Moon Borne (Halcyon Romance Series Book 1) Read online

  Damn, want to kiss her. Kiss her. Focus.

  Her cheeks flushing a bright pink, she withdrew her trembling hand and stepped back from him.

  A challenge of seduction? He grinned.

  Accepted.

  ***

  Sweet Artemis, what was she doing? Being so close to Arsenius, everything was at once blocked out and heightened. The heat warming her was from his body, not the sun. The fragrance in her nostrils was not the salt of the ocean, but the dark spice of a man intensely aroused. His heavy breathing and the rapid beating of his heart coaxed hers to follow suit.

  Kyme yearned to fall into his arms and stay inside them forever, regardless of how forbidden his embrace was.

  “I-I don’t touch men. They don’t touch me.” Gods, she sounded ridiculous. She took another step back.

  “Are you afraid of me, Kyme?”

  “N-no,” she stammered. Nice, very convincing.

  Those grey eyes flashed silver. The corners of his mouth curved as if he grasped her shyness.

  “Men don’t touch you.” He claimed a step forward, closing the distance between their bodies. “Do you want me to touch you, Kyme?”

  Mesmerized by the huskiness of his voice, she was helpless to do anything but nod. Especially when he kept purring her name.

  Arsenius raised his hand and carefully smoothed his callused fingers along the side of her face. She lowered her lashes in delightful surrender.

  Suddenly, his face was beside hers, his rough cheek pressing against hers. “I don’t suppose men kiss you either?”

  Her eyes shot open.

  “May I kiss you?” His lips parted, waiting for her reply.

  Even more shocking than the question was that he would bother to ask. He didn’t seem like the type of man who did a lot of requesting.

  As though reading her mind, he grunted, “I don’t take what isn’t freely given.” The hardness of his voice reminded her of what he must have suffered.

  Desperate to drown out the world, to comfort his past, and to betray the reasons why she shouldn’t, she leaned in and whispered her answer.

  Arsenius’s lips were like nothing she’d imagined. On a man so hard, they were silken. She’d expected him to kiss like he fought—hard, brutal, bruising. Instead, his lips pressed against hers with tenderness. Oh, but his kiss wasn’t uncertain. He ran his tongue along her bottom lip as though savoring her. Groaning, he gave her lip a little nibble, before he urged her mouth open and delved his tongue inside in the most suggestive of manners. He repeated his thrusting. Slow, deliberate.

  His entire body was rigid, quavering ever so slightly with the effort of reining in the passion she perceived beneath his surface. As he eased one hand around her waist, his other cupping her cheek, she sank into his weight, delighting in how enjoyable it was to be held by another.

  She’d been wrong. Nothing, not Moonlight, nor opium, was as addictive as the taste of Arsenius. Decadent, rich, and dark, his scent made her long to run her tongue along the rest of his body. She buried her hands in his soft dark hair; he grunted and drew her tight against his body. She moaned at the hardness of his chest, his steel arms, his…

  Oh my.

  Suddenly apprehensive about what she’d agreed to, Kyme stiffened. Arsenius broke their kiss. She expected anger to flare in his eyes.

  Those beautiful depths were full of something else entirely—a reverent softness.

  As if he understood the concerns flying through her mind, he winked. “Don’t worry. I’ll not come inside you. Not that way.”

  ***

  Arsenius rubbed his hands together and blew on them. A chill crept into the air tonight, like summer and winter were battling one another. Fight each other as hard as they might, the outcome was always the same. Summer would always win the first, winter the second.

  He grimaced at his contemplation. So many things about his existence he’d struggled to accept. After a time, he’d stopped fighting. He was a monster—no question.

  He hadn’t always been so. Once upon a time, he’d known no darkness. He’d been a gentleman in a world filled with laughter and light. Lena, she’d been his light.

  Then everything had changed. After he’d undergone the morphos, he’d had to invent a new definition of himself. The world was no longer pure, so full of hope and possibilities. Now he discerned the world for what it truly was. Dark, evil, polluted.

  Until he met Kyme. Her presence challenged his previous resignations about his life. He’d long given up hope of ever finding a wife, of having children, a family. Lena had been his one shot at a child and since he’d failed so miserably, he bloody well didn’t deserve another chance.

  He understood his fate. There were some mortals the gods deemed fit to continually punish. Whether from their own impiousness or the jealousy of the gods, many had been condemned. The myths were full of them and Arsenius’s name would one day be amongst them.

  After being tortured in almost every manner conceivable, he had nothing left for the gods to seize. He’d made sure of that, keeping no possessions. Even the purchase of his ship had been in Thereus’s name.

  He rubbed his hands together once more as his focus drifted to his cabin. Being with Kyme was unwise for so many reasons.

  She was the first thing he’d craved in years.

  As he searched the organ beating in his chest, he grasped it wouldn’t be long before she claimed his heart. If she hadn’t already.

  He shouldn’t be too concerned. His curse only applied to those who loved him, not the opposite. His mother died and his sister had been abducted because they’d loved him. Ares remained untouched. The bastard refused to gaze upon him. Each of Arsenius’s pleas to his father had gone unanswered. That he’d permitted Arsenius’s morphos was a miracle.

  He inhaled the seductive night air. He’d picked the right woman to crave. Kyme was an Amazon. She’d never fall in love with any man. Her kind weren’t capable of such affection. Moreover, she was a Chosen of the gods. As long as he never broke her virtue, she’d continue to be.

  As much as he wished to be with her, first, he owed Thereus an apology. He searched the ship until he located the centaur below in his quarters.

  “Come in.”

  Arsenius stepped inside and closed the door behind him. He cleared his throat. He was no good at apologies, well, not to males at least.

  Thereus poured them each a drink. He handed a cup to Arsenius, switched to human form, and sank onto the edge of his cot.

  Arsenius leaned back against the wall. He cleared his throat again. Damn, this was hard. “About last night.”

  Thereus held up his hand. “Enough said.” He shifted around on the cot.

  “You truly believe there’s another way?”

  His friend grinned. “Of course I do. She’s your mate. Don’t make the mistake of throwing away such a gift.”

  Arsenius scoffed. He’d never pegged his quartermaster for a romantic. “If I don’t hold her as my slave, there’s nothing to stop her from leaving—”

  “So you work your other charms, son of Ares.”

  “Care to elaborate?” Arsenius glared at him.

  Thereus rolled his eyes. “Kyme’s an Amazon.”

  He scowled. “I know that.” He was not the imbecile his friend implied… Was he?

  The centaur snorted. “I’ll only clarify this once. Kyme’s a fiery lass who’s spent her entire existence in an isolated meadow with other females. You seek her allegiance? Offer her a trade she can’t refuse.” A wicked grin spread across his face as he tilted his cup in a toast.

  Arsenius narrowed his eyes, his heart pounding. “Are you suggest—”

  “Aye.” Mischief twinkled in his eyes. “Seduce her.”

  Kyme smiled as she snatched a towel and dried off after climbing out of the bath Arsenius had thoughtfully ordered for her. Perhaps a gentleman did dwell beneath his rough surface.

  A gentleman whose kiss made her question her entire existence. She pressed her f
ingers to her still burning lips.

  Was his kiss the same as any other male’s? Was this the passion her sisters experienced every spring? If so, how had she lived so long without it?

  Kyme shook herself. As pleasurable as his kiss had been, it wouldn’t happen again. She had a duty to her family and her goddess to remain untouched. Arsenius had controlled himself on the beach, but she wasn’t so sure he’d be able to again.

  She retrieved a shirt from the cabinet and drew it on. A tap rapped at the door as she slipped the last button through its hole.

  “Are you finished?” Arsenius called from the other side.

  “Yes.”

  He poked his head inside and the instant his gaze fell on her, those intense depths grew dark, hungry. Suddenly uneasy that she had no other garment, she crossed her arms over her breasts.

  Thankfully, half a dozen of the small boys onboard scrambled into the room and drained the tub. They weaved in and out, filling buckets and tossing the soiled water over the side of the ship. Regret that she’d never have a child fluttered through her, the pang sinking deep until she shoved it aside.

  Arsenius grinned at her as the boys badgered each other good-naturedly. The captain leaned back against the wall next to the door and crossed his legs. The lads gawked at him, searching for approval, as they scurried past.

  She softened and was reminded of what one lad, Jason, had told her this evening as he’d filled the tub. These boys were orphans. If not for the Adrasteia, they’d be starving, on the streets.

  Perhaps you have a heart, after all, Arsenius.

  She reclined in the chair and with the brush he’d procured for her, untangled her long, damp tresses.

  After the boys finished their task, Arsenius locked the door and strode to the desk. He caught her hand in midair and plucked the brush from her grasp. She opened her mouth to ask what the hell he was doing, but she lost her words as his large, warm hands swept her hair off her neck. Shivers tingled down her spine and she sucked in a sharp breath. No one had brushed her hair since she’d been a small child. She’d adored sitting by the fire, her godmother’s sure hands deftly combing through her tangles.

  Arsenius’s hands were nothing like her godmother’s.

  They most certainly weren’t clumsy, as she’d have expected from a male. They were strong, nimble, and familiar with this task. Did he practice on his lovers? “You’re fairly accomplished at brushing hair.”

  He froze mid-stroke, his body tensed.

  She at once regretted her terse statement, though she wasn’t sure why.

  “Nay.” He let the word hang in the air for a minute. “My—” He cleared his throat. “My sister’s hair.” He paused. “It was so unruly she’d shriek like Medusa whenever her maids brushed it.” A chuckle curved his lips. “She never screamed for me.”

  Flames of guilt lapped up her cheeks. Of course he’d cared for his sister. “Thereus told me about her.”

  He resumed his brushing, though his strokes were less tender, more rushed. From his haste, she sensed he didn’t wish to discuss his sister, yet her curiosity piqued. “What is her name?”

  After he gave her hair a few more tugs, he set the brush on the desk and sighed. “Lena.”

  Arsenius strode to the other side of the desk. He planted his arms wide apart on the desktop as he stared at her for a long moment. She sensed a question upon his parted lips, but he didn’t voice it.

  This was the perfect time to interrogate him, when his defenses were down. “Why did you capture me? Who hired you?”

  “I can’t tell you.”

  “Why? Are you sworn not to?”

  He nodded once.

  “You were sent to capture me, not my sisters?”

  Pain flickered across his eyes before he closed them and inclined his head. “You were my priority.”

  “Why me?”

  His eyes flew open and he lifted an eyebrow. “That’s a damn good question, but you already know the answer. ‘Tis I who am in the dark.”

  My gift.

  “I know the ways of the gods.” He leaned in and fingered a lock of her hair. His words grew heated, his voice husky. “What has Artemis given you that’s worth your chastity?”

  She swatted his hand away. “That’s none of your concern.” Then she smirked at him. “I’m sworn to secrecy, as well.” Not quite true, but she’d be damned if she revealed her powers.

  He narrowed his eyes. “Fine.” He retreated to the weapons cabinet and disarmed. “Is that why you’ve stayed? Because you seek the one who ordered your capture?”

  “Yes.”

  He grunted. “I can’t let you leave.” Glancing at her sideways, his eyes flashed silver. “I need you. Will you help me find my sister?”

  She melted at the exposed anguish in his voice. How could she refuse?

  “I vow I will not let them hurt you.” His gaze dropped to her chest, and she instinctively crossed her arms, in case he was able to peer through the thin cotton. “If you cooperate, I’m sure we can come to an arrangement.”

  She tilted her head. “What do you mean? An exchange?” Her pulse raced. Was he offering her revenge against his buyer?

  He stalked toward her, smug satisfaction curving his lips. “Aye, a trade. You assist me, and I’ll give you what no other male ever could.” Tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, he leaned in. His lips swept across her neck, his meaning all too clear.

  Arrogant, cocksure bastard.

  Had she actually called him a gentleman?

  She raised her hand and, holding nothing back, slapped him.

  He jerked backward. “I can scent your arousal, Amazone.” He blinked at her; she huffed at his dense masculinity.

  “I do not desire you, slaver. If I had wanted a male, I assure you, I would have had one long ago.” She wrinkled her nose.

  The smug smile returned to his lips. “Nay, I do not think so. No other male has tempted you as I.”

  Her mouth fell open while her cheeks burned hot at his condescending declaration. He smirked as if he would be doing her a favor. As though she was the one unable to control this passion. The temptation to hurl something at his patronizing grin was too much to bear.

  Kyme narrowed her eyes. No, that would secure his point. She must prove to him the truth.

  That it was he who found her irresistible.

  Only one way to show him.

  She marched across the room, grabbed his shirt, and yanked his head down, searing her lips against his. The males her sisters mated with begged on their knees for more. Arsenius would suffer the burn of the flames he toyed with. She’d leave him weak and begging her.

  As she thrust her tongue into his mouth, the heat of him scorched her, but she ignored it, focused on searing him instead.

  She slid her hand down his chest, across his stomach, and over the swell of his rigid length, stroking him through his breeches. Fighting the corresponding pulse between her thighs, she shoved off him and smirked. His eyes darkened with lust. Judging from how hard he was for her, she’d bet no blood remained in his brain.

  “Now which one of us is tempted?” She sent him a dismissive glimpse, making sure he caught the way she shrugged at his erection, and sank back onto the chair. Plucking up the brush, she resumed untangling her locks. “I’m an Amazon, sworn to protect all females. I will find your sister. You had but to ask. Nicely.”

  ***

  His blood thundered in his ears. Arsenius had been far too gentle with the Amazon this afternoon. Thereus was bloody right. Kyme’s buried passion burned hotter than Hades.

  The way she’d fondled him, no timid female there.

  This argument was far from over. He wrapped his arm around her waist; she gasped and struggled against his hold. She slammed her foot on top of his and rammed her elbow into his nose. Had he not turned his head at the last second, she would have broken it.

  He hopped back to avoid her knee in his groin, but his foot slipped on an errant bucket. Damn powder m
onkeys. As he went down, he swept his foot out and knocked her off balance. She stumbled, but he caught her and crushed her on top of him. He rolled them over and pinned her beneath his weight. His cock throbbed so painfully he barely registered why he couldn’t plunge himself deep inside her. She hissed at him like a little cat, her claws searching for any surface to scratch. He restrained her wrists and his mouth claimed hers, kissing her into submission.

  Arsenius lifted his head and smiled at the defiance shining in those midnight blue depths. He was far stronger than she, but she was capable of hurting him. She arched her spine and threw her weight into a roll, slamming his back into the floor.

  He let her.

  She straddled him, but he still clutched her wrists. He tugged her down and stole another kiss. Her teeth snagged his lower lip, drawing blood. A metallic tang glossed across his tongue.

  He released her wrists to wipe at his mouth, grinning despite the pain. She leapt off him, but he wasn’t finished. Neither was she. She might struggle, but he could scent her arousal from miles away.

  It was time to determine who was master and who was slave.

  Arsenius rose to his feet and caught Kyme by the wrist. He scooped her up and set her on the desk.

  She squirmed and hissed. He cut her off, gripped the back of her head with his hand, and claimed her lips.

  As his hand cupped her breast, the air retreated from her body in a moan. She stopped fighting him while he teased her nipple with his thumb. Her breath came in long, shuddering gasps. He trailed his lips down her neck, leisurely unbuttoning her shirt and kissing each inch of newly exposed skin.

  His whole body trembled in anticipation. This first touch was his.

  Mine, the beast inside him roared. He closed his eyes, not bothering to correct that declaration. Slipping his hand inside her shirt, he palmed the delicate weight of her breast. A delightful handful that shot painful jolts through his groin. He lowered his mouth onto her other breast, suckling her through the linen. He gave a gentle tug and glided his tongue along the tight tip in slow, deliberate circles. She moaned and went utterly limp in his arms. He balanced her weight easily with one arm and used his other hand to finish undoing the buttons.