Rachel stared into green eyes. Every part of her being vibrated with sudden need. In many ways, the breh-hedden drove her absolutely crazy. But right now, looking at Duncan, she thought the myth-that-wasn’t-a-myth held a central core of absolute genius.
She’d always lusted after his beautiful, warrior body. Now, she craved him with a desire so intense she only wondered why she didn’t faint when she looked at him.
His nostrils flared and his eyes might have rolled back in his head. She understood. The sharing of scents was a profound aphrodisiac and the more she thought about taking him to bed, the more scent she knew she had to be releasing.
Duncan’s own response returned with a heavy hit of erotic spiced ale. The scent swirled through her brain, tapping every pleasure center possible.
He gulped down the remainder of his beer and rose from his seat, extending his hand to her. She took it and jumped up a little too quickly. She bumped the table with her thigh and almost knocked over his now empty beer bottle.
He smiled, a knowing smile, full of wickedness. His viper-demon appeared to be quiet, thank the Creator.
Rachel said good-night to the rest of the team and worked hard to keep a blush from covering her cheeks. With her fair skin, she could turn bright red in a split-second.
Duncan, however, wore a pleased smile, his head high.
Men and sex, always something of a competition.
Once at the landing platforms in the large hangar, he slipped into her head telepathically. I have a surprise for you.
You do?
I do. But it means we won’t be going back to Paradise Valley.
Really? Where are we going then? She had a naughty thought. You know, the White Lake Resort Complex has a couple of really kinky hotels.
He chuckled as he led her to stand next to him on the platform. She held tight to his arm, loving the closeness.
I like the idea, he said. I really do. But I still think you’re going to like mine even better.
She smiled, squeezing his arm. The truth is, I don’t care where we go. I just need you something awful. So where are we headed?
He looked down at her. About nine months ago, I bought a cabin not far from the Mogollon Rim, a few miles from Sedona.
Her heart lit up. You have a cabin? In the mountains?
I do. It’s near a stream and I dammed it up enough to make a pool for swimming. How does that sound?
She did a full body shiver as she thought about being in the water with Duncan. Like heaven.
When the officer in charge of the landing platforms signaled for them to leave, Duncan folded them both. She felt a swift glide through nether-space, afterward arriving in front of a large home set in the ponderosa pines of northern Arizona Two.
Not exactly a cabin, but quite beautiful.
At least thirty stone steps led at various angles up to a glass and timber house. “This is yours?”
“I bought it shortly after I had my first battle vision. At that time in my life, with new powers showing up, I thought I could use a retreat.” He turned toward her slightly, pulling her into his arms. “But I think I may have bought this house because of you, Rachel, because I know how connected you are to nature.”
She’d never been more surprised. “You did?”
“You always told me I was wound too tight. And I was. I am. I live with a constant sense of everything I do not being good enough. When I had my first vision and it unfolded in such a way lives were saved, I wanted something for myself, a reminder I’d done some good.”
She smiled up at him. “You don’t know who you are or how much good you’ve done every night of your warrior life. I hate your father for having torn away your self-belief from the time you were little.”
“He was a bastard.”
Rachel cocked her head. “I’m not sure you’ve ever said anything so true about Carlyon. Maybe he was a great warrior in the field, but he was a sadistic brute to his family.”
Rachel recalled the tale Endelle had told of how Carlyon had chained Duncan in a basement when death vampires had surrounded his Militia Warrior force. Carlyon and his men had died that night, including Rachel’s ex-husband, Grieg. And Duncan had only survived because he’d called for back-up. Luken had arrived just in time to beat back the deadly force.