Goddess of the Rose (Goddess Summoning #4)(75)

"I get that. You and everyone else around here are forbidden. But I'm not, so let me explain something to you. One - I am not her. I'm sure I'm quite a bit older, and, let's say for the sake of argument, quite a bit wiser. Two - I come from another world, which means I don't have the prejudices the women of this world have. For example, I don't have a problem getting my fingers dirty taking care of the roses. And I don't have a problem seeing the man within you. Now, I want you to answer one question honestly and clearly for me, and I don't want to hear any of this 'I am forbidden to speak of it' crap."

"Ask," he said.

"Is there a rule that says Hecate's Empousa cannot love her Guardian?"

His dark eyes met hers. "I know of no such rule, but there has never been any need for one."

Mikki held her breath and said, "There is now."

"Mikado, you say you see the man within me?" His voice was strained.

"Actually, what I'm saying is that I might be falling in love with the man within you. I think I have been since you came to my dreams." She wasn't touching him, but she was standing close enough that she could see that his body was trembling.

"That may be, and just hearing you say those words is a rare and wondrous gift, one I have never before been given. But you must understand that though I have the heart and soul of a man, I also have the passions of a beast. I force the beast to submit to me, but he is always present, and he is as ravenous as the man for love."

Mikki felt a rush of emotion that made her heartbeat increase. But she wasn't afraid. She was fascinated. She took his hand and slowly raised it to her lips.

"I could not love the man without accepting the beast."

"Does it not make you fear me?" his deep voice growled.

She rested her cheek against his hand. He cupped her face, and she kissed his palm. "Does the beast within you want to hurt me?"

"No! He wants to love you, but he doesn't know how."

"Then we'll have to teach him."

They finished gathering the threads in silence, but their hands met often and their eyes spoke of dreams yet to be fulfilled. They retraced their path through the forest, too preoccupied with one another to sense the presence that lurked in the shadows, its red eyes ravenously following their every movement.

Chapter Twenty-Six

ASTERIUS carried the threads wrapped in the silk palla, and they made their way quickly through the sleeping gardens. They walked closely together, with arms brushing. He welcomed the sizzle of pain that contact with her body caused him. It was a price he was gladly willing to pay for her closeness.

Asterius's mind was a blur of thoughts. Her touch still pains me, so she does not love me yet, but could she be falling in love with me? Could it be possible? And if she isn't - if this is a sham or an odd impulse she deigned to follow, but will regret . . . His chest tightened. He should leave tonight with the gift of words and hope she had given him. It was enough.

It was not enough! The beast within him roared.

But it must be enough. Even if by some miracle she could love me, it wouldn't change anything. Her destiny must remain the same.

Asterius's mind and heart were at war, and he remained silent, fighting internal battles and savoring the soft brush of her arm against his.

Mikki tried not to think at all. Every so often she would steal a sideway glance at his strong profile - the square jaw, wide forehead, pointed onyx horns . . . A chill shivered through her - part trepidation, part fascination. She wasn't going to think. She was going to follow her instincts.

Both of them were preoccupied enough that together they were surprised when the stairway to Mikki's balcony was suddenly in front of them.

"I will take the threads to the Dream Weavers," he said gruffly.

"That's a good idea. They're waiting for you." She made a motion as if she wanted to touch the pile of gleaming thread but seemed to think better of it and dropped her hand to her side. She looked from the threads into his eyes and said, "The dream that we were in - will the women see it and weave it into a tapestry, too?"

He looked thoroughly surprised by her question. "I do not know. I have no personal experience with dreams coming true."

Mikki tilted her head back so she could look up into his face more easily. "You don't have dreams?"

"I do, but they do not come true. Since I swore an oath to be in Hecate's service, I have been watching the dreams of others come true without being granted any of my own." He continued to look into her eyes. "You already know I am the son of a Titan and I have lived for countless centuries, with more centuries stretching endlessly before me. I also want you to know I will remember today for as long as my heart beats."

"You sound like today is over."

He smiled, flashing sharp, white teeth, but his eyes remained sad. "It was a pleasing day, but as with all things, it, too, must end."

Mikki didn't want it to end, not yet. She wanted . . . she wanted him to . . . Her mind fumbled through possibilities. What did she really want him to do? Standing so close to him she was, once again, struck by his size and the powerful melding of man and animal - the cloven hooves and furred legs - the muscular chest and powerful shoulders - the face that looked like it should belong to an ancient warrior god and not a creature who was part beast. In her dream she had been pursued by him and then had ended up in his arms. It had been erotic and exciting, but it had been a dream. Reality was much different. For one thing, he was definitely not pursuing her. For another, she had to remember what he'd said about the beast within him. She was no fairy-tale Beauty, and he was not going to turn into a foppish prince if she agreed to marry him. Hell, he hadn't even asked her. Who knew what his intentions were - half the time his expression was so masked that she couldn't even guess at what he was thinking.