for a fighter. So I keep it shaved. But it’s been a few weeks, so now it’s growing back.”

“Pansy-assed? Why?” She pushed at his shoulders to back him up. In the fading light, the streaks of gold were no longer visible.

“It’s full of this, I don’t know, bright highlight crap. Like stripes.” He scowled. “Kira should have gotten my hair. It would be fine on her. On me, it’s fucking weird. And too distinct for someone in my line of work.”

She tilted her head. “I thought I saw some gold in here.” She ran her hands over the close cropped new growth. “I like it.”

He groaned. “Tess. I can’t have this stupid hair with what I do.”

She pretended to pout, but it was hard not to smile. He clearly hated his hair, hair that females would pay a small fortune to get out of a bottle. “Okay. I get it. Want me to get you a shaver? Or have someone do it for you?”

“Will you do it?”

She paused. “Um, sure. I’ve never shaved anyone’s head though. I’ll try not to cut you.”

He leaned down to her ear, lips brushing her skin in a tender yet heated promise. “I heal fast. Plus, you have a few skills with a blade.”

Goosebumps raced down her arm at the touch of his soft mouth and she whimpered. Right now, he was a temptation she wasn’t able to resist. “Okay.” She turned toward him, body trembling, lips dying to press against his. His big hands locked at the small of her back and his mouth covered hers.

She sighed into him, parting her lips to let him in. Her body came alive, craving more of his touch. Last night had been a perfect tease, a slow introduction to how he could make her feel. And after the frustrations of the day, and the disgust-mixed-with dread of Damien’s note, Tessa needed to feel
more
.

More than a woman who was doing her best to help her struggling people.

More than a woman who was going to bare her body to a man she didn’t love.

More than a girl who’d tried and failed to face down her fears.

Tonight she needed to let go of it all and simply
be
, with this powerful male who showed her unexpected tenderness and shared details that screamed to her that he had a warm heart, despite a formidable exterior.

Especially if their time together was limited.

She ran her nails along his scalp, eliciting a nip to her lower lip.

He flexed his hips into her, and the hard ridge of his length pressed against her stomach. She wriggled, trying to get closer. Sliding his hands under her ass, he lifted her so quickly she gasped. She tightened her legs around his hips and her arms around his neck. A moan escaped her lips as his shaft brushed exactly where she needed it.

“Gods, Tessa, I want—”

The hoot of an owl called from a nearby tree. Tessa glanced to the sky, startled that only a glimmer of light clung low to the western horizon. “Oh my gosh. We should get back. The night creatures will be out soon.”

“I can handle ‘em. And I don’t want to let you go yet,” he growled. “You feel pretty good like this.”

Oh gods. “Mmm, yeah. So do you. But people will worry.”

“I know.” With deliberate slowness, he slid her down the front of his body.

Her breasts ached with each drag over his sculpted muscles. She cupped his face in her hands, knowing she needed much, much more than a kiss from this male, no matter how delicious that kiss was. “Will you come see me tonight? I’ll take the containment spell off your cabin’s window.”

A grin full of wicked promise lit his face. “Anything you ask, baby. I’m yours.”