AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Blood rushes in my ears muffling the thunder and dulling all my senses. I can’t hear anything except my heavy breathing and the thud of my heart is like a drum in my chest.
Just a little further. My legs slip out from under me when the ground shifts into a downward slope. I can’t catch my footing and there’s nothing to grab onto to stop my slide. My gown is ruined, wet hair plasters to my face, and the rain has turned frigid to the point I can’t feel my fingertips. I reach for anything I can get a hold of, but trimmed grass is a bitch to grab a fist full of when wet.
I roll in time to see a steep drop off just beyond the atrium.
“Oh, God!” I flail and pinwheel my arms and legs but nothing is slowing me down. Who the hell builds shit so close to a drop off?
Stiff winds cut up the steep cliff. It catches on my gown and brings the material nearly over my head. I fight to push it down so I don’t lose the use of my hands.
This is it. Death by cliff. It’s going to happen and some unlucky bastard is going to find my dead, drowned body splattered all over the rocks below.
A hand clamps onto mine, and I suddenly come to an abrupt stop.
“Let go of me!” Okay, I don’t really mean that but also, who the hell has me?
I roll to my belly, all the water, grass and dirt forgotten to see piercing blue eyes reflect a burst of lightning.
“So you can die? Have you lost your mind?”
I recognize the gruff voice, too.
“Valerian!” I fight to my feet. Once I find my balance, I jerk my hand away.
“Bella, damn it! Stop fighting me.” Rough hands grab at me again and this time I don’t fight them off and try to get away.
My brain catches up and I quickly realize I’m not in danger anymore. I never was. “Valerian?” All the tension in my muscles ease and I can breathe again. “Thank God! I didn’t know who was out there. Why the hell didn’t you speak up?”
He grabs my face, and I look up to find a look of fear and mortification on his. “Speak up? Woman, I was yelling for you to stop running. Every time you heard me you ran faster.”
I lick my lips and he watches hungrily as my tongue darts over the plump flesh.
“Oh. Well, okay. This is embarrassing, but the truth is panic mode kicked in. I guess I couldn’t hear you over my racing heart.”
He drags my shaking body into his arms and the instant warmth radiating off him is more than welcome. I wrap my arms around his middle and rest my head over his heart. The rhythmic beat is soothing after my mad dash across Mother Nature’s own wet slide.
His large hands hold me to him. His chest rumbles as he speaks. “What the hell are you doing out here, anyway? You could have fallen to your death.” His hands move to my shoulders and he pulls me away from him. Strong fingers dig into my flesh. Anger and fear color his words.
Relief turns into irritation. I wipe the rain from my eyes and scowl up at him. “You scared the crap out of me. You’ll have to forgive me but I was looking for safety and your precious atrium was the closest thing with a door. I didn’t think twice about heading here.”
He bends until his nose touches mine. “Is that so?”
An automatic light kicks on beside us and wow. The view is intense. Sexy as hell, but intense.
I inhale softly. Steal my breath away.
Water soaks him through to the skin. White material clings to every inch of his impressive chest and shoulders. I didn’t get to appreciate all the cut lines and hard muscle the last time he had me all alone. Well, there was one hard part I enjoyed a lot but yeah… the rest of the body is on par with what wet dreams are made of.
I’m not the only one appreciating the view, it seems. His eyes follow the contour of my shoulder to hang on the hard peaks of my breasts. Silk is no match for this kind of weather. It’s soaked me through and the chill in the air has me flushed with chills from head to toe.
He bends and between one breath and the next I’m in his muscular arms. With nowhere else to put them, I wind my arms around his neck.
Without another word, the beast silently carries me into the glass structure. Warm air wraps around me the second we step through the door. So does the scent of a million different blooms.
I breathe out with surprise and awe.
Lush hanging vines brush through my hair as he steps past them. Reds, blues, greens and other colors I do not know the name of burst from every inch of the atrium. It’s a floral paradise. Lights flicker on as he moves us past the potted flame lilies and red camellias. Gurgling water catches my attention and I swivel my head to see a marble statue of Aphrodite perched on top of a water fountain holding a vase to pour her love among the mortals below.
Light blue light filters up from the basin, offering the surroundings the allure of magic.
