By the Horns (14 page)

“Let’s get one thing straight. You didn’t force me to do anything.”

Her heart stuttered. What did he mean? She held a breath, waiting for him to elaborate.

He didn’t, so she poked him in the ribs. Flinching, he rolled to glare at her. “What the hell, Nat?”

“You can’t end our conversation there.”

He groaned. “You’re a woman. You want to talk, I get it. I’m a grown man and you didn’t force me to do anything. We don’t need to talk about it.” He grunted and shifted to lie on his back.

“Okay, fine. But we should discuss
this
.” She pointed to his obvious erection. “I can’t sleep with that in the bed.”

“Well, what do you want me to do? It’s kind of attached.” He winked.

She bit her lip. “We should have sex.”

“Whoa.” He twisted away from her and rose, dragging the sheet with him, concealing his nudity, but baring hers.

She froze as his gaze razed her skin, resting on her breasts for a moment, before delving toward the apex between her thighs.

“You can’t say shit like that.”

She shrugged. “It’s an issue and we need to address it.”

“No, the hell we do not. Just because my vows are already broken doesn’t mean I should snap them in half.”

“This little problem of yours isn’t going to go away until we have sex.” She twirled her finger toward his groin. “You’ve already broken your vows, but you’re tempted by what you’re not supposed to have. You need to get me out of your system.” She steadied her voice. “It’s just sex. Like you said, we’re both adults. I’m not a virgin and you aren’t either.”

“Why the fuck would you say sleeping with you would make this any better?” He raked his fingers through his hair, spiking the tips.

“We both know where relationships end up. Look at our parents.”

Dawning flashed in his eyes. “Oh, c’mon. That’s bullcrap.”

“Is it?” She let her challenge hang in the air.
Case dismissed.

***

After a minute, Kassian groaned, hunching forward.

“Don’t deny it. You’re a man, and men—”

“I’m not your bloody father.”

“Well, I hope not.” She wrinkled her nose. “You know what I mean. We have sex one time.” She crawled forward on her hands and knees, pausing at the edge of the bed and holding up one finger. Curling her finger, she tugged on the sheet he’d plastered over his raging hard-on like protective armor. “Then I’ll be out of your system and we can focus on—”

“Fuck no.” He jerked backward. No question about it. The men in Nat’s life had done a number on her. His thoughts shot to Price and a seed of jealousy twisted in his gut. He recalled what she’d said about the fox spirits. It must have hurt like hell to be dumped for those evil sluts.

What Nat suggested was bloody madness.

Completely ineffective madness.
Sleeping with her wouldn’t solve a damn thing. His desire would grow, not lessen.

Yet he couldn’t tell her so.

“Mind over matter.” He tossed her the sheet and gave her his back, hoping she’d cover up. The sight of her lovely, tanned skin, her full breasts and curvy hips, and the hint of her pink pussy threatened to condemn him. Worse, the sexy confidence as she’d stalked toward him had nearly snapped his resolve. He gritted his teeth and fought back the images. “All I need is time to meditate. I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression. I’m shit-faced tired and my control over my body—”

The sheet stopped shuffling. “I get it.” Her words had a bite to them. Damn, he’d hurt her.

He scraped his hand down his jaw. How had they gone from him seething beneath her betrayal, to him suffering guilt about hurting
her
feelings? He collapsed back into bed and, this time, his cock accepted defeat.

***

Kassian awoke to a stream of light cutting across his face. He lifted his hand to swat the brightness away, but ended up slapping his cheek. The jolt jerked him awake. He glanced to his right. Nat was sleeping. Curled on her side, facing him.

His fingers coiled into the sheets. Her long auburn locks fanned out, partly across her face. He fought the urge to brush them back and admire her beauty.

His cock twitched and he stifled a groan. Damn, his problem from last night had returned. His gaze dropped to her full, pink lips. She’d tasted so damn sweet. Like ripe berries bursting on his tongue. Lightly floral. Rich and sugared. He wanted nothing more than to sample her lips again. Precisely why he shouldn’t. If he wasn’t careful, he’d lose himself. His goals. His dreams. His ambitions.

His purpose.

With each spirit animal came gifts. Abilities. Ox’s happened to be the gift of clarity. More specifically,
visions
of clarity.

Kassian’s choice of celibacy wasn’t entirely for himself. The monks at Kek Lok Si had told him that with a life of purity, the visions would become stronger. He’d had his clearest one a few months ago. Ox had shown him Lucy with Sheng and bingo, it had come true. Other, smaller glimpses of the future poked into his subconscious whenever he meditated. They came to pass, too.

It was an ability he hadn’t told the other Chosen about. Because really, fucking visions? Kassian snorted. He’d get accused of using again long before anyone believed they were more than drug-induced hallucinations. He suspected the Matchmaker was aware, though. That bitch knew everything.

His ability required deep concentration and focus. Would being with Nat screw things up?

It wasn’t fair to sleep with someone he cared about and then dump her to fulfill his life of celibacy. Hell, he wouldn’t let his poor treatment of her be added to her list of grievances against men. That she’d even suggested having sex irked him to the point where Ox was ready to charge.

Preferably, at Price. Bastard. The man had better hope he never ran into Kassian in a deserted alleyway. Even his fox spirit bitches couldn’t protect him then.

He exhaled and inhaled slowly. No, he wasn’t being fair. He had no right to be jealous of Nat’s previous relationships—not when he’d fucked hundreds of women in his past. Nor should he pursue a petty argument with another Chosen. Their higher purpose demanded they treat each other with respect.

Yet, he couldn’t help but ponder, had Nat loved Price? Hell, all these years, Kassian hadn’t known what had happened to her. If she were alive. If she’d gotten married and had ten kids. Every scenario had passed through his troubled mind.

Fucking Matchmaker and her bloody Lotus League.

Nat sniffed. A small whimper sounded in her throat. Her leg twitched. Was she having a bad dream? Before his brain interfered, Kassian wrapped his arm around her back and eased her against his chest. With his other hand, he stroked those stray hairs back from her face and murmured in a low, soothing tone.

“
Shhh
… It’s all right, Natalie. I’ve got you.” She moaned in her sleep as he rubbed circles across her back.

Comforting her brought back memories of their past. He closed his eyes, an image forming of the young girl who’d gazed at the portraits hanging from his mantel. “Don’t let those fool you.” He’d chuckled while she’d stared at him with wide, vulnerable eyes. Inside them, he’d seen something of his younger self—innocence struggling to hold on against a storm of harsh reality.

Four years her senior, he’d been in the world longer and perceived the masks people wore so others would never suspect their real souls.

Nat’s parents hadn’t put on any faces. That was the worst part. Her entire childhood, they’d fought bitter arguments. Right in front of her. Her dad, Xing, had been a right bastard, violent toward her mother, Anne. Little nine-year-old Nat had once called the police on him.

The man had never forgotten or forgiven.

Kassian’s hand paused on the scar on the middle of her back and fury burned through him. To teach her to keep her mouth shut, Xing had struck Nat so hard, she’d flown across the room and landed on the shattered glass plates her mother had chucked at her father.

The cut had been deep and required stitches. Her old man hadn’t dared harm her after that because, unfortunately, he was too smart for that shit. Even he couldn’t pay off the authorities who would have locked him up.

Nat’s parents had screamed at each other, but Kassian’s were of the passive-aggressive variety. They lived together in an enormous beachfront property in Australia, but “together” was an exaggeration. They sat at the same table day after day and never once acknowledged each other. Attended the same charity auctions every year and strapped on those same damned fake smiles.

Both of their fathers were college frat brothers, and kept each other’s secrets well. No one but he and Nat knew how screwed up their families really were. Their parents’ shitty lives had bound them. Now, here she was, asking him to be as heartless toward her as her parents had been toward each other.

Damn her for ever thinking he could.

Ox’s ears perked. Nat’s pulse quickened. Her muscles tensed. Nat was waking up and, hell, she was still in his arms.

Naked.

She opened her mouth and her warm breath spread across his abs. Beneath the sheets, his cock jerked to attention, inches from her face with nowhere to hide.

Chapter 12

Nat inhaled the most decadent scent of pure man. Spicy, earthy, rich.

Temptation. That was what he was. While she was used to denying herself luxuries—a home, a family, possessions—doing so was on her terms.

Kassian had rejected her offer and she didn’t handle rejection well, even if she grasped the reasoning behind it.

Her eyelids fluttered open. Sensation lit her fingertips as they pressed against a hard wall of masculine flesh. On instinct, her fingers curled, testing the firmness of those carved abs. Damn. The muscles in his stomach jerked like she’d tasered him. Or maybe her fingers were cold.

She cleared her throat as her perusal shifted lower to his recurrent
problem
. Rejection she could handle, but being teased…

The man was a sadist.

She scowled and dragged the sheet to her chin. No sense in playing a game they wouldn’t follow through on. As much as she hated his reluctance, she refused to be accused of derailing him from his vows.

“Hey!” He grumbled as she tore the sheet off the bed with her, sauntering into the bathroom.

Well, if she couldn’t enjoy the fire, at least she could burn away the fuel. Nat tugged on her workout clothes. A run and a chance to scope out her targets—Price and his slutty harem.

The Matchmaker had tasked her with a mission and Nat never failed. She’d uncover the truth behind this inconsistency and report back promptly.

After braiding her hair, she strolled out of the washroom. Her gaze landed on Kassian—
nude
—and pain exploded through her shin. She winced, hopping around on one foot. Damn, she’d walked straight into the bedpost. He sat cross-legged on the living room floor, hands resting on his knees. He didn’t flinch while she swore and hissed at her banged up shin.

That would leave a bruise.

Eyes closed, palms up, he appeared to be meditating. She paused in rubbing her shin. Who was this man? The Kassian she recalled hadn’t the patience for dull meditation. He’d been constantly on the move, whether surfing, biking, hiking or, yep, rolling out another conquest with the ladies.

She sighed as she admired the raw beauty of his form. Kassian’s body was heavily corded with muscle. His physique ripped to the point where his veins meandered along his skin like tiny rivers. A showcase of power.

She forced her tongue back inside her mouth. This was not the time to fall into distraction. She tiptoed past him, trying not to disturb his meditation any further. After stuffing a key into her shorts pocket, she twisted the knob of the apartment door.

“Where are you headed?”

At Kassian’s deep rumble, she jolted. “Out for a run. And some reconnaissance.”

“Why don’t you join me first? Meditation will help you connect with Snake.”

“Thanks, but I’m okay.” This hosting a spirit gig wasn’t much of a challenge.

“Snake is more than a weapon you can wield whenever you require it. The spirit is a sentient being, one that needs your—”

“What? Control?” She planted her hands on her hips. “I’m not going to put my spirit on a leash like the rest of you. Sorry.” So what if her spirit was quiet? That didn’t mean it was evil. Maybe Snake preferred tranquility.

A sigh deflated Kassian’s shoulders. “I was going to say guidance, direction.” Without warning, he rose, showcasing a body even Greek gods would be envious of. “I’m coming with you.”

She whirled to face the door. “I’m fine on my own.” The rustling in the back corner of the room suggested he was getting dressed. She huffed and opened the door, cutting into the hallway.

“Hey, wait up!” Kassian shouted behind her.

“If you’re going to come, you’ve got to keep up.” She jogged down the hallway and opted for the stairs. A minute later, a heavy thudding echoed above her, indicating Kassian followed.

The buzz of the busy city engulfed her as she stepped out onto the street. Car horns honked in an unpracticed melody. The drone of traffic. Dozens of conversations buzzed from the throng of people ebbing like a current in the ocean. Most of them wore white surgical masks over their mouths and noses, giving the street a post-apocalyptic aura.