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By nature the Elite avoided emotional attachments. Very few of the Warriors partnered and those who did rarely stayed that way. Detachment was required to succeed and for those Guardians who were unfortunate enough to fall in love with an Elite, it was a lonely and unequal romance. The Elite were incapable of giving as much love as they received. In addition, for Co
"The Bruces live and die by the sword." He repeated the familiar refrain aloud. There was no other way.
This was why he was especially suited to protecting sensual Dreamers. It was a symbiotic relationship. He could don a fantasy and co
Blowing out his breath, Co
When a Guardian co
Of course, the brightest moments in Aidan's life were those he spent with Lyssa, which had forced Co
Co
He reached the top of the stairs just as the upper floor guest bathroom door opened. Stacey emerged into the short hallway engulfed in a cloud of fragrant steam. Her hair was wrapped up in a white turban and her curvy body was hidden beneath a matching towel. She lifted her head and saw him-all of him. Her eyes dropped down to where the cat rolled shamelessly around his feet and then rose up to his eyes, stopping at all the places that heated and hardened under her perusal.
For his part, Co
Suddenly his decision to remain aloof and give her the space she wanted was trampled by the more pressing desire to feel her arching beneath him. He had no one in this plane he could talk to. No one with whom to share the details of his hellacious day, no Dreamer to lose himself in, no Elite to strategize with. He had no idea if he would ever go home again. But for a while, Stacey had enabled him to forget all of that. She had given him reason to smile and something else to focus on-her.
Just as he was focused on her now.
He gestured to the master bedroom across the hall. "I was going to find something to wear."
She nodded. "I'll be down in just a minute."
"Okay," he said lamely, arrested by the weird feelings he was experiencing.
Turning, Stacey walked to the door of the guestroom she was occupying. Co
"You're staring," she tossed over her shoulder before disappearing from view behind the closing door.
"I know," he muttered. He continued staring long after he heard the click of the latch.
Chapter 6
The coast on a balmy night was always beautiful. This evening was no exception, but Aidan was too focused on his mission to enjoy the soft silver lighting of the full moon or the music of the ocean tide. With silent steps, he rounded the corner of the motel, heading toward Room 108. There were people everywhere-groups of twenty-somethings who were dressed for the clubs and carrying booze in their hands, and older couples strolling toward the beach.
He wasn't worried about the number of possible witnesses. Pretty much "anything goes" seemed to be the rule around here. Shit, he was fairly certain he could ask someone to help him break into the room. A simple story about losing his key while in a compromising situation would work. But the ruse wasn't necessary. Aidan had simply jimmied the lock to the housekeeping office door, which was conveniently hidden from guest view, and snagged the master key.
Armed with the required accessory, he simply walked casually, whistling, his hands in his pockets and his thoughts with Lyssa, who waited in the car with a fully loaded Glock in her lap. In his mind's eye, he could see her-her lush mouth set in grim lines, her dark eyes hard and wary. He loved that she was compassionate and gentle by nature, but tough, smart, and willing to do whatever was necessary to keep them both alive.
He'd shared enough romance novel-based fantasies with Dreamers to know that not all women would manage their situation with as much practicality. Some would wail and cry and wait to be rescued.
Aidan paused before the correct door, noting the lack of light emanating from behind the curtains covering the large window. No one home. He was both pleased and not. At least if the Guardian had been inside, he would know her location. As it was, she could be anywhere. Or she could be somewhere-such as near Lyssa.
Withdrawing the key from his pocket, Aidan slipped it into the lock and turned. The mechanism tumbled open. He thrust the door wide and flicked the switch on the wall. The light on the table between the two beds came on, revealing one mattress covered in the spilled contents of a duffle bag and another pristinely made up. A little further past the sleeping area was a sink, mirror, and door to the bathroom.
The room was empty.
Stepping inside, Aidan shut the door behind him and kicked his foot at the bed skirt. The toe of his boot co
The taza. And inside that, something wrapped carefully in thick cloth. He pulled out the small bundle and opened it, finding a metallic object encrusted with dried dirt. Rubbing with his fingertips, Aidan revealed delicate filigree scrollwork. He had no idea what it was and wouldn't know until it was thoroughly cleaned, but its importance was obvious to his trained eye. He rewrapped it and slipped it into his pocket, then returned his attention to the taza.