Daughter Trilogy Bundle (34 page)

He maintains his icy silence as he stares out the window with his hands tucked in his pockets.  His bags are propped against the dresser, and his pockets have been emptied onto the table beside the bed.

The once full scotch bottle sits empty on top of the dresser with a glass tracing the last bits of the strong liquor.  He's been here a while, and somehow he has avoided waking me.

"How long have you been back?" I ask curiously in an attempt to break through his glacial barrier.

"A while," he answers vaguely.

I sigh out in frustration.

"Please talk to me," I plead.

He continues his silent treatment, despite my begging.  I stand up, and his long, button-up shirt tickles against my bare thighs.  I've missed him so much that I've been sleeping in his shirts.

The top three buttons are undone, exposing just enough skin to try to seduce him with.

His breath hitches slightly as his peripheral catches a glimpse of my bedtime attire.  I smile lightly as I run my hand up his arm, but he stays frozen.

"Don't.  Not right now, Adisia," he scolds.

I almost cry.  It's the first time he's ever rejected my touch.  I don't stop though.  I'm nothing if not relentless to mend this.

"I said stop," he growls while forcing my hands away.

He walks out of the room and heads to the bar.  I follow him, and I can see the guestroom wide open and empty.

"Camara and Deacon?" I ask softly.

"They've gone," he replies with his iciness.

"Oh.  You didn't reprimand them too much, I hope," I murmur guiltily.

"They left before I could.  As soon as I stepped off the elevator, they were loading it."

Drat.  They've abandoned me, leaving me to deal with Mr. Pissed Off all by myself.

"Oh," I grumble.  "Devin, I just wanted to see Clara."

That does the trick to break his short sentences.  He explodes.

"And you damn near got yourself and her killed.  I've been stalking every contact I have in order to find a way to end this and keep you safe, and then you go willingly into the world of danger.  You have no idea how pissed I am right now, and I don't think it's a good idea to continue this conversation at this moment," he fervently admonishes.

Whoa
.  Talk about beating someone with a damn stick. 
Shit
.  I knew he was going to be mad, but sheesh.

"I'm sorry," I mumble.

He takes a deep breath, and the icy tone returns to his lips.

"Go back to bed," he breathes.

"Not unless you come with me," I lightly protest.

He doesn't say anything right away.  He pulls another bottle of liquor from the cabinet and pours a glass.  He stalks past me to flop on the couch without so much as acknowledging my words.

He flips on the news before finally ending the silent torture of my suspended request.

"I'll be sleeping in the guestroom tonight.  Go to bed," he mutters chillingly.

My heart almost sinks into my stomach.  I feel my chest becoming so heavy that it's hard to inhale.  He completely ignores my fractured composure as he flips through the various news channels.

"You don't want to be with me anymore?" I whimper.

"Go to bed, Adisia.  Not everything can go your way.  I don't walk to talk about this tonight.  I'm not leaving you, I'm just fucking pissed.  I don't want to say anything I'll regret," he grumbles.

I step in between him and the television to rebel against his commanding tone.  He glares into my eyes, and I can see the swirls of fury.

"I'm not walking away.  This has been torture for me.  If you want this to be over, then let it be.  I can go be with Persia," I say as I force back the tears.

He grimaces lightly, and then his stone face returns.

"Stop.  Just stop.  You fucked up.  Quit trying to make me fold by making me feel guilty.  I haven't done anything wrong, so it's not going to work.  I have a right to be mad right now.  Your safety is all that matters to me, and you blatantly disregarded all of my attempts to keep you alive.  I don't give a fuck how you feel right now, you're not going any-damn-where, and I'd like to see you try to
force
me to let you."

I know he's talking about my threat to Deacon.  I told him I could force him to let me go, and he only ceded to me in order to be able to keep an eye on me.  That chicken sold me out.

"So Deacon told you everything," I gripe.

"He didn't have to.  I knew he wouldn't have gone along with any such thing, but I was too mad to think about your stubborn persistence at first.  I figured it out on the way home," he growls.

He takes a deep breath as he tries to control his anger.

"Go to bed," he orders lightly.

"No," I protest again.

He stands up and walks over to me.  I'm forced to look up to stare into his eyes - his incredibly angry, pained, and terrified eyes.

He's been a mess.  I can tell by the way he's looking at me that he's been a complete wreck.  He's using his anger to mask his fear.

"Please, don't be mad at me," I murmur pitifully.

"Please, go to bed."

I swallow hard against the knot in my throat, and I start moving my hands up his arms once again.  His hands pull me into his body, and I can feel the week's worth of built up frustration antagonizing the pleading hormones inside.

His lips almost touch mine, but then he rips free from the contact and storms into the guestroom.  The door slams behind him, and the top of it unhinges from the doorframe.

So close.

I hear the news broadcasting from inside the room, and I sink to the couch in dismay.  How do I make this better?

I smirk deviously as I rush into the bedroom and pull out the red corset ensemble.  Aphrodite used sex as a weapon.  I hate to stoop to such a level, but desperate times call for seductive measures.

I slowly glide the fishnet stockings over my smooth legs, and then I quickly pull on the black stilettos that scream sex-appeal.  I tug on a black satin robe and rush into the bathroom to fix my hair, brush my teeth, and apply my makeup.

I smirk as I return to the crumbling door and pry it free.  He doesn't even look up as he scolds me once more.

"Adisia, go away.  Just let it rest for tonight."

Mmm.   He's shirtless now.

Once again, I step into his view, and his eyes catch sight of the robe.  He knows I'm hiding something tantalizing underneath, and his eyes reprimand me instantly.

"Don't.  I'm not going to give into this," he huffs.

My devilish grin emerges as I let one side of the robe fall off my shoulder and swing around my waist.

"Stop, Adisia," he almost begs.

My wicked grin grows as the other side falls free, completely revealing the daring, seductive garment that has been hiding beneath.

His eyes widen and then narrow with disapproval.  I stalk toward his bed with the goddess persona I've completely dove into.  He swallows harder as I slowly stretch my leg across his body and sit astride him.  His body stiffens as my weight presses against his lap, and I can hear him groaning as he fights the urge to take me.

"Adisia, you can't do this.  It's not fair," he crackles out.

"I never claimed to fight fair," I seduce as the green eyes threaten his wavering strength all the more.

I bend to kiss his bare chest, and he squirms beneath my lips pressing softly against him.  I smile as I drag my lower lip down his abdomen and back up chest and then kiss his shoulder lightly.

He grips my hips firmly, and I'm worried he's about to throw me off him.  His eyes glare into mine, and then he flips me to be under him on the bed as his lips devour mine.

His hips grind against me, and the overwhelming throbbing sensation is almost painful.  His hand slides up my leg, over the stocking, until it reaches the bare skin exposed at the top of my thigh.

"Damn you," he murmurs against my lips.

His reluctant submission is my undoing, and I respond by gripping him tighter against me and thrusting my hips up to bash against his.  He grips me harder, and I can feel his breath swarming inside my mouth, filling me with all the more desire.  Aphrodite applauds my successful seduction as the bed creaks beneath us.

"You make it impossible for
someone to stay mad.  You realize that, don't you?" Devin says with exaggerated irritation.

I smirk triumphantly as I feel the badly damaged guest bed that has taken the full brunt of the angry sex we just thoroughly reveled in.

"Yes, but it's fun to make up," I tease seductively.

He tries to stifle a grin, but to no avail.  He rolls his eyes as he pulls me into his arms, and I can feel how immensely the ice has melted away from his touch.

"I love you, Adisia.  Promise me you won't take this sort of risk again," he almost pleads.

My eyes soften and lose their seductive edge when I see how truly sincere he is.

"I promise.  I understand a little better now.  I love you, too."

His lips cover mine, and then the news catches his attention, pulling him away from me.

"A number of people died today during an explosion that rattled the city of San Diego.  Police are investigating the possibility of a ruptured gas line, while others speculate the possibility of a terrorist attack.  Dean Stables in on site now-"

Devin cuts off the television and dials a number on his phone.  My breath is rasp as I listen in.

“They're in California.  They must have tracked us there somehow," he barks before the person even says hello.

"So they're in New York and in California.  How are they scouring so much at once?" Deacon asks.

"I don't know, but we need to show extreme caution.  They've modified the news on their own.  I don't know what's going on right now," Devin says with an air of frustration.

"How's Adisia?  You weren't too hard on her, were you?" Deacon mumbles.

Devin rolls his eyes as the bed creaks again before dropping a shattered piece of wood to the floor, forcing me to stifle my laugh.

"No.  She didn't give me the opportunity," he huffs.

Deacon starts laughing, and I shine a smug smirk.

"What did you expect from an Aphrodite?" he chuckles.

Devin lets a small laugh escape, and then wipes the smile from his face.

"Get some sleep.  We've got work to do later," Devin says with a heavy tone.

"No problem," Deacon responds seriously.

An unexplainable smirk spreads to Devin's face as he continues with a bit of a teasing tone.

"Could you hand the phone to Camara?"

"Bloody prying psychic.  Yeah," Deacon grumbles.

I clamp my hand over my mouth to stifle a laugh, and Devin's grin spreads bigger.

"Hey, Devin," Camara murmurs with a touch of embarrassment.

"Can you come here in the morning?" he asks while holding his humor at bay.

"Yeah.  No problem," she quickly responds.

He hangs up while snickering slightly.

"That was just cruel," I chuckle out.

He shrugs as he kisses me and pulls me under his perfectly divine body.  His eyes dance with seduction as he teases me.

"No.  Wearing that ridiculously sexy attire when I'm working incredibly hard to be mad at you is cruel."

I blush slightly under his adoring eyes, and my lips move back to find his.

"I didn't wear it for very long," I seduce through the kiss.

He pulls back and laughs a little as he tosses the ripped pieces of the once enticing corset to the ground.

"I'll buy you a new one," he tempts.

I smile lightly as he pulls me to him, and the flames erupt around us as the passion reignites.

"I hope you're not sleepy," I dare.

He smirks deviously.

"Not in the least."

The passion wins us over, and the outside world ceases to exist for the moment.  But then I draw back slightly as the question that has been plaguing my mind springs from my mouth.

"Is your heir mandated?  I mean, are there only sons of Poseidon, or can there be daughters as well?
” I ask nervously.

I see a smile spread over his face when he realizes my reason for asking.  He kisses me softly while removing a stray piece of hair from my face.

"You're planning ahead.  Does that mean you want kids?" he asks with an excited flare.

I blush instantly when I realize what a complete freak I sound like.  I can't sound like the loon planning a family a couple weeks into a relationship.

"I was just asking.  I only learned about the mandated genders earlier," I stumble out.

He smiles gently as he pulls the back of my hand to his lips and trails his kisses up to my wrist.

"Oh.  So you're not asking if we can have children together?" he teases.