“Do you?”
His hand caught her chin, and he forced her to look him directly in the eye. There was a fiery light in his brown eyes that made her throat constrict slightly as he glared at her. He’d never touched her in such an intimate fashion before. It was a possessive touch, and it shifted the balance between them.
Deep down she’d always wondered if he cared for her, but not once in the more than twenty years she’d known him had he strayed from their platonic relationship. And he’d certainly never touched her like this. Caught off guard by his unusual behavior, her eyes widened as he drew closer then stopped just inches away from her mouth.
Care Deus,
was the man about to kiss her? She’d no sooner allowed the thought to enter her head, than his hand curled around her neck and he tugged her into him to capture her mouth in a hard kiss.
She was so surprised she froze, unable to think. The minute his tongue teased her mouth open, she shuddered. It was a hot caress, and although he simply tempted her with his mouth, the kiss said he wanted to do much more. The fiery touch of his lips against hers sent a signal from her brain that she’d missed being kissed—being touched. The thought made her instinctively respond to his caress, her mouth moving against his.
It had been such a long time since she’d thought herself desirable, and his hot touch made her feel just like that—desired. It had been even longer since a man had kissed her with a passion that said he wanted to caress every inch of her. The last time—she shuddered and jerked away from him with a gasp.
Matris Deus
, what was she doing? She was blood bonded to Marcus. Almost as if he could read her thoughts, his eyes narrowed as he studied her with a fierce look, his breathing ragged. In a slow, seductive move, his thumb slowly brushed across her lower lip.
“My patience is coming to an end, c
arissima
. One day soon you’ll have to choose between a ghost and me,” he growled fiercely. “I’ve waited far too long as it is.” Stunned by his words, she watched him wheel sharply on his heel and stalk away from her. Dazed by what had just transpired between the two of them, she followed him through the kitchen and along the narrow corridor that led to the garage. Suddenly the steady, comfortable relationship she’d enjoyed with Ignacio had been turned upside down. It made her feel uncertain and on edge.
It was as if she was being unfaithful to Marcus. She flinched. How could she be unfaithful to a man she’d not lived with for more than twenty-five years? The simplicity of the answer made her bite back tears. Because she’d never stopped loving him. Her heart convulsed with pain at the thought. Wasn’t life supposed to become less complicated the older one got?
The silence between her and Ignacio didn’t ease as they entered the garage that was large enough to easily hold five or six cars. At the moment, there were only two. Both of them Land Rovers. One vehicle beeped as Ignacio pressed a button on his key. His walk indicated a restrained anger that increased the sharp tension between them.
When he jerked open the car door, he didn’t even bother to look at her as she climbed into the Land Rover. The door slammed shut with a fury that made her jump. De
us
, she’d seen him angry before, but not like this. This display of emotion was so unlike him. He didn’t say a word. He simply drove out of the garage with a ferocity that made her wrap her fingers around the hand grip just above her head.
The diplomat in her went to work trying to figure out the best way to handle the awkward situation she found herself in with Ignacio. As he drove through the relatively empty streets of the city, she stared out at the dark buildings and occasional all-night cafe. Was he thinking of resigning as her
Celeris?
The thought of him doing so dismayed her. He’d been her friend since Cleo had been just a toddler, and he was one of the few people she trusted in the Order. Ignacio always seemed to have the pulse of the Council, and she’d come to rely on him for not only information, but as a sounding board. There were far too many politicians on the Council quick to service their own needs before the Order itself.
Losing Ignacio meant her ability to govern would be weakened. A fact a number of Council members would look to capitalize on. The crest of Palatine Hill rose in front of them, but she was no closer to a solution when they reached their destination than she had been when they left the safe house. As the car came to a halt, she quickly reached for the door handle. A firm hand prevented her from exiting the car. Her gaze fell to the strong fingers curled around her arm before she looked up to meet his harsh look.
“A few days ago, you vanished into the heart of the city without benefit of protection. This morning, you would have come here alone if I’d forbidden you to leave the house.” He glared at her as she opened her mouth to protest. “Don’t. I know you too well. As
Prima Consul
of the Sicari Order, you’re taking unacceptable risks. If the Praetorians captured you, do you really think you will be able to keep from telling them all your
secrets?”
She swallowed hard at his question. Should she tell him that she’d not been in that much danger at the Santa Maria sopra Minerva? No. While she trusted Ignacio, there was no need for him to know about the Sicari Lords. They were not invincible, and they operated the A
bsconditus
in secret to protect the younger Sicari Lords they trained. Children like Gabriel. Her breath caught in her throat as she closed herself to the pain the memory of Gabriel brought her.
“You’re right,” she said stiffly. “I shall take greater care not to make you or the others worry about my safety while we’re in Rome.”
“F
otte
, I’m not saying this as your
Celeris
. I’m saying this as a man who cares for you-deeply.”
The intensity in his voice made her wince. De
us
, this was becoming far too complicated. She wanted the comfortable familiarity she’d grown used to where he was concerned. She averted her head and nodded, unwilling to say anything. The tension between them was far too volatile. A moment later, he uttered a soft growl of frustration and released her. A horde of Praetorians on her heels couldn’t have made her move faster to get out of the Land Rover.
She heard Ignacio leave the vehicle as well and jumped at the way he slammed the car door. It was something he wouldn’t have normally done. Sound always drew attention. She swallowed her immediate impulse to chastise him. Instead, she circled the back of the car and headed up the footpath leading to La Terrazza del Ninfeo. The fact that most of Palatine Hill was closed to the public for excavation work made it a little more difficult to achieve her goal, but she always kept a set of archeological credentials in the car.
Even with the trail still cloaked in the waning shadows of the night, she had no trouble navigating the dirt path that led up to the aviaries. Rainaldi had designed the two buildings in the seventeenth century for a member of the Farnese family, and it was one of her favorite spots in all Rome. Whenever she visited here, it calmed her—gave her a sense of peace that was not always easy to come by in her role as Prim
a Consul
. The quiet, particularly at this time of the morning, was something she cherished.
Behind her, she heard Ignacio’s footsteps fade as he stepped off the path to stand guard. The sky had lightened considerably, and she quickly circled the light, coral-colored aviaries to drink in the view. The crisp air she breathed in had a mildness to it that said spring would be early this year.
She moved to sit on a stone bench that overlooked the city. Already she could feel some of her stress ease as the solitude enveloped her. A thin line of yellow edged its way along the horizon illuminating the city with soft hues of yellow, rose, and mauve. As the line thickened, she frowned. What was she going to do about Ignacio? The man had literally
declared himself in the car. Something told her he wasn’t about to let her evade the subject, no matter how hard she tried. And it
was
a subject she wanted to avoid.
She couldn’t explain to him that the man he thought was a ghost from her past was still alive. And that she was still bonded to him. Would Marcus be willing to break their blood bond? If their most recent meeting were anything to go on, she was certain he’d strongly object to doing so. Then there was the question of whether s
he
wanted to be done with it.
With a frown, she forced herself to watch the sunrise over the city. She’d come here to find some peace. For a long time, she did nothing but watch as the sun slowly crept its way upward to paint cream and pink hues on the facades of Rome’s ancient monuments.
Color spilled across the crumbling Coliseum, the Pantheon, and other monuments on Capitoline Hill. The view was stunning and she was so lost in the beauty of it that she didn’t know he was there until her neck tingled with that familiar frisson. Only Marcus could evoke that type of sensation in her. She sprang to her feet and turned around to see him standing a few feet away. His cerulean eyes were unreadable as his gaze met hers.
“I thought you might come here,” he said quietly.
In the early-morning light, he was magnificent. The silver in his dark hair seemed more predominant today than when they’d met in the crypt. But it didn’t detract from his features; if anything, it made him more handsome. He’d discarded his monk’s cloak for a dark blue sweater and matching pants, and he wore his sword in a scabbard slung over his back. The well-toned muscles beneath his clothing belonged to that of a younger man, a clear indication he was in excellent physical condition. She drew in a sharp breath.
The man wasn’t just magnificent. He was devastating. Perhaps more so than when they’d first met all those years ago. Despite the several feet between them, he set off a heat in her that no man had ever been able to duplicate. She swallowed hard as she fought to keep her heart beating at a slow, easy pace. She failed. Why was he here? Had he—her heart slammed into her chest.
“Gabriel?” she whispered.
“No, c
arissima
. Nothing’s changed.” He moved quickly to skirt the bench and take her hands into his. “I came because I knew my message would upset you. I would have remained silent except for the fact that you were angry the last time I kept something from you.”
A mirthless laugh escaped her.
Now
the man decided to listen to her. She didn’t resist as he gently forced her to sit down on the bench. He’d come because he was worried about her. It made her feel cherished. She frowned. How had he known where she was?
“How did you find me?” It annoyed her to hear the breathless note in her voice. He smiled almost as if he’d read her mind, but she knew it was the expression on her face
that gave her away.
“I remembered how you always enjoyed the sunrise from this vantage point when you needed solitude,” he said as he released one of her hands.
The fact that he remembered made her heart swell with a happiness she didn’t want to feel. She was grateful he didn’t mention the last time the two of them had been here. It was a wonderful memory, but if Marcus were ever to learn the truth—she refused to even consider the possibility. As she studied his face, his solemn expression troubled her.
“What are you going to do … about Gabriel?”
“He’s no longer Gabriel, c
ara
.” He kept her hand in his as he turned to stare out at the vista in front of them. “He almost killed Condellaire.”
“Dear
God.
Those were Gabriel’s fingerprints on Lysander’s neck?” she gasped.
“Yes. If I’d arrived just a few minutes later …” There was a note of concern in his voice that frightened her. She’d already lost her son. She wouldn’t lose Marcus, too.
“You m
ust
send for Dante.”
“The boy’s not ready.”
“He’s been your pupil since he was five. Are you telling me that you’ve been able to teach him nothing?” Her scornful words were deliberately meant to prick his ego, and as he stiffened beside her, she knew she’d succeeded.
“Your point is well taken, but then Gabriel is my responsibility, not Dante’s. My son’s actions reflect on me.”
The inflexible note in his voice angered her. Were all Sicari males this stubborn or had she simply had the misfortune to know only obstinate ones? When she grabbed his arm hard, he turned his head to look at her.
“I’ve already lost one—my son—do you expect me to mourn you as well?” she snapped.
A small smile tipped the corners of his mouth, and he carried her hand to his lips. He lightly kissed the tips of her fingers, his breath filling the pores of her skin with heat. The fiery warmth sank down to the cellular level, where it created a chain reaction of sensation that sped like lightning through her body.
“That’s the second time this week you’ve expressed concern for my well-being. Perhaps winning your heart again won’t be as difficult as I first thought.” His eyes met hers as he gently turned her palm upward and kissed the scar in the center. The tenderness in the touch reminded her of so many other similar moments, and she struggled hard to keep
breathing.
“It’s natural for me to be concerned about the father of my … son,” she whispered.
“Is that the only reason, i
namorato?”
He slid his mouth to the inside of her wrist. The caress sent a stream of fire racing up her arm until it crashed into her shoulder and spread rapidly into the rest of her body. A knot formed in her throat as she struggled to think of something coherent to say. For the love of Jupiter. She was the Prim
a Consul
. One would think she could string two words together into some semblance of a sentence.
“Of course, it’s the only reason.” Relief swept through her at the matter-of-fact sound of her voice. With a quick breath, she pulled free of his touch and slid back along the bench to put distance between them.
“I see,” he said with a frown as he pinned her with that striking blue gaze of his.
