The Darkest Kiss (Lords of the Underworld #2)(46)

"You might want to wear a coat," Anya suggested helpfully.

Lucien's eyes narrowed. She barely resisted the urge to blow him a kiss.

"I'll ring Sabin's cell," Strider said, "and tell him what we've found. Who knows? Maybe he'll discover something more at the Roman temple."

"Do you know anything about that location, Anya?" Lucien asked.

"Only that it was called the Temple of the Unspoken Ones."

"Unspoken Ones? I've heard of them," Gideon said.

Which of course meant that he hadn't. Just thinking about the temple caused her to shudder. "Parents used to threaten their unruly children with banishment to that doomed place. Maybe because screams could always be heard echoing from the walls."

"Who are the Unspoken Ones?"

"I never saw them. I kept my distance. And as the name proclaims, they were rarely spoken about outside of the occasional parental threat."

Lucien sighed. "Call Sabin if you wish," he said to Strider, "but I plan to flash to Rome and tell him in person. I'll scout the temple while I'm there. My blood acted as a catalyst here. Perhaps it will there, as well."

Hope filled the air. They were closer to success than ever before, she knew.

"Where should we begin looking when we reach our destinations?" Paris asked. "Right now, all I know is that I'm supposed to go to the States. As you said, that's a big damn place. With lots of women," he added as an afterthought. His lips lifted in a slow smile, the strain on his face seeming to ease at just the prospect of fresh meat.

"Where should they look?" Lucien demanded of Anya.

Again, everyone turned to her.

They wanted her help, then they didn't, then they wanted it again. "What? I'm just a dumb, annoying minor goddess. Not needed. Not wanted. Not - "

"You can go with me," Lucien snapped.

Ah, such enthusiasm. Irritated, she ran her tongue over her teeth. Still, his demands and growls were better than all those weeks of implacable composure. Huh. Maybe she should push him a little more. "Sorry. What'd you say?" She cupped a hand over her ear. "I couldn't hear you."

"You can go with me," he repeated loudly. Darkly.

Now she crossed her arms over her chest. Keep pushing like this, and he just might jump you. Please, please, please.

"Are you going to try to kill me?"

"You know I must, but I will give you fair warning before I do."

She hadn't wanted him to stop, anyway. "Fair enough." Could this day have gone any better? Soon she would be traveling alone with him, probably fighting with him. The prospect shouldn't have thrilled her, but it did. She wanted a chance to nurture the desire she'd seen in him earlier, dangerous though that was. "I accept."

"Where should we look?" Paris repeated.

"I don't have all the answers, you know." This kept up, and soon the men would only respect her for her mind. Ugh.

"Anya," Lucien warned.

"What? I don't! Just have Ashlyn follow any rumors about giant, ugly monsters. That'll probably be Hydra. Oh, and she likes water. So maybe follow rumors about giant ugly monsters spotted near water."

The men nodded, and she was once more forgotten as they chatted amongst themselves about what supplies they would need, when they would leave and blah, blah, blah.

Anya sidled up to Lucien and ran her fingertip down his sternum. "We're going to have fun, you and I."

He had been telling Strider what he knew of South Africa, but his words quickly died. Eyes blazing, he whipped to her. What he meant to say or do, she might never know. She blew him a kiss and disappeared.

AS HE SHOPPED FOR PROVISIONS he would need for his upcoming trip - intermittently collecting eighteen souls and escorting them to their final resting place - Lucien did not feel Anya's burning gaze on him. Nor did he smell her enticing strawberry scent.

Where was she? What was she doing?

Who was she doing it with?

His hands balled, knuckles throbbing, the joints so stiff they felt brittle.

He missed her more than ever. He had gotten used to her presence; nothing felt right when she was gone. Besides, he worried about her. Had Cronus tired of Lucien's halfhearted attempts to slay her and taken it upon himself to destroy Anya?

Now his nails dug into his palms, drawing blood. She is fine. Cronus had been unable to kill her, which was why he'd given the task to Lucien. Anya was safe from the god king.

But time is ticking...

Lucien expected the bastard to arrive at any moment and punish him for his failure. Punishment was beginning to matter less and less, however.

He wanted to spend more time with her, and he was about to get his wish. Too bad they weren't heading for Hawaii. But Lucien had known Anya would follow him wherever he chose, so he'd picked the Arctic, the one place he'd thought - hoped - would cool his desire.

Because more than missing her, he desired her. Badly.

He was becoming obsessed with her. Lately all he could think about was stripping her. Licking between her legs, pleasuring her in every way imaginable and even some that weren't. Watching her face while she climaxed. Fisting her hair while she sucked his cock. Lately? Ha!

Even now, he trembled. Trembled like a damned mortal.

His long-neglected body practically sobbed for Anya each time she approached him. Forcing himself to walk away grew more and more difficult. And forcing himself to discourage her advances was even more so.