Warrior Rising - By Pamela Palmer Page 0,51

the flare of his emotion. Elation. Relief.

Loyalty.

Unless she was badly mistaken, Findris would help her if he could. How, she wasn't sure. All she knew was that she had to talk to him without Harrison knowing.
Chapter 11
The cold wind had risen, lifting dead leaves to tumble end over end along the sidewalk where he and Ilaria walked. Harrison felt that same tumbling sensation inside himself, his thoughts and emotions a jumbled, spinning mess. Among them, fury and hatred of the Esri. Good God, he'd watched them walk away from raping a woman. It frustrated him to no end that Ilaria just accepted it. Yet, he'd seen with his own eyes that the woman hadn't seemed to be hurt. And she wouldn't remember. Still, that didn't excuse the fact that she'd been assaulted!

Never had his sense of right and wrong been so confused. Life had been so much simpler when he'd believed all Esri were evil. Ilaria's hand tucked warmly within his, he lifted his free hand to his chest, rubbing at the ache that he'd felt bloom there as he'd watched Ilaria smiling at the little girl she'd carried from the damaged minivan. Or had the ache started earlier, when he and Ilaria had first kissed? Hell, he didn't know. All he knew was it had grown to a full-fledged pain.

She looked tired to him, faint bruises beneath her eyes, shadows within them even though outwardly she appeared to have shaken off the effects of seeing that apartment fire. But though she once more walked with confidence, her expression certain, he sensed her lingering unease. They both knew they'd probably come upon other fires before this day was over. And other Esri. The need to protect her felt like a tight band around his chest.

His gaze moved from one side of the street to the other, passing quickly over the groups of people who watched emergency crews trying to pry two vehicles apart from one another. But his interest wasn't in the humans or the wreckage. He was searching for Esri. He didn't like being out in the open like this. Though he'd convinced Ilaria to use glamour on the humans and wear a poncho to hide from the Esri, his senses remained on full alert, his muscles tense and ready to protect her from anything...or anyone.

His arms ached with the need to hold her and never let her go. In a matter of weeks, as soon as those gates opened again, she'd be gone. Lost to him forever.

How he would love to spend more time with her, showing her around his city, his world. Simple things. Taking her to a movie. Taking her to meet his kids.

That old pain twisted inside him. Stephie. Ilaria would heal her, he had to believe it. Would his daughter look at Ilaria with the same adoration the other little girl had? A real fairy princess. Yeah, she would. He knew she would. Sam would be curious about Ilaria, of course, but unless she knew how to throw a baseball or play video games, she wouldn't hold his interest for long. Stephie would chatter Ilaria's ear off with a thousand questions. And Ilaria would answer every one.

If only things could be different. If only he could have more time with this remarkable woman. When she'd come into her power, when their gazes had caught, he'd felt those impossibly green eyes pull him headlong into their endless depths. When he was with her, he felt no loneliness. Hell, he hadn't even realized he was lonely, not until Ilaria had blown into his life and climbed inside him, creating a glowing warmth that filled him as if embracing him from the inside out. How could he ever be cold with her warm glow pulsing inside his chest?

He glanced at her, at the tension in her lovely face, and just wanted to get her out of here. Someplace safe. They'd head north, in the direction of Adams Morgan and Charlie's apartment. If they hadn't seen any Esri by the time they left the disaster zone, he was finding a cab and getting her off the streets. Maybe then he could breathe freely again.

Who was he kidding? They'd be alone together in an apartment with a bed. He'd be lucky if he remembered to breathe at all.

He needed to keep his hands off her. That was the smartest thing to do, on so many levels. Because he was already too drawn to her. He already wanted her too