A pot of soup simmered on the stove, but Theron ignored it. As he pulled open the refrigerator and looked for a chilled bottle of water, he again tried to figure out what Nick’s connection was to Argolea. And just as it did whenever he thought of home, an image of Acacia lying in his bed, naked and spent from the best sex of his life, flashed through his mind.
His chest contracted as that familiar urge to go to her tightened his muscles. But he ignored it. Fought the desire from the inside out. The look on her face when Hades had told her the truth—the look of total betrayal—haunted him. Even now. Because that betrayal had been real. And there was no way he could ever forgive himself for it.
“Something smells good.”
He jerked at the sound of her voice, spilling water down the front of his shirt and onto his jeans. Sure he had to be imagining things, he turned slowly and stared bug-eyed at the woman he’d convinced himself would never want to see him again.
Her smile was filled with sweetness and sinful promises. And his body responded to her just as it had from the beginning, lighting up his veins and sending all his blood due south before he could consciously stop it.
She walked to the industrial stainless-steel stove and lifted the lid on the gigantic pot. Wisps of steam rose up around her face as she drew in a whiff. His eyes ran over her sumptuous breasts, prodding the front of her fitted pink tee, down the sleek line of her hips to her beautiful backside, which filled out her jeans like perfection. And the blood in his groin pooled stronger, harder, until he was sure he’d burst.
She set the lid back on the pot with a click. “I made you soup once. I wasn’t sure you liked it.”
“I loved it,” he said, before he thought to stop himself.
She flicked him a wicked grin. “Hmm…I’m not so sure. I think it wasn’t quite ready when you had it. Needed to simmer a little longer. I was thinking of trying again. If you’re still hungry. I’m better at everything the second time through.”
His groin swelled at her innuendo and a little voice inside his head screamed, Yes! But there was one small section of his brain that hadn’t turned to mush, and unfortunately for him, his conscience now ruled that part.
“What are you doing here, Acacia?”
Her smile wobbled, and though it made him more of an ass, he couldn’t play the flirting card with her. Not when it would leave him bruised and more battered on the inside than he’d ever been from any battle.
“The Argonauts have been looking for you.”
He tossed his empty water bottle in a recycle can and turned to reach for another. “They’ll be fine without me. Zander’s a better leader than he thinks.”
“Demetrius is making that difficult. But then I’m sure you know how he works.” She tipped her head to the side. “What’s the story there, anyway? I get the feeling Demetrius doesn’t like you and wouldn’t be overly upset if you didn’t come back, though he’s the only one.”
Of course Theron knew how underhanded Demetrius could be, but it wasn’t his problem anymore. He wasn’t the leader of the Argonauts now. There were more important things he needed to see to, like figuring out a way to protect so many in this world he’d neglected for too long. And talking about it with the woman he was never going to be able to stop loving and had no right to wasn’t his idea of a party.
“No real story. Just a long-standing family feud. Zander knows how to deal with Demetrius.” He brushed by her for the door. “I have work I need to get back to.”
“Theron.”
Her hand on his arm stopped him. And with just one touch, his resistance crumbled. He turned to look down at her and saw himself gather her into his arms and kiss her senseless until he made both of them forget just why it was he couldn’t have her.
But he didn’t. Because he couldn’t.
“Don’t walk away from me,” she said. “We need to talk.”
He closed his eyes because just looking at her was too painful. “Acacia—”
“No, don’t do that,” she said harshly, bringing his eyes open. “Don’t placate me and tell me I’m being unreasonable. Because you’re the one being unreasonable here, hiding out and ignoring your duties. My father is dying and the Council is breathing down Isadora’s neck. Even with everything that happened, they still don’t think she’s qualified to rule. And with you gone, the Council’s claiming the guardians are unstable. You can’t just walk away and expect everything will be all right. It doesn’t work that way.”
His eyebrows drew together, and though he couldn’t be certain, he had a strange feeling she wasn’t here because she missed him, as he’d hoped. “Are you saying Isadora wants me to come back, knowing what happened between you and me? Are you saying you want me to return? Knowing”—his stomach churned—“what you now know?”
“Yes. And yes.”
“Just like that?”
“Your responsibilities are bigger than what happened to any of us.”
He could barely believe what he was hearing. She didn’t want him back after all. “I’m not marrying her,” he blurted. “I already told the king that before the scene at the Stone Circle.”
“I know. So does she.”
“I don’t love her. I never did,” he added quickly.
“That’s good to know. She doesn’t love you either. Not like that anyway.”
He stared at her. Completely taken aback that she was showing so little emotion at his revelation. Didn’t she feel any of what he did? Had he so totally damaged her that the connection they’d shared was completely gone?
Something in his heart broke wide open. “Then there’s no reason for me to come back, is there?”
“Yes, there is. One reason.”
He held his breath as she stepped closer. “You made a promise to protect me. Until the end. Since it looks like I’ve got at least four hundred and fifty years to go until I’m senile and forget that promise, I’m holding you to it. Every one of the Argonauts has told me your word is gold. So I want to know why you’re so quick to go back on your promise to me, when you’ve upheld every other one you’ve ever made.”
His heart bumped. Once. Twice. “Is that what I’m doing?”
She nodded. “No one blames you, Theron. You were put in an impossible position. You did the right thing.”
Words lodged in his throat. “I didn’t—”
She gripped his hand, and electricity crackled along his nerve endings at the connection. “Yes, you did. One for many? I would have done the same. The only mistake you made was not being honest with me. It was my choice to make. Isadora’s choice. From now on we tell each other everything. No more secrets.”
Hope flared in his chest even as he tamped it out. “You don’t know what you’re saying.”
“Yes, I do. Once in a lifetime, remember? Hera’s curse and all that? Did you think I missed that connection when we made love? The same one we’ve had since the beginning, but magnified a thousand times? Theron, To peprōmenon phugein adunaton. Remember?”
It’s impossible to escape from what is destined. Yeah, he remembered. How could he ever forget?
She stepped closer until the heat from her sexy little body made him light-headed. “I’m your destiny and you’re mine. Don’t turn away from that.”
He didn’t want to, but he couldn’t see another way around it. “Acacia, my duty is here now.”
“Nick is not your soul mate.”
“Nick is…” What was Nick to him? “A friend,” he decided. “I gave him my word. And he needs my help more than you or anyone in Argolea.”
She studied him a long beat. Then said, “Fine, then I’ll stay too.”
“You can’t.”
“Why not?”