“I’m sorry I worried you,” I said at last.
“Worried me?” He held me away from him and stared at me with wild eyes. “You scared the hell out of me. I think you took twenty years off my life when you jumped off that bridge.”
“I’m not human, Chris. That jump wouldn’t hurt me.”
“No, but you’re not invincible either. What if you’d come on board this boat and you’d been overpowered? They could have killed you or taken you with them.”
“Mason was with me,” I argued, even though I’d had no idea Mason would follow me into the water. “And I couldn’t let them take the girls, not if I could stop them. You’d do the same thing.”
“Yes, I would. But I’m a lot stronger and faster than you are.” He dragged a hand through his wet hair. “You can fight, but you’re not ready for situations like this. It’s why I told you and Mason to stay with the car.”
I started to object, and he held up a hand. “And this is not about who you are. I’d say the same thing to any new warrior. Nikolas would say it, too, if he was here instead of me.”
I pressed my lips together, knowing I had no argument. As much as I hated it, he was right.
He reached out and rubbed his hands up and down my arms. “I understand why you did it, and I think you’re amazing for saving these girls. That’s the kind of warrior I want fighting at my side.”
“Really?” I asked, sure my face must be glowing with pleasure at the praise.
“Really.” He pressed a light kiss to my forehead, and I could feel it all the way down in my toes.
Chris released me and leaned over the unconscious girls. He checked their vitals and smiled when he straightened to look at me.
“They should wake up in an hour or so. We’ll take them to the hospital, but I doubt they’ll have any physical injuries. The Lilin would not tolerate his sons harming any of the girls.”
My shoulders sagged in relief. “Can we give them gorum to make them forget what they’ve been through? This will probably scar them for life.”
“Gorum won’t work if they’ve been gone longer than a day,” he reminded me. “The Incubi would have kept them in trances for most of it, so the girls won’t remember much anyway.”
“At least, they’re safe, and they’ll be home with their parents soon.”
It was more than the other missing girls had. I forced myself not to think about what the other girls might be going through at this very moment.
“All good down there?” Brock called from above.
Chris walked to the bottom of the steps and looked up at him. “We’re good. Call Charles, and tell him we’re coming back with the Thomas sisters. His team will take over when we get there.”
“On it.”
The engine came to life, and I felt the boat turning. Unsure of what to do now, I sat on the small sofa so I could be near the girls in case they woke up.
As soon as my body hit the comfortable seat, I knew I should have stayed standing. I’d used up most of my and my Mori’s strength with that swim through the frigid water, and for the last few minutes I’d been going mostly on adrenaline. Now that the excitement was over, my body decided it was time to crash. A wave of dizziness hit me, and I sagged against the cushions, shivering.
Chris was by me in an instant. “Are you okay?”
I gave him a weak smile. “Yes. Just a little tired. The water was cold, and I might have overtaxed my Mori a bit.”
He frowned and pressed a palm to my cheek. The heat of his body felt like a brand against my cold skin. “You’re freezing. You’re so drained, your Mori can’t even regulate your temperature.”
He rooted around in the cupboards and pulled out a thick wool blanket. Sitting on the sofa, he lifted me onto his lap and tucked the blanket around me.
I protested and tried to get off him, but I was no match for his strength. The small struggle wore me out, and I laid my head wearily against his chest in defeat. Soon, I didn’t want to move as heat came off him in waves, soaking into my chilled body and making it hard to keep my eyes open.
We were always warned about pushing our Mori past their limits, and now I finally understood the warning. It felt as though all the strength had been sucked from my body, and my poor Mori was so tired it was almost asleep. Older warriors could push their Mori for days without tiring. Younger warriors had to rest a lot more often.
Chris drew my feet closer and pulled off my shoes and socks. When his warm hand began to massage my icy toes, I was sure I’d died and gone to heaven.
A part of my brain told me I shouldn’t be letting him hold me like this, but I quieted that voice with the promise that it would only be for a few minutes, just until I stopped shivering.
“Better?”
“Mmm,” was all I could manage.
“Remember the last time I held you like this?” he asked softly, pulling me from the dreamy state of bliss I was in.
“No.” I frowned because I’d remember being in Chris’s arms.
He chuckled. “You don’t remember the day I brought you to Longstone? You wouldn’t go to anyone else, and I held you like this for the whole drive.”
“Oh, yeah,” I murmured as the memories washed over me. I’d been wet and cold, and Chris had held me in his arms and warmed me. I’d never felt as safe as I had with him that day.
A hand came up beneath my chin to tip my face toward his. His eyes were the color of soft, dark moss, and I couldn’t look away from them.
“I have to admit I like holding you a lot more now.”
I licked my suddenly dry lips. “I –”
My words ended on a gasp as he tilted his head and fitted his mouth to mine. Shock and pleasure threatened to short-circuit my brain as his firm lips caressed mine with a tender possessiveness that left me breathless.
I murmured a weak protest that became a soft moan when his tongue swept between my parted lips to explore my mouth with exquisite slowness. My hand crept up behind his head to hold him as I surrendered to the kiss.
I’d been kissed before, but those seemed like sweet touches compared to the raw sensuality of Chris’s kiss. This wasn’t foreplay or a heat of the moment thing. It was a searing, deliberate mark of ownership that sent fire racing through my veins, and God help me, I didn’t want it to end.
My breathing was faster when Chris brushed his lips over mine one last time. He wrapped his arms around me again, tucking my head under his chin, and the fast rise and fall of his chest told me I wasn’t the only one affected by the kiss.
I felt lightheaded, and I wasn’t sure if it was because I was running on empty or if it was from the most mind-blowing kiss I’d ever had. Closing my eyes, I decided I’d figure it out later when my brain was working right again.
“Go out with me,” Chris said against my hair.
“What?” I murmured, too loopy to even look up at him.
“On a date. Dinner, dancing, whatever you want.”
Don’t do it, said the voice of reason at the back of my foggy brain.
“I don’t think –”
“Just one date,” he cajoled softly.
“Why?”
“Why?” Laughter rumbled in his chest. “You’re going to make me work for it. Okay. I want to spend time with you away from all of this. I want us to get to know each other again.” He kissed the top of my head. “I miss you, Dove.”
My throat tightened, and I felt my resolve slipping. Maybe we should have a date. Then I could say I gave it a shot before I ended this. It wouldn’t change anything between us. No matter how good his arms felt or how dizzying his kisses were, none of that could make me forget the past.
“Fine,” I said drowsily. “Just dinner.”
“Just dinner,” he agreed. I didn’t need to see his face to know he was smiling.
* * *
The sound of a car backfiring woke me as the sky began to lighten the next morning. I shifted slightly and groaned as every muscle in my body ached. It took me a good thirty seconds to remember the events of last night and the reason for my current discomfort. There was a price for pushing your Mori past its limits, and I’d paid it willingly. What was a little stiffness compared to the safe return of two missing girls?