The Dark-Hunters (52 page)

Grace pulled a small box out of one bag. “This one’s for you,” she said, handing it to Julian.

Julian opened the box, then paled.

Grace looked over and gasped. “It’s your general’s ring.”

They exchanged a stunned look.

“How did he get it?” Grace asked.

Amanda edged closer to take a look at the ring. Like Kyrian’s, it had a sword of diamonds and emerald laurel leaves against a deep ruby background. “It looks like the one Kyrian wears. Except his has a crown on it.”

Julian nodded. “His is marked with a royal seal while mine is strictly military.”

Confused, Amanda looked up at him. “Royal?”

“Kyrian was a prince,” he said simply. “Sole heir to the throne of Thrace.”

Amanda’s mouth dropped. “The Romans crucified an heir? I didn’t think they could do that.”

Julian’s jaw ticced. “Technically, they couldn’t, but Kyrian’s father disowned him the day he married Theone.”

“Why?” Amanda asked.

“She was a
hetaira.
” He saw the bemused scowl on her face and added, “They were lower-class women who were trained to be entertainers and companions for wealthy men.”

“Ah,” she said, easily seeing how that could make his family angry. “Was he looking for a companion when he met her?”

Julian shook his head. “Kyrian met her at a friend’s party and was enchanted by her. He swore it was love at first sight. All of us tried to tell him she was only after his wealth, but he refused to listen.”

Julian laughed bitterly. “He did that a lot back then. His father adored him, but when Alkis found out Kyrian had broken his engagement to the Macedonian princess so that he could marry Theone, he was incensed. Alkis told him that a king couldn’t rule with a whore by his side. They argued, and finally, Kyrian rode out of his father’s palace, straight to Theone and married her within the hour. When Alkis found out, he told Kyrian he was dead to him.”

Her chest tightened at his words as sympathetic pain sliced through her heart. “So, he gave up everything for her?”

Julian nodded grimly. “The worst part is, Kyrian was never unfaithful to her. Neither one of you really appreciates what an accomplishment that was. In our day, there was no such thing as monogamy. It was completely unheard of for a man to be faithful to his wife, especially one of Kyrian’s heritage and wealth. But once Kyrian married Theone, he never wanted anyone else. Never even looked at another woman.”

Julian’s eyes flashed angrily. “He really did live and die for her.”

Amanda’s heart ached for Kyrian. The pain he must still have over it.

Grace handed Amanda three bags that held gift-wrapped boxes. “These are for you.”

Amanda opened the largest box to find a thickly woven designer coatdress. She ran her hand over the soft, navy blue silk. She’d never felt anything like it. Looking in the bags, she found shoes, and other boxes marked with the Victoria’s Secret logo. Blushing, she didn’t dare open those around Julian and Grace. Not unless she wanted to die of embarrassment.

“How did he know my size?” she asked as she checked the tags on the dress.

Julian shrugged.

Amanda paused as she found a note addressed to her. The handwriting was elegant and crisp.

Sorry about your sweater. Thanks for being such a good sport.

—
Hunter

Amanda smiled, even though a tiny part of her was hurt by the fact he still refused to use his real name with her. No doubt it was his way of keeping a distance between them.

So be it. He had a right to his privacy. A right to live his dangerous immortal life without any kind of close entanglements with humans. If he wanted to remain Hunter to her, she would respect that.

Still, after all they had gone through last night …

In her heart, it didn’t matter what name he used. She knew the truth of him.

Gathering her gifts, she headed back up the stairs to get ready for work, but what she really wanted to do was thank Hunter for his kindness.

*   *   *

After her shower, Amanda opened all her gifts to find a treasure of naughty lingerie. Hunter had bought her blue silk stockings with a matching garter belt. She’d never before owned or worn one, and it took her several minutes to figure out how to operate it. A matching silk bra and thong completed the outfit.

“Hmm…” For a man wanting to keep his distance, he certainly made some very personal choices for her. But then, he was nothing if not an enigma.

Amanda bit her lip as she reached for her dress. She felt so incredibly feminine and soft wearing her new lingerie, and a tiny shiver went up her spine as she thought about the fact that Hunter’s hands had touched them.

It was incredibly erotic knowing his hand had probably traced the delicate lace of the thong that now rested intimately between her thighs. That his hand had touched inside the cup that cradled her breast.

How she wished to have him there to undress her. To touch her as intimately as the garments did.

She drew her breath in sharply between her teeth as she imagined the dark, hooded look on his face he would have as he took her into his arms and made love to her. Her breasts tingled and swelled at the very thought of it.

She picked up the dress from the bed and held it against her. For the merest instant, she thought she caught a whiff of Hunter’s exotic scent. It sent stabs of desire through her.

As she dressed, the silk of the dress slid against her skin, reminding her of her dream. The feel of Hunter’s hands on her body.

Oh, how she wished he were here. How she wished she could watch him unbutton her dress to discover the woman beneath it. But it would never happen. Kyrian was gone forever back to his dangerous life.

Her stabs of desire ended instantly, and were replaced by a profound pain in her heart. A pain that made no sense to her and yet it was there. Aching. Wanting. Needing.

Sighing, Amanda slid the shoes on and made her way downstairs where Julian was waiting to take her to work.

*   *   *

“I am so sorry about you and Cliff.”

Amanda looked up from her desk and counted to ten. Slowly. If one more person said that to her, she was going to go berserk, head down to Cliff’s office, and carve him into little, bloody Cliff-kabob pieces.

He had told everyone in the office about their breakup and had arrogantly said she was too torn up by it to come in yesterday.

She could kill him!

“I’m fine, Tammy,” she said to their office manager with a forced smile.

“That’s it,” Tammy said. “You keep your spirits up.”

Amanda curled her lip as Tammy left. At least the day was over. Now she could go home and …

And dream of the tall, handsome man she’d never see again.

Why did that hurt more than the fact Cliff had broken up with her?

What was it about Hunter that made her miss him so…?

But she knew. He was gorgeous and smart and heroic. He was mysterious and lethal. Better yet, he made her heart pound every time he flashed that dazzling smile at her.

And he was gone forever.

Depressed, she prepared to leave.

After putting her files in her briefcase, Amanda headed out of her office, to the elevator, and pushed the button to the lobby. She didn’t want to keep Grace waiting outside with the twins. Besides, she was tired of the office.

This had been the longest day of her life.

Why had she ever wanted to be an accountant, anyway? Selena was right, her life was mind-shatteringly boring.

When the doors to the elevator opened to the glass-enclosed lobby, she stepped out and looked around. Even though it was dark outside, the parking-lot lights were so bright, she could tell Grace wasn’t there yet. Damn! She was more than ready to go home.

Irritated, Amanda went to stand by the door.

As she shifted her briefcase, Cliff came out of the next elevator, surrounded by his friends.

Great, just great. Her day kept getting better and better.

Spotting her alone, Cliff preened like a peacock as he approached her. “Is something wrong?” he asked as he stopped by her side.

“No. My ride isn’t here yet,” she said curtly.

“Well, if you need a ride home…”

“I don’t need anything from you, okay?” She headed out the doors to wait in the dark cold. Better to freeze in the winter chill than spend another minute around the last man on earth she wanted to see.

Cliff pulled her to a stop outside the building. The streetlights glinted dimly against his dark blond hair. “Look, Mandy, there’s no reason why we can’t be friends.”

“Don’t you dare be magnanimous about this after the stunt you pulled today. Who do you think you are, telling everyone about my family?”

“Oh, c’mon, Mandy—”

“Stop calling me Mandy when you know how much I hate it.”

He looked over his shoulder and she realized half the office was standing there, listening. “Look, I’m not the one who had to stay home yesterday because I was so emotionally distraught over Saturday night.”

Her anger ignited. Emotionally distraught? Her?

Over
him?

Amanda took a good look at him. And for the first time, she realized just what a weasel he was.

“Excuse me, but I wasn’t home yesterday, either. In fact, you know where I was? I spent the entire day in the arms of a gorgeous blond god. I am so over you.”

He snorted. “See, I knew it was just a matter of time before your family rubbed off on you. You’re crazy like the rest of them. I bet you show up tomorrow decked out in black leather and talking about staking vampires.”

Never in her life had she wanted to slap anyone as much as she did him right then.

Why had she ever thought they were compatible? He was vile and rude. Worse, he was judgmental! Tabitha might be a nutcase, but she was her sister and no one not related to them had better insult her!

Suddenly, every flaw she had dismissed about Cliff came to the forefront. And to think she had spent a year of her life trying to please this jerk.

She was an idiot! And stupid, dumb …

Amanda felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise an instant before she heard the revving noise of a finely tuned engine in the distance.

Cliff turned his head toward the street and gaped.

She looked to see what had captured his attention and froze at the sight of a sleek black Lamborghini heading up the drive and stopping at the curb in front of them.

A smile broke across her face.

Surely not …

Her heart pounded as the door lifted and Hunter got out. Dressed in faded jeans, a gray and black V-neck sweater, and a black leather jacket, the man was drop-dead stunning.

And that deadly swagger of his made her weak in the knees.

“Oh baby,” she heard Tammy whisper as he came around the car.

Hunter stopped in front of Amanda and raked a hungry look over her body. “Hi, luscious,” he said in that deep, evocative voice. “Sorry I’m late.”

Before Amanda knew what he was doing, he pulled her into his arms and gave her a sizzling hot kiss. Her body burned in response to his tongue tasting hers as he fisted his hands against her back. Then, he dipped down and picked her up in his arms.

“Hunter!” she gasped as he carried her effortlessly toward the car.

He gave her that devilish tight-lipped smile. His midnight eyes were warm and alive with humor and hunger.

With the toe of his boot, he opened the passenger-side door and set her inside. He retrieved her briefcase and purse from the sidewalk where she had dropped them and handed them to her. Then, he turned and gave a knowing smile to Cliff. “You really have to love a woman who lives to see you naked.”

The look on Cliff’s face was priceless as Hunter closed the door, then gracefully walked over to the driver’s side of the Lamborghini. In one fluid movement, he got inside the car and they were headed out of the lot.

A thousand emotions tore through Amanda. Gratitude, laughter, but most of all, happiness at seeing him again, especially after both Julian and her mind had convinced her that she never would.

She couldn’t believe what he’d just done for her.

“What are you doing here?” she asked as he headed out of the parking lot.

“You have made me insane all day long,” he breathed. “I could sense you in turmoil and pain, but I didn’t know why. So, I called Grace and found out she was supposed to pick you up after work.”

“You still haven’t told me why you’re here.”

“I had to make sure you were okay.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. I just did.”

Warmed by his words, she toyed with her seat belt. “Thank you for the clothes. And for what you did back there with Cliff.”

“My pleasure.”

Right now, it was all she could do not to reach out and touch him. To kiss her scrumptious champion.

Hunter shifted gears and headed away from the business district. “I just have one question, why would a woman like you ever want to marry something like him?”

Amanda arched a brow. “How did you—”

“I’m psychic, remember? Your true feelings for the ‘imbecilic jerk’ are all over your mind at the moment.”

She cringed and wished she could shield her thoughts.

“I heard that, too,” Hunter teased, making her really wonder if he had.

“Is there anything I can do about your peeping into my head all the time? It really makes me uncomfortable.”

“If you like, I could relinquish that power over you.”

“Really? You can just drop a power anytime you want to?”

He snorted. “Not exactly. The only power I can relinquish is the ability to see into someone’s thoughts.”

“Once relinquished, can you get it back?”

“Yes, but it’s not easy.”

“Then banish it, buster.”

Kyrian laughed and tried to focus on the road, but all he really noticed was the slit in her dress that bared a goodly portion of her silk-clad thigh. Worse, he knew what she wore beneath that dress. It was another image that had haunted him all day as he had tried to sleep.

The thought of her lush curves cupped by the garter belt and thong … It made his mouth water. And all he wanted to do was slide his hand underneath that well-crafted hem until he felt the tiny strip of silk that shielded her most private place. Oh yeah, he could imagine moving it aside with his fingers until he had full access to her.