Darkness Seduced (Primal Heat Trilogy #2) (Order of the Blade) (9 page)

“Hold your breath.” His voice was quiet, his lips brushing her ear.

She had no time to ask, sucking in her breath as he turned them in the air, so he was below her. The impact shook her as his body hit, and then she was sucked under water so cold it shocked the breath right out of her body.

Panic seized her as the world descended into silence, then Gideon jerked her to the surface. Her head popped out of the water, and she gasped with relief even as the rapids crashed into her face, nearly swamping her.

There was a hiss of air, and her jacket inflated, covering her face and mouth. She clawed at the collar, trying to get it out of the way as she was tossed against Gideon, who still had her locked down against his body. He shouted something, but she couldn’t hear it over the roar or the water, an all-consuming noise flooding her senses. She got the jacket out of the way, and sucked in a breath a split second before a wave filled her mouth. “Gideon,” she screamed.

She might have heard an answer, but then there was a brutal impact that wrenched her out of Gideon’s arms. She scrabbled for the rock that had separated them but was ripped away, tossed ruthlessly by the raging river.

The harness tugged at her chest, and she grabbed at it, shocked by how loose it was, even with the inflated jacket beneath it. Another wave crashed into her and Lily sucked in water, a cough ripping through her as she tried to clear her lungs.

Then she was yanked beneath the water, the icy coldness closing over her head. Her body slammed into another rock, knocking the wind out of her, then the jacket popped her back up to the surface, and she gasped in air the instant her head was free.

The collar of the jacket rose over her face and she tried to pull it down. The harness tightened around her chest, as if Gideon was pulling on it. She grabbed it, holding so it couldn’t slip off, trying to lift her chin high enough out of the water to catch another breath.

She bumped against another rock, hitting it so hard she lost her grip. Her head ringing, she felt the harness slide down her shoulder and dig into her upper arm. “God, no!” She coughed as more water poured into her mouth, and grabbed the harness, her fingers so cold she could barely hold onto the slippery nylon.

Something brushed against her fingers, and she almost jerked away before she realized it was a hand closing around her arm. “Gideon!”

He grabbed her wrist, then yanked her over to him. She caught a glimpse of his face, his light brown hair plastered to his head, water streaming down his cheeks. Elation rushed through her, and she felt like crying with joy as he dragged her to him with fierce strength.

She slammed into him and then his arms were around her again, trapping her against him. Her back was against his chest, his arms tight around her upper body. His grip was unwavering as the river flung them about. “We’re going to ride for a while,” he shouted. “Hang on!”

She gripped his arm with one hand and used the other to tug the collar of her jacket out of her face so she could breathe. She sucked in air, then pressed her lips shut as another wave crashed in her face. Water stung as it flooded up her nose.

They were tossed into another rock, but this time Gideon took the hit and kept his grip, cushioning the blow. Then they were out in the middle of the river again, the water crashing in her ears, against her face. It sucked them both beneath the surface, the icy cold water closing over their heads.

Gideon shoved off another rock and they shot upward, breaking through the surface as a huge log careened toward them. Gideon threw up his arm to block it, and it smacked into his forearm a split second before it would have crashed into Lily’s head.

Then they were off again, the raging waters tossing them violently as she gasped for air each chance she got, bouncing off rocks as Gideon fought to control their ride.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the water began to calm. The roar eased and the waves stopped trying to swamp her. Lily let her head fall back against Gideon’s shoulder as they were carried down the river, her body shaking so hard she couldn’t stop her teeth from rattling.

“You doing all right?” he asked.

“Fantastic.”

His arm tightened around her. “That’s my girl.”

“I’m not your girl,” she mumbled. “I’ve been owned by Nate for two years. I’ll never be anyone’s girl again.”

“He didn’t own you. He might have tried, but he never did.” There was a fury in Gideon’s voice that warmed her.

She closed her eyes, suddenly too exhausted and too cold to keep them open. “That’s what I kept telling myself, but now—”

“Fuck that. He’s dead. You’re not. You win.”

“I win,” she murmured as the gentle swirls of the water lulled her to sleep. “Yay, me.”
So tired. Just need to sleep...

“Lily!” He shook her hard and she jerked awake. “Stay with me. I’m taking us to shore.”

She let her eyes fall closed again. “Tired...”

He shook her again. “Lily! You need to stay awake.” His voice was laced with such urgency she felt it prick through her exhaustion. She forced her eyes open, staring up at the vast starry sky. “Freedom,” she mumbled. “No boundaries. Stars are free.”

“Like you.” His body jarred against her as his feet hit ground, and he swung her up into his arms as he slogged his way out of the water. “You’re no longer his prisoner.”

The cold air hit Lily’s bare legs, and she shuddered, realizing how much her body was shaking. The cold had penetrated to her core. So very cold.

“Hang tight, Lily. We’ll get you warm in a second.” Gideon broke into a jog, holding her tight against his chest as he loped away from the river, until she could no longer see it, and could no longer hear the soft waves lapping at the rocks.

He dropped to his knees and set her on the ground. “Get out of that harness and jacket.”

“Okay.” Lily sat up as he quickly unfastened the pack that was still strapped around his body. Her fingers fumbled with the buckles, aching with cold as she tried to free herself. Her hands shook, and she couldn’t even feel the metal as she tried to grip it. Her stomach was shivering so hard it hurt, and her brain felt slow and thick. “Can’t...”

Gideon cursed and took over, his fingers flying over the buckles as he freed her and eased the harness off her shoulders. He unzipped the jacket and helped her get it off. Her white blouse was plastered to her, and she vaguely noticed that Gideon would be able to see her nipples clearly though it.

But he was already unzipping the pack he’d brought and he pulled out a thick sweatshirt. He set it on the ground then flicked his fingers toward her blouse. “You want help getting that off?”

“No,” she mumbled through her chattering teeth. “I’ve got it.” She tried to unbutton it, but her fingers slid off the smooth plastic.

Gideon made a noise of aggravation, then grabbed the edges of the blouse and ripped it off her. “Trust me, although I think you’re unbelievably sexy, I have enough self-control not to try to seduce you right now. I need to clean your back.” He turned her gently, and she felt his hands probing the cuts on her skin. She bit her lip, preparing for the pain, but her back was so numb with cold that she felt nothing.

Gideon grunted with satisfaction. “The river washed the glass out. You’re good.” He grinned. “Nothing like class five rapids to flush out a little glass, right?”

“Class five?” She mumbled. “You carried us through class five rapids? Aren’t those deadly?”

“Nah. Just a little bit of recreational activity.” He grabbed the sweatshirt and tugged it over her head, guiding her hands through the sleeves and tucking the hood around her head. “Let’s get you warm.”

He grabbed her hands and helped her to her feet. He yanked her tattered and drenched skirt and underwear down over her hips. She braced her hands on his shoulders, leaning on him for support, her legs too exhausted to support her. She held tight to him as he slid her feet into a pair of thick sweats and tugged them up her legs and over her hips. He eased her back down to the ground and pulled a pair of thick socks over her feet.

She watched Gideon numbly, his muscles bunching as he took care of her. How was it possible that the first kind word she’d heard in ages was from the man she’d vilified for so long? How was it possible he even knew how to offer kindness and support? It didn’t make sense, and she was too tired to figure it out. It was all she could do to simply hold herself upright and accept his help.

Gideon yanked a thin blanket made of dark, shiny material out of the pack and tossed it at her. “Here.”

Her freezing fingers stung as the slippery material landed on her hand. “You fit all that in there?”

He peeled his wet jeans off. “I prioritized my packing list. You needed clothes.”

She wanted to watch as his jeans slid over his legs, but she was too tired. Too cold. Her eyes fell shut as she curled into a ball and tugged the blanket over her, her body aching as she shook with cold and exhaustion. She was vaguely aware of Gideon moving around her. She heard the sound of branches crackling, and wondered if he was making a fire.

Probably not. Too much exposure.

Then his hand was on her shoulder. “That blanket is actually a sleeping bag,” he said, his deep voice soothing. “It’s a special material that traps heat.”

She didn’t open her eyes as he pried the foil out of her hand, curling herself tighter into a ball as he shook out the blanket. She heard the burl of a zipper and the soft sound of it being spread on the sandy ground, then he gently clasped her shoulders and rolled her over onto it. She felt the slippery coldness of the blanket under her cheek, her body still shaking violently as he flipped it over her and zipped it back up.

“Move over.” He nudged at her, and she realized he was climbing in with her. “You need my heat to warm up.”

She tried to scoot, but she couldn’t make her body move. Too cold. Too exhausted. “Can’t.”

“It’s okay.” His hands slid down her back and gently shifted her to the side, then he wedged himself in the bag with her. He pulled her hood up, then snaked his arm around her and threw his leg over hers, enveloping her with his bulk, tugging her into the curve of his body. “Shit, you’re still shaking.”

Lily couldn’t believe how good it felt to be tangled up with him. Nothing had ever felt as amazing as his body wrapped around hers. He was warm, burning hot, infusing her with fire. But it wasn’t just that. He was so powerful, so strong, so dominating in the way he tucked her against him. She felt like she’d burrowed into some secret hideaway complete with her own personal immortal guardian who would keep all the nightmares away.

All the hell that had been chasing her fell away, unable to penetrate the cocoon that Gideon had created for her. She breathed deeply, basking in his musky male scent, like leather and smoke mixed with the warmth of a hot summer day while she felt the aching tension in her body began to ease, tension she’d been holding for two years. “Don’t even tell me you’re going to pull the old ‘we both have to be naked’ thing to warm you up,” she mumbled.

He chuckled. “No, just me.”

“You?” She untangled her hand from the oversized sleeve of the sweatshirt and felt for his thigh where it was draped over her, sucking in her breath when her hand landed on his bare skin, the sinews of his muscles flexing beneath her touch.

He was blistering hot, resonating with strength and power, and she couldn’t bring herself to pull her hand away. He felt so alive, so warm, so
there
. Her fingers dug into his leg, as she felt her throat tighten, overwhelmed by his mere presence. By the fact he was there, for her, protecting
her
. For the first time in so long, she had help. She wasn’t alone. Not anymore. Not for this moment.

On the road, she’d had that moment where she’d tasted safety, but it hadn’t been real. She’d still been exposed, alone, and vulnerable, only minutes ahead of her pursuers. There had been no time to stop and fall apart. But now, in Gideon’s arms, with the heat of his body easing the tension in her muscles, his strength wrapped around her so securely, and the quietness of their solitude in the woods, the urgency faded.

There was no battle to fight right now. It was over for the moment. Lily didn’t have to stay strong any more, and her heart knew it. Her eyes began to sting and she scrunched them shut, trying not to cry, afraid to let go and feel all the emotions she’d been holding at bay for so long.

“I didn’t have space to pack dry clothes for me, and it wouldn’t have made sense for me to get in here wet,” Gideon said. “There’s nothing sexual about me being totally naked in a sleeping bag with you. Absolutely nothing.” But there was an undercurrent in his voice that made her snort.

“Liar,” she managed to say, barely able to keep the tears out of her voice.

“Yeah, okay, so I’m not exactly thinking saintly thoughts right now.” He laughed softly and tightened his arm around her, pulling her even more securely against his body. “But right now my biggest concern is making sure you actually survive.” He rested his cheek against her head. “How do you feel?”

The concern in his voice plucked at her, and she felt her walls begin to crumble. “Exhausted.” Her voice broke, and she clamped her lips shut against a moan that echoed deep inside her as her anguish finally broke free. The hopelessness she’d been fighting for so long, the loneliness, the fear, and the uncertainty that she’d kept ratcheted down in order to survive— she couldn’t hold any of it back anymore. She pressed her palms to her eyes, trying to hold herself together.

Gideon brushed his lips over her hair. “Let it go,” he whispered. “You don’t have to be strong anymore.”

“God, yes, I do.” She shuddered as grief wracked her body, as the first tear burst free, trickling down her cheek. “I can’t fall apart,” she whispered. “If I do, I’ll never get it back.”

Gideon nuzzled aside the hood of the sweatshirt and kissed the side of her neck. “Yeah, you will.”

Tears spilled over as she wrapped her fingers around his wrists, holding him tight so he couldn’t let her go. “I can’t let Nate defeat me. Don’t you see? I have to be stronger than he is.”

“You are. You survived. He didn’t. It’s over now, Lily. It’s over. You’re safe right now. I’ve got you. Stop fighting.”

It’s over
. The last of her walls shattered at his words, and the sobs burst free, as two years of fear, grief and loneliness poured out of her, raking her with pain, consuming her.

Lily rocked back and forth as the sobs shook her. Through the tears, the pain, the debilitating exhaustion, she was so aware of Gideon’s arms tight around her, of his lips against her ear, whispering to her, soothing her. She didn’t even know what he said. It didn’t matter. The mere fact he was there was enough, and she latched onto his voice, drank in his reassurances, and cried until she was certain she’d never be able to stop.