Dark Challenge

Desari lifted her head from the warmth and temptation of Julian's chest. Her enormous eyes were soft with sadness. "I know you do not understand, but I can do no other than return to my family right now. I refuse to continue being irresponsible, selfish, when my brother has given so much."

She expected Julian to argue with her, and her hand, positioned over his heart, trembled. Julian's golden eyes drifted possessively over her upturned face. His burning hunger, so intense, so blatant, took her breath away, stole her resolve. How could a man need her so much? How could he show that need to her without ego or fear that he would be totally vulnerable? How could she turn away from such an honest burning need? "Julian." She whispered his name, an aching desire, feeling torn between two strong men, two loyalties, one she didn't even understand.

"We have a few short hours until the dawn, cara. If you insist on returning to Darius, then we must do so." His voice was a soft, mesmerizing spell, seductive and masculine. Just the sound of it threatened her precarious will. His words said one thing, while his blatant, sexy heat whispered something altogether different.

"Julian, you have to stop looking at me like that," she cautioned him, something blocking her throat so that it felt impossible to breathe. She tried to pull her gaze away from the intensity of his. "I cannot think when you look at me like that."

His hand moved over the silken mass of her hair, his fingers rubbing the strands against the pad of his thumb as if he couldn't help himself. "Have you always been an entertainer?"

There was a note in his voice, a drawling caress of admiration and sorcery that set her heart beating fast. He disarmed her entirely with that lazy, Italianate drawl of his. His question also threw her off track. It felt like a seduction, though it was innocent enough. "Yes, I always sang. We traveled to different continents every twenty-five years or so. That way no one ever noticed we did not age." His hand, the one that had been so innocently fingering strands of her hair, had somehow slipped to her shoulder. Those fingers were now rubbing heat right through the thin material of her top so that she felt as if his skin were connecting to hers. Her voice faltered as she lost her train of thought.

Julian bent closer as if to soothe her. "Please continue. This is extremely interesting. I searched centuries for lost Carpathians but had given up hope. How all of you accomplished what you did is extraordinary." His fingertips moved to the neckline of her shirt absently tracing its delicate embroidered edge.

Desari swallowed as little flames licked at her skin, as her breasts reacted to the pad of his thumb sliding sensuously over the soft swell. She glanced up at him, determined to reprimand him, but he was looking intellectual and earnestly interested in whatever she had been telling him. Except for his eyes. His eyes were molten gold and burning with a liquid fire that seemed to consume her, to mesmerize her.

"I have no idea what I was saying," she finally admitted, her voice so husky it was an invitation.

His body crowded closer to hers, not touching, simply so close his heat and masculine scent enfolded her, surrounded her, swamped her. It called to her as nothing else could have. "You were telling me about traveling around from place to place singing." His voice was aching with need.

She heard it clearly, and her body responded on its own, dissolving into liquid heat. Desari cleared her throat. "We simply became our own ancestors if someone remembered us. It was seldom necessary, as we made certain we stayed away from areas for decades at a time. Dayan is a poet, a master with words, and no one is better on a guitar. Syndil, too, is a wonderful musician. She can play almost any instrument. Actually, Barack is the same way. He seems to really enjoy playing for our audiences." She gave him the information, but her mind was on the fact that his fingers had slipped inside her neckline and were moving hypnotically back and forth as if he were memorizing the feel of her.

"Barack and Dayan." Julian repeated the names softly. There was the smallest bite to his voice, his perfect teeth snapping together, reminiscent of a hungry wolf. "Those two act as if they have certain rights where you are concerned." There was a cruel edge to the set of his mouth, a darkness in his golden eyes. "They do not. In lieu of your father, Darius is the only one you are answerable to until your lifemate claims you. I have done so." He leaned forward as if drawn beyond his own will and touched her collarbone with his lips, the harshness in his face at once softening. The touch was feather-light, but it penetrated her skin and made straight for her heart, setting it pounding with some emotion she didn't want to try to understand.

His mouth moved, a trail of fire running from her collarbone up to the pulse beating so frantically in her throat. Her soft mouth trembled, long lashes sweeping down to cover the luminescent glow in her dark eyes. She should stop him. For her own sanity, she should stop him. But his mouth was moving slowly, gently, a heated exploration not at all aggressive.

Desari tried desperately to marshal her thoughts. "You have claimed me?"

His fingers tangled with hers. He brought her hand to press against the muscles of his chest, his thumb feathering with false innocence over her pulse. He felt it jump as his lips drifted lower, pushed the limits of the neckline of her shirt, where the creamy invitation of her breasts swelled in anticipation. "I have. You are bound to me." He whispered the words into the valley between her breasts, and her entire body clenched with such need that Desari felt weak.

She swore there were flames dancing over her skin. She actually looked down, expecting to see little orange tongues of fire licking along her skin. She shivered and tried to withdraw her hand, tried to put some much-needed space between them. "You believe I am. I do not." Desari found that where her head was certain she wanted to move, her body refused to cooperate.

His laughter was low and husky with male amusement at its worst. "You cannot possibly think you could get away from me now." Julian transferred his attention to her arm. His lips skimmed along her bare skin, stopping to dwell in the sensitive inner elbow before moving on along her forearm. Then he was doing something to her inner wrist, his teeth scraping over her skin, making every muscle in her body clench until she thought she might have to scream with need. "I would not be much of a lifemate if I could not hold what is my own, now, would I?"

As he bent forward over her arm, his golden hair was brushing against her skin, and she closed her eyes against the waves of heat rising so sharply between them. In spite of herself she smiled. "You are every bit as arrogant as Darius." She liked the feel of his hands, the molten gold of his eyes burning over her. She even liked his arrogance.

"Mmm," he murmured rather absently, clearly distracted. "Am I?" His hand glided over her rib cage until he found the edge of her shirt. "You know you love everything about me." He buried his face in the waves of ebony silk cascading around her shoulders and down her back. "I love the way you smell." His hand slipped beneath her thin cotton top, his fingers splayed wide to take in as much satin skin as he could.

The sensation was beyond her wildest fantasy. So hot. Reaching into her insides and simply melting everything. "I thought we were going to talk," she said a little desperately. Her arms seemed to have a will of their own, sliding around his neck. For a moment she closed her eyes, savoring the heat of his body in the coolness of the night..

"I am talking to you," Julian whispered. "Do you not hear what I am saying?"

His voice moved like velvet over her skin. How could she not hear him? Inside her body, Desari felt a volcano of molten heat erupt. It raced through her, thick and heavy and hot and aching. She wanted him, and he needed her. Could it really be that simple? She turned up her mouth to the demanding invasion of his.

Julian swore the ground moved beneath his feet. Desari knew she heard the roar of thunder and felt the blue-white lash of lightning. Julian kicked open the door to the cabin and managed to make it inside, his body raging. The beast within, ever present, fought for supremacy. Julian fastened his mouth to hers, a little out of control, a soft warning growl emanating from deep within his throat as she tried to lift her head.

His hand spanned her throat, holding her to him, holding her as if she were a part of him. Holding her as if she was the most precious thing in the world and he couldn't be without her. His other hand skimmed her waist, then stopped to rest there, hot and urgent even though his palm was lying quietly against her skin. Desari was so aware of it, aware of how close it was to the most intimate, sensitive parts of her body. She ached for him. Wanted him. She was beyond thinking rationally; she wanted his hand to move. Either direction, it didn't matter. His mouth was hot and hard, yet velvet soft, demanding her complete surrender. And then his hand did move, finding the tiny catch at the front of her lacy bra, and her breasts spilled free. It was such a small thing, but her entire body felt wild and untamed and in need.

She felt the moan rising from deep within her soul as his hand caressed the full rounded underside of her breast. It amazed her that he could make her feel such intense pleasure when his palm was simply cupping the weight of her breast. Her mouth was open to the invasion of his, her body receptive to his every advance. When his hand encircled her breast, his palm pushing against her erect nipple, she gasped and pulled her mouth free so that she could taste his skin, so that she was free to do her own exploring.

She could feel his hand shaping her, tracing the curve of her breast, the soft, swelling invitation, her nipple, aching and hard, pushing into his palm. Desari slid her own hands under his shirt, found his heated skin, the ridge of defined muscles, the golden hair spreading across his chest. He made her feel so alive, so completely feminine. He made her feel restless and hot, her body a cauldron of creamy liquid fire.

Julian caressed her breast, marveling at the sheer perfection of her body. It was amazing to him, the satin texture of her skin, the silken feel to her hair, the heat rising between them, how small and delicate she felt beside his own strong body, yet her every muscle was firm and supple. Her hands were driving him crazy, threatening not only his tenuous control but his very sanity. His body was raging at him, so hard with the need for release that his clothing felt tight and unbearable against his flesh.

Desari tugged at his shirt, heedless of the buttons flying in all directions. She needed to burrow as close to him as possible. Julian's body trembled, driven beyond the boundaries of endurance. The feel of her hands on his heated skin only served to arouse him further. His body went rigid as her mouth moved over his chest, began to trace a path down the fine trail of gold hair.

Julian caught at the neckline of her shirt, easily parting the material, tossing the lacy scrap of bra aside so that her skin gleamed invitingly in the darkness. His breath caught in his throat at the perfection of her. His hands spanned her waist, bent her backward so that her breasts rose up to meet his descending mouth. She was luscious, beautiful, everything good and perfect in the world.

His mouth was hot and moist, closing around her, all heat and fire so that flames erupted inside her, inside him, like a firestorm. With each strong pull of his lips as he fed on her, there was an answering rush of hot, creamy liquid as her body called out urgently to his, a rush of swelling heat from his own body.

Julian's hands slid down along her waist to the slender curve of her hips, pushing her faded jeans and silken panties ahead of them. Her legs were satin smooth, firm to his touch yet so soft as he trailed his fingers back up along the inside of her thighs. His mouth left her breasts for just a moment so that his tongue could trace the tiny indentation of her belly button, then once more returned to the temptation of her full, soft breasts. His hand slipped between her legs to find moist heat.

Desari cried out, a soft, musical note that reached inside his body and ignited a blazing inferno in him that began licking at her skin, his skin, her body, his, their very insides. Without thought her hands worked at the confines of his trousers so that he burst free, hot and demanding, his body enflamed beyond redemption. She could feel his hand pushing against her, so that her body felt heavy and unfamiliar, hot and aching with urgent need. She moved her hips, seeking release from the building torment. Julian's fingers delved deep, testing her readiness, pushing her temperature up another ninety degrees. Hot cream met his caresses, and her nails raked his broad back. Her breath came in convulsive gasps."

Dio, cara mia,you are so hot, so ready for me." His voice was raw and hoarse as he tugged her with him farther into the cabin, his mouth still on her breast, his teeth gently stroking her tender skin, his tongue easing the slight ache.

She went with him, every step nearly impossible when she was going up in flames, his fingers stroking rhythmically, his mouth pulling at her, his teeth an erotic teasing that made her so wild and uninhibited she was moving urgently against his hand.

Julian's teeth moved along the curve of her breast, his tongue lapping gently in the deep valley. His hands caught her and carefully, gently, lowered her onto the thick quilt of the bed. Kicking aside what was left of his clothes, he immediately knelt over her so that her slender body was trapped beneath his.

Desari's breath escaped in a long gasp as his massive frame descended on hers, skin to skin, as she felt the hard strength in him, and the long, hot, thick length of him pressing aggressively against her thigh. Her heart seemed to stop beating. Fear or anticipation, excitement or apprehension, panic or impatience - she had no idea what she was really feeling. Everything all at once.

Julian's knee nudged between her legs so that he could press his sensitive velvet tip against her heated, moist entrance. At once her body bathed his with hot cream, sending waves of urgency spreading through him. His mouth captured hers, and he eased a little deeper inside of her. His breath slammed out of his lungs. She was so tight, a sheath of fiery velvet gripping him, taking him into her body. The feeling was so close to ecstasy, he had to clench his teeth, to use every ounce of control to force himself to go slowly, to allow her body time to adjust to the invasion of his.

Desari moved her hips restlessly, mindlessly, needing all of him, wanting so much more. At once there was pain, and she gasped and went rigid. Julian became perfectly still, not withdrawing, holding her close to him, his arms strong bands of protection. He framed her face with his hands, his eyes burning molten gold, so intense, so mesmerizing she couldn't look away. "Look at me, iccola. Look only at me. Merge your mind with mine."

"You are too big, Julian. We do not fit together." Desari wanted to pull her gaze away from the heat of his, but she was drowning in his naked hunger. "Julian." She just said his name, a whisper of sound, a blend of fear and aching desire.

"We are meant only for one another," Julian reassured her gently. He bent to kiss the corner of her mouth. "Merge with me, fully merge with me." His mouth moved down her chin to her throat. Her pulse was calling to the wildness deep within him. Teeth traced a path along her throat to the swell of her breast, stopping to rest over her racing heart. "Relax for me, Desari. When you look into my eyes, you see into my soul, and you know you can trust me with your life, with your body. Relax for me." The words were hypnotic, his voice so beautiful and pure, so husky with desire. His golden eyes met hers, a blaze of searing heat, and then he gathered her hips into his hands. His body surged forward, one powerful stroke, and his teeth pierced deeply making her cry out with the exquisite fire of it, tears glittering like jewels in her eyes. He filled her completely, filled the terrible emptiness in her soul. As his body withdrew and thrust a second time, she felt his mind take hers.

The intensity of his feelings, the burning pleasure he was experiencing, were there for her to share, just as he could feel the rapture of her own body, reveling in his possession. He began to move, surging into her with sure, hard strokes that seemed to build in intensity, causing a fiery friction between them so hot they were consumed with the flames.

Desari clung to him, her safe anchor, as he transported them higher, ever higher, to a place of such ecstasy she wasn't certain she could stand it. His mouth fed at her, his hips drove into her, a frenzy of lust and love, of reverence and craving. It went on and on until her body seemed to belong to him rather than her, until she heard herself give a soft cry of sheer shock as her body seemed to fragment into a thousand pieces, to shatter, as wave after wave of fire rocked her, convulsing her muscles so that she tightened around him even more, gripping and demanding.

Julian swept his tongue over the curve of her breast, closing the tiny evidence of his assault, yet deliberately leaving his brand on her soft skin. "I need you, Desari," he whispered, his voice erotic and hoarse with his husky demand. "I need you."

She was merged deeply in his mind and knew what he craved, what his body longed for. It was almost too much, the hard thrust of his hips, driving him so fiercely into her. With each hard stroke he was delving deeper and deeper into her body, her very soul. She knew it was happening but felt helpless to resist, unable to deny him anything. Her tongue tasted his damp skin, swirled over the heavy muscles guarding his heart. She felt the instant response, his body, buried within her tight sheath, swelling, hardening even more, the leap of his heart beneath her seeking mouth.

Julian gripped her slender hips tightly, crushing her to him, his body so hot and hard and slick with her fiery cream that he was drowning in pure, scorching heat. He could feel her surrounding him, tight velvet fire, a steamy, torrid passion beyond anything he had ever conceived he could feel. White-hot lightning lashed him as her teeth finally pierced his skin. His throat convulsed, his body in a frenzy of pounding, merciless need. He threw back his head, his golden eyes blazing at her with both possession and a fierce commitment. His mind held hers, and his body grew hotter and harder as she took the very essence of his life's blood into her. Her sheath gripped him, milking insistently so that he erupted into a torrent of passion, spilling his seed deep within her. All around him her body was fiery hot and tight, rocking with its own response to the deep fever raging between them. The earth itself seemed to rock, a rolling quake, the atmosphere split apart; their world narrowed until there was only one another. Two beings merged so deeply, locked so closely together, they had become one, as they were meant to be.

Julian held her tightly, his face as harsh and relentless as time itself. "I can never let you go away from me. You must know that."

Desari was too stunned by the fire in her body, by his addicting taste, by the little erotic aftershocks in her sheath that made her body refused to release his, to reply. It felt so perfect, so right, with Julian buried deep within her. She reached up, touched his mouth with a trembling fingertip, and traced his lips. She could drown in the molten gold of his eyes, live forever sheltered in his heart. "I had no idea we would be like this, that it could ever be like this."

Julian slowly lowered his head, his long hair sweeping across her shoulders, brushing the swell of her breast, touching his mark on her. "You are so incredibly beautiful, Desari, you turn me inside out."

A soft smile curved her mouth. "I want you to remember that when I do something you object to." His hair on her sensitized skin was fanning embers still smoldering deep within her. She was shocked at her abandoned behavior, deliberately tightening her muscles so that she was tormenting him, teasing him, her body already slick with their combined liquid heat and the faint stain of innocence. "I have the feeling, Julian, that you are the type that objects often to things."

His eyebrows shot up. Her body was doing delicious things to his. He kissed the corner of her mouth, then found the fullness of her breast. He could feed there forever. The feel of her was so exquisite, so perfect, her body created exclusively for him. He reveled in that knowledge, that she was his alone, that no other male, human or Carpathian, could satisfy her. With the ritual words he had bound them together, body and soul. He had taken her blood, given her his, and claimed her body. The ritual was now complete. She could never escape him, not for all eternity.

And he had placed her in terrible danger.

He closed his mind to that thought, to the echo of a warning uttered centuries earlier. Julian wanted to lose himself in Dara's body, in her soul. He needed to burrow deep into her, to bathe himself in her light so that, at least for a time, the shadow would recede from his soul. His tongue lapped at her nipple, part playful, part possessive. Her body was his to explore, to arouse, to satisfy, to complete.

Julian was driving her crazy with his lazy, slow-handed exploration. His palm was moving deliberately over every inch of her body, finding every curve, memorizing every hollow. Desari was already restless again, but when she would have caught his hips with demanding hands, he shook his head, his golden hair brushing her skin, inflaming her even more.

"I want to know every inch of you, cara mia, " he whispered, sliding his thick heat out of her.

"Julian!" Desari's dark eyes censured him, her slender hips moving on the quilt beneath him, determined to entice him back to her. Just the feel of him, hard and hot, against her thigh was erotic. She wanted him.

His hands simply caught at her and turned her over so that his lips could follow the flawless curve of her back. He took his time, kissing the nape of her neck, her shoulders, kissing his way down her spine. All the while his thighs trapped her beneath him, his body swelling, pushing against her buttocks, the tip of him so hot she was squirming against him, needing him.

Julian was determined not to allow anything to shatter his tenuous control. He would know her body as well as his own, know every secret point that could arouse her, every curve and hollow that ached for his touch. His teeth found the rounded muscle of her buttocks, felt her jump beneath his caressing hands. His palm beneath her found her moist invitation, so hot with urgent need he smiled, satisfied with his knowledge now. He simply lifted her hips and pressed against her waiting entrance, waiting a heartbeat until he had the reaction he craved. Desari pushed back, frantic for his invasion.

He caught her hips and surged forward, penetrating deeply, burying himself in that tight, wet, velvet-soft sheath that fit him so perfectly, so uniquely. The feel of it was unlike anything he had ever experienced in his long centuries of existence. He found his hands moving over her beautiful body, cupping her breasts, caressing her bottom, his mouth tasting her back. Her long ebony hair cascaded in waves to pool on the quilt around her, and it was a sight he knew he would never forget. And then the fire took hold, so hot, so fast, he found himself gripping her hips and plunging into her, harder and faster and deeper until the fiery friction was poised on the knife edge between pleasure and pain. Her body wound tighter and tighter, and she cried out to him for release. He wanted to stay, poised forever on that edge, her soft body burning with his, her mind sharing the ecstasy of it all. The savage demands of his race erupted to the surface, and he bent over her smaller body, completely dominant, his teeth finding her shoulder to pin her submissively in place.

Desari allowed it, feeling the compulsion riding him so hard. There was a desperate need in him she could nearly touch, nearly see, hidden deep but swirling close to the surface, an elusive shadow she couldn't quite catch. Then she lost her train of thought completely as his body swelled even more in hers, so thick and hard he was driving out all sanity, and they exploded together into time and space. Colors burst around them like the most wondrous fireworks imaginable. There was no room for air in their lungs.

Julian would have collapsed on top of her, but he was far too conscious of how delicate she was. He rolled to one side, taking her with him because he couldn't tolerate the slightest separation. He had seen as much of her mind as she had seen of his. She thought, incorrectly, that she would now go back to her family and meet with him every now and then. Or, worse, that he would leave her because she refused to go off with him. His arm was heavy over her narrow rib cage; his thigh held her still. Lazily his hand cupped her breast, his thumb feathering gently, first over her nipple, then tracing the curving fullness.

Desari felt her body clench in reaction. It would always be that way. She knew it. Julian Savage had some dominion over her body, some perfect union with her no one else could ever match. She had read about sex, knew every detail, every position, every intriguing intimacy that could possibly be shared. Yet her body had never once felt desire. It was as if that part of her had been dead. She simply assumed most Carpathian women did not have urges and desires like human women. But her body had been waiting for this one man. Her other half.

Julian kissed her gently. "I will not allow you to leave me, Desari." He said it softly, his voice a hypnotic spell of enchantment.

She could feel it brush at her mind like butterfly wings. Pure and gentle. Almost tender. So insidious that for a brief instant she did not recognize the elegant touch of compulsion. Desari sighed, not wanting to shatter such a perfect interlude with a disagreement. She might never have such a moment again. Still, she had a duty; she could not be selfish no matter how perfect this seemed.

Julian was a renegade, someone who rarely recognized authority, preferring to go his own way. He intended to take her away to some remote place, somewhere far from her family and her singing. But that was not even remotely possible. A soft smile curved her mouth. She knew him, knew what he was. Julian had merged his mind with hers. She knew there was a dark place, a shadow she had not yet entered. Still, she knew he was not capable of allowing her to be unhappy.

He was definitely an outlaw. He had pushed the limits of Carpathian laws many times in his existence in his relentless quest for knowledge. Julian had an active brain; he was quick and intelligent. He was so used to his own power, he wore it like a second skin. He knew things of which many of his kind were still ignorant. He was an extraordinary warrior, a hunter of vampires, and he had destroyed many of them.

Deep within him she touched on the darkness. He seemed to believe he was different from most Carpathian males, that his darkness had not developed over centuries but had always been present in him, had begun to grow even when he was a child. Desari believed that whatever the difference that set him apart from those of his race was also in her own brother. It was what allowed them to possess the iron will and relentless drive to continue without turning when others would falter.

Desari had touched the emptiness of his life, the sense of meaningless, barren existence. He had made his choice to end it all, had believed there was no chance he would find his lifemate. For one moment she touched on the strange shadow in his mind. There was a shimmer of regret at not succeeding in his mission to self-destruct, but then it was gone, as elusive as before. She felt his joy in finding her, the intensity of his feelings for her. He had a possessive streak a mile wide. Desari had never before heard of a lifemate. She didn't even know if she believed in the concept, but Julian did.

Julian lay stretched out on the bed, propped up on one elbow so that he could study every expression that crossed Desari's face, taking it into his being like the very air he breathed. It was incredible to him that this woman, so beautiful, could be his. It seemed a dream, a fantasy he had somehow brought to life.

He had never allowed himself the luxury of wishing or hoping. From the beginning he had known he would make the choice to walk into the sun. This was a priceless gift of life itself, a treasure beyond the realm of his imagination.

And he had brought her into a world of darkness and danger when she had only known light.

Desari could hear the steady rhythm of his heart. She was very aware of his hard muscles close to her, his posture somehow protective and possessive at the same time. Skin to skin. The door was still open, allowing the night breeze to swirl through the room, to cool the heat of their skin. She smiled, her breath stirring the fine golden hairs roughening the roped muscles along his arm. "You changed your clothes for me." He had come to meet her at the tavern elegantly dressed.

His hand moved over the line of her back, unhurried, his palm simply savoring the feel of her. "You were so beautiful in your white dress, and I was in jeans and a T-shirt. I thought I should come up to your standards."

His hand moved up and over her rib cage to cup the soft weight of her breast.

"And I changed into jeans for you," Desari admitted. "I think you look sexy in jeans." She pressed her bottom snugly into the curve of his body. "But I must admit you are dynamite dressed up."

He pushed aside the sweep of silken hair to brush his mouth over the nape of her neck. It was extraordinary to be able to touch her like this. "

Dynamite isan interesting word, cara."

His voice sounded so distracted, Desari turned her head to look at him. His golden eyes were burning hot, moving over the length of her. She felt the heat searing her insides despite the cool breeze. She was very aware of his hand caressing the soft roundness of her breast. "We have to think, Julian. You know we do."

"I have already made up my mind, Desari," he answered her, a purr of menace creeping into his voice. "You have no other choice but to stay with me. We are lifemates. I could allow you to go back to your family without me so that you would know that I speak the truth, but it would be painful for you. I can do no other than to ensure your comfort."

Desari sighed, her long lashes sweeping down to cover the sudden pain in her dark eyes. She needed more time with Julian, to savor this night with him. To end such a beautiful interlude with an argument was the last thing she wanted.

"There is no need for an argument," he murmured gently, obviously still nestled in her mind. "I have no choice but to ensure your well-being at all times. You are hunted. Aside from the discomfort of separation, I would never leave your side without first eliminating the danger to you."

And what of the danger he had brought with him?

"Julian." She turned over, shivering a little as flames danced unbidden over her skin where his fingertips trailed. "If you believe what you say, then you must see that I cannot bear a fight between you and my brother. I have never defied him before, and he is responsible for my safety, the safety of all of my family. What I have done is truly wrong." She held up a hand. "I am not sorry, Julian. Please do not misunderstand me. I would not trade this night with you for all my days."

Julian bunched a mass of ebony strands in his fist and crushed it to his face, inhaling the fresh, clean scent of her. "I will deal with Darius."

"That is the point I am trying to make. I do not want you to do so," she objected patiently.

"So what do you want, Desari?" he inquired between his white teeth. "A one-night stand? This is it?" Instead of the anger she expected, his voice was slightly mocking, and his male amusement set her teeth on edge.

Her charcoal eyes went black with smoldering fire. "You know that is not so. But I do think it best to ease into things."

He laughed out loud, then rolled over to stare up at the ceiling, his broad shoulders shaking with humor. Desari glared at him, coming up on her knees, heedless of her bare skin gleaming so invitingly in the night. "What is so funny?" she demanded.

He touched her face, a tender caress meant to soothe. "I would not call this night easing into anything, piccola.

It was more along the lines of a wildfire consuming both of us." His smile was all male satisfaction.

"Wipe that smirk off your face." Desari touched his perfect lips with a fingertip.

"I deserve to wear it," he contradicted her solemnly. "You know I do." His eyes were hot and molten again, touching her so deep inside that Desari nearly forgot what had been so important just moments earlier.

"You are deliberately distracting me," she chided, but her hand found his heavy chest muscles and lay directly over his heart. "We should settle this."

His hand covered hers so that her palm was pressed tightly to his skin. "We have settled it. I go where you go. You go where I go. You are no longer under Darius's protection, although all male Carpathians guard our women as the treasures we know them to be. He will understand."

"In time, Julian," she agreed a little desperately, "but not right away. I will go back and talk to him. If he agrees to our relationship, the others will have no choice but to do as he says. Give me a few risings to convince him."

Desari was well aware of the hard edge to Julian's mouth. He was nowhere near agreeing with her.