Daughter of Asteria (The Daughter Trilogy) (8 page)

I kiss him lightly and give him a seductive gaze - which would be more appealing if I could flash

him a peek at my green eyes.

“Perhaps I could take a little time to educate you on the mortal body,” I seduce.

His eyes swirl in response, and a devilish grin spreads over his face.

“I wouldn’t object to such a lesson,” he almost whispers.

A chill runs up my back, and the gaze between us heats to a flaming inferno. I hear the coffee cup

shatter behind us as the boiling liquid in it becomes too much for the sad, fragile porcelain to handle.

I smirk as he does as I very enticingly add, “Looks like I’m coming back little by little.”

He scoops me up and flashes us into the bedroom while kicking the door shut behind him. His

hands slowly work their way through the removal of my garments, and his lips begin sliding against

my stomach as the bulbs in the room explode.

“I’ve missed that sound,” I murmur with elation.

“You’re not immortal yet, so I’ll take it easy on you,” he teases.

I laugh a little as I push against him, and his lips consume mine. I quickly push him back as I

catch my breath.

“Don’t take it too easy on me,” I daringly add with my vixen’s tone ringing out clearly.

His wolfish grin spreads to show his incredibly aroused state, and then he falls between my parted

legs as his lips grab mine once more.

I feel his body heating against mine with a burning passion - though not literally burning yet. I’m

really glad these walls are padded because I don’t intend on being the least bit considerate of the

guests.

Devin stands to his feet,
and then bends back over to kiss my smiling lips.

“I’ll go make us some coffee,” he snickers.

I sit up while holding the sheet to my chest, feeling a little embarrassed now that I couldn’t even

finish such a miniscule task.

“I’m sorry. Let me go get it,” I mumble while climbing out of bed.

“There’s nothing to be sorry about. I prefer that wakeup call to any cup of brew you could offer,

but I’ll get the coffee this time,” he chuckles out.

I blush a little from his appreciative gaze, and then he flashes out of the room. The covers drop to

the floor as I stand to my feet, and then I pull on the tossed about jeans.

I slide into my shirt, and my eyes stare at the bed taunting me while still in one piece. My eyes

narrow as I examine the pristine condition we’ve left it in, and then I scowl a little when I feel slightly

inferior to my formal self.

“Enjoy it while you can. You won’t be safe for long,” I scold.

“Threatening my bed?” Devin snickers from outside the room, and I realize the door is cracked.

I smile sheepishly as I banter back, “Just offering it a polite warning.”

He laughs a little more, and then he returns to the room with that incredible grin I love so much.

“I’m going to take a shower. Go drink your coffee, and eat something. Mortals have to eat a little

more regularly,” he teases.

“You’re enjoying this mortal taunting a little too much,” I grouse.

He puckers his lips to playfully mock mine, and then he kisses me gently before flashing to the

bathroom. My stomach growls and I cover it instinctively.

“Eat,” he yells out.

Red floods my face after the embarrassing pronouncement of hunger, and I walk back into the

kitchen to scavenge the cabinets.

I really want to join him in the shower, but we’ve already been confined to the bedroom for two

hours. I’m sure he’s trying to show a little self control so he can join in on the contact search.

The elevator opens, and tears fill my eyes when Hale steps out. The image of him leaping in front

of Safina’s ashes to save my life brings out the wavering tears. He had died saving me.

I throw my arms around him with such an emotionally abrupt embrace, and he hugs me back with

a little too much grip.

“Hmm… Looks like you could use some sun on that body,” he entices, his old, cocky self back in

play.

I roll my eyes and the momentary tears dry up quickly with the return of the scandalous sun.

“There are some places on my body the sun will never see,” I tease.

“Oh. One second you’re hurling that fantastic body at me, and the next you’re playing hard to

get. I love a good game of cat and mouse,” he seduces.

“I almost forgot how obnoxious you can be,” I giggle as I walk over to drink the cooling coffee.

“Oh no. Don’t pretend as if we’ve met. I can promise you I wouldn’t forget that body or that

face.”

Deacon bellows out a woeful tone as he grips his head and chimes in from the living area.

“Don’t count on it, lad. I said the same damn thing, and now my head feels as if it’s going to

explode with the heaps of things I had forgotten.”

I share a sympathetic grin with the man not loving conflict as much as he did, and Deacon twirls

me around in a hug now that he remembers who I am.

“You saved us, girl. Theia showed us your memories - what you had to do after what you had to

endure.”

I swallow hard, but Camara’s arms wrap around me before a new wave of tears fall.

“Oh, I’m so sorry for growling at you,” she gasps.

“I thought it was more of a hissing,” I joke lightly, a snicker slipping out between my sniffles.

She laughs a little, but Hale looks completely stumped.

“There’s been a rewind?” he asks curiously.

“That’s why we’re here. Go see Theia, and let her drown you in the month of memories,” Deacon

grumbles.

“A month?” Hale gasps in shock.

“I can’t explain it. You’ll just have to see it with your own mind,” Deacon responds with

exasperation.

“Send him to me,” Theia groans from a room in the back.

Hale exchanges a worrisome glance before following the sound of Theia’s voice. Devin sits down

on the couch and pulls up the newspaper. It’s so odd to see the date that we long passed, but now

we’re reliving.

I scoot in beside him, and he wraps his arm around me while resting the paper on his lap.

I sip on the coffee, and yet again, we feel like a typical couple having an average morning. I

actually giggle slightly at the normal moment we’re sharing. His stare shows amusement as he

curiously questions my odd chuckles.

“Did I do something funny?”

“Not exactly. It’s just nice to be having a mortal moment,” I sigh in content.

He smiles adoringly at my simple amusement, and then he leans over to kiss me on the cheek.

“Well, I hate to ruin that moment, but we need a grounder,” Deacon mumbles.

“A grounder?” I quiz, immortal reality coming back into play with a quick slap.

“It’s someone to counteract the conductor so he can’t absorb your lightening. If we have a

grounder, they lose their edge with a conductor,” Camara explains.

“Haggar?” Devin asks with a shrug.

“Good luck with that. The bloke rarely leaves the city, and he recently found a Nuri to live

happily ever after with,” Deacon scoffs.

“Well there won’t be much of a happily ever if history repeats itself,” Phillip says as he joins us.

“Perhaps we can use that to convince him,” Camara adds.

“We also need someone to counteract the air embodiment they have,” Deacon says with an

enigmatic smirk pointed toward Devin.

I look up to question the odd look and see Devin is scolding Deacon with his eyes.

“What’s wrong?” I ask with bemusement.

“Nothing. Deacon is just trying to do what he does best,” Devin says with a secretive suppressed

grin as he lowers his eyes back down to the paper.

“You know I’m right. You can’t counteract the air with anything less than the wind or a breath

catcher. Seeing as Adisia controls the wind - and we don’t need her tied up with the air - the only

answer left is a breath catcher,” Deacon snickers with his menacing intent.

I think I see where this is going now. He acted somewhat the same when mentioning Gemma.

Devin scowls slightly, but then he sighs.

“I’ll call her, but don’t get your hopes up. She’s not much of a fighter.”

She?
Of course it’s a
she. I was right. I hate being right sometimes.

“She’s more of a lover, eh?” Deacon snickers with his antagonistic tone sparking the conflict he

loves again.

Devin flashes him a very disapproving glare, and Camara rolls her eyes at the obvious innuendo

while she elbows her mischievous warlord in the ribs.

“Another ex?” I snark. “Or would you like to refer to her as a nasty entanglement as well?”

Devin frowns slightly, but I can tell he enjoys my jealousy somewhat.

“More like a casual acquaintance from long before I met you. We’ve already discussed the fact

that I wasn’t a saint. Please don’t bring about old spats,” he requests gently, his age shining through

in his wording.

Old spats.

“It’s funny how many different labels you use, but yet you still hold firm to my being your first

girlfriend,” I snarl.

“You were my first girlfriend, and now you’re my first fiancée. Don’t belittle my affections for

you. Stasia and I haven’t seen each other in over fifty years,” he rebuffs.

“Does that mean your
casual acquaintance
relationship is over, or should I be worried?”

“It was never something I had to end because it was never real. I shouldn’t have to prove how

deeply I care for you. I long to spend the rest of my life by your side. Please don’t assume any

different because of my past. You have a past as well, in case you’ve forgotten,” he huffs.

I pout a little as I mumble, “Yeah, well, I don’t see us having to live in the same house as Jerry or

Bret. It’s easy to sit on a pedestal and say it’s the same when you’re not scrambling around on the

floor.”

His head tilts to the side curiously. “Bret? Who’s he?”

I roll my eyes as Deacon lets out a chuckle.

“Just someone from my past we’re not discussing asking to come hang out with us and the rest of

the Avengers,” I growl.

“No, seriously. Who is he?” he asks again while setting the paper down.

“An ex,” I growl.

“An ex-boyfriend? Another ex-fiancé? An ex-lover?” he rambles.

I gasp slightly at his prying demeanor in front of Deacon and Camara who are both snickering

slightly.

“He was a casual acquaintance,” I mock.

His eyes narrow at me, and he continues his interrogation.

“Please tell me.”

“Why is it so important?” I grumble.

“Because it reminds me about how very little I know about you in that aspect. I’m curious.”

I smirk deviously when I see how genuinely this is irking him. I can’t help but unleash a little

payback.

“I tell you what, I’ll compile a whole list of every intimate encounter I’ve ever had.”

“Really?” Deacon says with a stupefied gaze while accidentally interjecting himself into the

conversation.

“Okay,” Devin says with a suspicious tone. “What’s the catch?”

“You have to give me a list as well,” I dare, my devious smirk etching up.

Devin stifles a grin as he reclines back, and Deacon chimes in with a roaring laughter.

“It would take him a full century to conjure such a list.”

I feel a little sick with that tidbit thrown out there, but I haven’t exactly been an angel either. And

he has lived longer than I have.

“Touché. This round goes to you,” Devin chuckles as he relinquishes his interrogative tone.

He pulls out his phone and my stomach knots up. I know he’s about to call one of his exes, and

it’s absolutely killing me.

“Hey… Yes, it’s me… It’s good to hear from you too… I need to talk to you about something,”

he pauses and his face floods red. His eyes dart to mine nervously, and he starts to get up, but I shake

my head to let him know I’ll fucking kick his ass if he tries to speak to her privately. “No, Stasia… I

mean really talk… Just tell me where you are,” he grumbles in discomfort for the awkward situation

he hadn’t fully prepared to undertake. “Okay… See you soon,” he finishes and quickly tosses his

phone to the table while looking anywhere but at me.

“I guess fifty years wasn’t enough to calm her casualness down, huh?” I gripe.

Deacon laughs more - he’s absolutely loving the
spat
he has successfully provoked
- and Devin

slumps down rather uncomfortably when he feels my eyes burning through him.

“We’re going to meet Stasia?” Gemma chimes in from behind, distaste clearly lingering in the

back of her throat.

“Yes,” Devin replies dryly, his eyes still avoiding mine.

“And Adisia thinks I’m bad,” she snorts in amusement.

My eyebrows cock up, and Devin huffs rather loudly to breathe out his agitation for her snarky

remark.

“So much for casual,” I scoff.

“It was casual. Gemma tends to over exaggerate where my past offenses are concerned,” Devin

growls.

“She tried to kill me when she met me,” Gemma snarks.

My eyes widen but Devin’s roll.

“She’s a breath catcher, she can’t kill immortals. She can merely paralyze your powers briefly.”

“Didn’t stop her from trying,” she retorts.

“And I’m sure you did nothing to provoke such a violent interaction,” Devin asserts.