Hour of the Dragon - Heather Killough-Walden Page 0,78

dragons being the exception.

This island was further out from the mainland than others, offering another measure of solitude. And Ares loved the view from these cliffs. He loved taking flight from them as well. And if in time the island became too busy for his tastes, he would simply move his abode to another.

Behind him, in the confines of his home, he felt Annaleia moving around. She was like an extension of him, a puzzle piece that had broken free from him and was barely tethered. He wanted to yank the tether hard and draw her back to complete him, and it had only been an hour since he’d held her again. Fifty years, and not a single second had dulled the memory of her warmth against his body, nor had it dulled the ache he immediately felt upon letting her go.

He could hear her breaths as she moved from room to room in his house, hear her words, hear and feel her heartbeats. It was the strangest thing… but it was almost as if her heart beat in time with one of his.

He knew when she was afraid – no doubt at seeing his wealth. He’d been worried about that and it seemed for good reason. He knew when she was angry – perhaps at him because of that wealth, or because she was recognizing that this was all real and he’d lied to her for the entirety of their friendship, or maybe she was angry about her situation in general. She’d never liked feeling out of control or helpless.

He could sense when she was resigned, most likely weary. Exhausted. She’d been traveling and then she was attacked. And now she was alone and the house was calm and her adrenaline was leaving her drained.

And finally, he knew when she was hit with a simultaneous blast of shock and elation. Those last two coming when she’d happened upon his private candy stores. He heard her muttered words about wishing to be a dragon. He grinned, shaking his head. That brought back memories, actually.

It was not the first time she’d said something like that, ironically. She’d said something similar once when they were in school together. After she had been injured doing something dangerous and he’d asked her not to do it again, she’d told him she wasn’t a quitter; she was a dragon.

Actually, the conversation had been longer than that, and he was almost positive she’d said “goddamn dragon” and not just “dragon.” But one was the other.

He chuckled now, thinking about it. Little one, he thought. You should be careful what you wish for. Because if it were possible? He was pretty sure he would have done it fifty years ago. And he was sure as hell that he would do it now.

His smile stayed put as he heard her move further into the room. She’d always liked sweets. He could just imagine her swiping her favorite snacks right now. And why not? It was the very least he owed her.

At long last, her footfalls wandered softly back down the hallway toward the living room, and he turned to see her through the glass wall that separated the great room from the private cliff-side steps where he stood.

She looked around for a second, and when she didn’t find him, her head lifted. She turned to the glass. He gave her a little two-fingered wave. Her head tilted inquisitively. And then she took a massive bite from the candy bar in her right hand, practically ripping it in half. His eyes widened, and he laughed softly when a caramel strand dripped from the side of the bar to land on her lip and chin. But his laughter caught in his throat when her little pink tongue darted out to lick the sweetness off her bottom lip. Her finger swiped at the caramel on her chin… and then she stuck her finger in her mouth and sucked.

Her cheeks hollowed for just a fraction of a second, and Ares had to turn away, cross his arms over his chest, and adjust his footing on the stairs. Son of a bitch, he thought recklessly. He cast his gaze far out to sea and concentrated on the white crests atop the waves. He thought of the ocean, the clouds in the sky, the sun on his profile warming his skin. Anything but her mouth.

“I found your treasure,” came a tentatively smiling voice behind him.

He turned, careful to keep his body well under control.