The last thing Hope wanted was to be alone with Aaron. She would have rather flown to Bombay, but that would have been stupid.
She hadn't recovered enough to fly the distance.
Besides, Eve had made her promise she wouldn't do anything rash on this trip. Best to save her energy for any future encounters with the Elysians, she decided.
Waking up early, she packed her bags and set off toward the pier. With every step, her heart beat faster, the pulse pounding in her temples.
By the time she reached the boat, her stomach was churning enough to make her sick. Or maybe that was because she couldn't feel the dragon inside her anymore. She couldn't even speak to the beast inside her anymore. It made her feel like she was the loneliest person on the island.
As the thoughts ran through her head, a shout had her turning to see Jason walking toward her.
Jason. Damn, he didn't deserve this, a woman who wasn't his mate, who wouldn't love him. Not the way she loved someone else. Yet he was doing the right thing, too. Even though he didn't feel the call of her dragon, he'd agreed to marry her for the future of their race.
He bent toward her, lips widening in a gentle smile.
She made herself raise her head to meet his lips…only to tilt her head at the last second. Just enough so that his lips missed hers and brushed her cheek.
His muscles stiffened. "Why?"
She tried to pull away from him, to look anywhere but at him. Her dragon skittered at the nearness of a man who wasn't her mate. The woman, too, felt trapped at being forced to pretend a passion she didn't feel.
Gentle fingers held her chin, holding it so she had no choice but to meet his gaze.
"What do you mean?" She squinted against the first rays of the sun slanting over her face.
"We know each other well enough to not have to pretend, Hope." His dark-brown gaze held hers, unblinking.
"You're right." Sturdy, loyal Jason was the ideal partner. He did love her.
She'd known it for a while, and she was taking advantage of it.
"This isn't going to work, is it?" Hope blew out a breath, frustrated that she was unable to hold the charade.
She'd known Jason since they were children. She couldn't hurt him.
"I knew you were using me when you agreed to the engagement."
"Yet you went along with it?" she stuttered, unsure what to say. "If only I had fallen in love with you, things would have all been so easy."
"Instead, you fell in love with an outsider and an immortal warrior." He touched her cheek. The gesture was one of understanding, of sympathy even.
"You knew?" The breath rushed out of her. "Then why—?"
"Why did I go through the ceremony last night? Why choose to make a fool of myself in front of our entire race?" He ran his fingers through his hair, "Perhaps I'd hoped that somewhere along the way, you'd feel more for me. That if we pretended hard enough, it would become real?"
"Yeah, me, too." Her shoulders slumped as she shut her eyes. What was she going to do?
Her senses prickled, and she knew they were being watched. She would have turned, except Jason reached out to grip her shoulder.
Then she was being jerked forward, toward his chest, and being kissed with enough heat that she lost her breath. When they drew apart, she could only stare.
That kiss had been more than nice. There had been enough heat in it that she could have almost convinced herself to feel something for him. Almost.
"You did that on purpose."
"Yeah." He grinned, still not letting her go. "Not only has he seen us kiss, but my scent is on you, and that…is going to make for one hell of an interesting journey.”
"Like it wasn't going to be awkward already?" She flicked dust off his T-shirt, not sure whether she should yell at him or kiss him again. "You really are wonderful. You are going to make some woman very lucky."
"Just not you." His fingers tightened on her shoulders one last time before dropping to his side. "Go. And whatever you decide to do, think very carefully. Not all of us are lucky enough to find a mate."
Swallowing the heaviness lodged in her throat, Hope walked across the footbridge and headed straight for the boat.
Aaron was already there checking the dials, making sure they were ready to cast off.
When he didn't acknowledge her presence, she walked across to him and asked, "Which cabin should I take?"
"Suit yourself," he said without turning around. "We cast off in five." He busied himself again.
Her heart twisted at his lack of acknowledgement of her presence. But what else had she expected after last night's performance? She should apologize and tell him she was sorry.
Then what?
She was never going to allow her dragon to mate with this immortal. No matter how much both woman and dragon wanted it.
Even angry and upset as he was, she was still turned on by him.
Best keep away from him. Let him hate her. Yeah, that's what she'd do.
She turned to leave.
"You smell of him." His voice lashed out.
Her nerve endings screamed with tension. Her chest tightened.
She halted halfway to the exit.
Gulping down a lungful of air to steady herself, she thrust out her chin. "And why not? I belong to him."
The next second, he gripped her arm and yanked her around.
34
Aaron
Her words had crashed into him with the force of a wave.
He'd seen Hope get engaged, had seen her agree to give herself to another man, and yet he was still alive. How was it possible he was still here breathing when his heart was being slowly twisted and trampled underfoot?
He'd faced enemies in battle, had fought off fierce shifters and immortals, even survived the loss of his twin.
None of it had prepared him for the sheer despair that weighed him down.
Letting go of the wheel, he'd marched up to her and pulled her around.
He brushed his hand over her lips, again and again, not caring that she'd see the emotion in his eyes and know how much he wanted her. She'd hurt him, and he couldn't hide his frustration at having reached this impasse. He wanted her. He'd die for her rather than live a life without her.
Couldn't she see that?
When he stopped and let her go, her lips were swollen. Her cheeks were flushed.
"Damn." He ran his fingers through his hair and turned his back on her. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. Seeing him with you again… I don't know what came over me."
A touch on his shoulder had him flinching.
"Don't." He gritted out the word through clenched teeth.
Her scent was driving him out of his mind. Her nearness made him ache with need.
The last thing he wanted was to lose control.
"I shouldn't have said that. I didn't mean it." Her voice was soft.
"Sure you did." He stalked away, making sure to put distance between them. Reaching the wheel, he gripped it. "You knew exactly what you were doing when you got engaged to him last night, what it would do to me to see you kiss him."
"Aaron, I—"
Unable to stop himself, he turned, slashing the air with his hand, cutting off whatever she was going to say next.