I am of war and have no home to call my own.
Destruction was my closest bedfellow until I was given to a goddess to
pay my penance. Now, set free, I am adrift with my nomadic ways. Home
for me is just a place to rest until I move on to another. I know I do
not deserve a place or anyone to call mine. Yet I cannot resist her.
Candace Jermaine is everything I long for but cannot
dare to expect for my own. She is a woman whose heart is so big that
it shines from her with a sultry innocence that I find intoxicating. A
scientist who is so dedicated to her work that she shuts all else out,
including me. I question whether this is but another test. Another
form of penance for all the destruction I have wrought…but I have
found I do not care. She is in my blood. Candace is the other
half of my soul. Something I never expected to find. Yet I
wonder can I, a god who is newly free of the bonds of my past,
find a future with a woman who shakes me to my very core? I need
Candace more than I ever expected that I would. My need for her goes
outside the bounds of her humanity. I want her to join me in forever
and beyond.
Talios. |
Candace looked
back and her eyes widened.
The man rose from the lake like some mythical god. Water cascaded from
his naked, sculptured body. He raised a strong-looking hand and ran
blunt fingers through his shoulder-length, black hair. With
confidence, he came out of the water. When he reached the shore, he
didn’t break stride coming to her. A sudden feeling of being hunted
came over her and she backed up, hitting a tree.
He stopped a little distance away from her. At five foot eleven, she
didn’t usually feel short, but next to him she did. He was very
tall—he had at least eight inches over her.
She studied him. His curly black hair framed an onyx-coloured face
that was all planes and angles—broad forehead, high cheeks, full nose,
firm chin and full lips. He was extremely handsome…but it was his
presence that captivated her. There was a sense of strength yet
gentleness about him.
She lowered her gaze. A golden chain hung at his neck, with an oblong
pendant covered in symbols. Candace licked her lips at the sight of
his broad chest and shoulders. The man made a slight rumbling sound.
It snapped her out of her daze.
“Oh, sorry.” Candace turned around.
“It’s okay. You can look now.” His voice was husky and deep.
She faced him. She noted he now had a towel around his waist.
Coal-black eyes assessed her. His scrutiny made her shift.
“Sorry, I’m trespassing. I’ll go.”
“That’s okay. Stay. Have some iced tea.” He gestured to a table on the
other side of the tree that she hadn’t noticed before.
Candace took a step back. “I didn’t mean to interrupt. I’ve been
coming by this place for a while. When I saw the house was fixed up I
couldn’t resist coming to look,” she finished in a rush.
Way to go, Candace—making yourself sound nosy.
“You’re not interrupting. Sit and have some tea.” The gentleness in
his voice stilled her steps.
He took her hand and led her to the table. The tabletop was made of
various stone pieces, creating a mosaic. He seated her and poured some
tea for them both, then sat next to her. He raised his glass and took
a drink of the tea. Candace watched his throat move. He lowered the
glass to the table, then ran a finger down its side. She shivered,
imagining how it would feel against her body. Taking a breath, Candace
tried to control her uncharacteristic reaction. |
