6. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

A horn blared.

The shrill sound spiked into her skull as soon as Nero had stepped off the curb. Heart leaping into her throat, Eden's attention snapped to the left and the oncoming bus.

She tightened the grip on his hand and yanked him toward her with all her strength. He staggered backward as she pulled him off-balance, just barely missing the massive vehicle that charged past them.

Nero's brown eyes were even wider than hers, understandably in shock. Around them, traffic soon stopped as the crosswalk lit up with the white walk sign. People moved past as if nothing had happened, while she and Nero remained perfectly still, locked in the intimate embrace, bags squished between them.

Seeing the man nearly flattened made her both outraged and bewildered. He'd been distracted—though she couldn't tell by what—and hadn't even registered that he was in danger. One part of her longed to crush him in a hug and the other part wanted to shout at him for stepping off the curb. The warring impulses made her incapable of doing either.

Eden purposefully took a breath to steady her nerves. "Did they not teach you crosswalk signs where you're from?"

Cringing, he admitted, "That would've really put a damper on the whole protection detail we've got going, huh?"

"A bit."

"Thanks for saving my life. Again. And speaking of," he chuckled, "you've got a hell of an arm of you. I'm honestly impressed."

"Adrenaline-fueled strength, I think. But I'll definitely take credit for your rescue." She nudged him with her elbow. "Anytime you'd like to play damsel in distress, I'll happily put on some armor."

Eden couldn't stop herself from teasing him. In the short amount of time she'd known him, she had become addicted to Nero's warm brown eyes and his mischievous grin.

"Well, in any case," he said, "I appreciate your superstrength. You've got a knack for rescuing people."

Eden gave him a sidelong look. "You're the one who signed up to protect me from a shadowy terrorist group that apparently is gunning for me and saved me from being wolf kibble last night. Seems like you're the one wearing the perpetual hero hat."

"It's a personality flaw. I'm working on it," he echoed, repeating her earlier words with a trace of humor. "Sometimes, I just can't help it. Find myself in deep water and just keep swimming further out."

Something in his tone clued her in to the fact that he wasn't joking. At one point in her life, Eden had tried to be everything to everyone. She understood too well what that suffocation felt like, when life just kept dealing you more than you could take on. Whether it was a diagnosis, responsibility for others, or even abandonment and loneliness, Eden knew when to shift her efforts into keeping those dark waters at bay.

"That's a good way to drown."

He grimaced.

"I'll tell you what," she bargained, "I'll teach you how to start saying no to more hero missions, and you can teach me how to defend myself against rabid wolves."

"Done. Just direct me to where you keep your silver-tipped daggers."

"Closet, right alongside my taser and mace."

He looked momentarily stunned.

"I've attended more than my fair share of Renaissance Fairs and ComiCon's, Nero. You didn't expect me to be completely weapon-less, did you?"

The purr-like rumble of laughter in his chest had her beaming. "This is going to be easier than I thought."

As they entered her apartment building and climbed the stairs, he said, "I'll reach out to my contacts and see if there's any intel on the wolves last night. If there's any mention of you, we'll find it."

"I'd appreciate that." She shuddered. "At least then I'll know for sure whether I've got a target on my back."

An almost animalistic growl sounded from behind her. It quickly turned into a cough, and she glanced over her shoulder at Nero. "You okay there, Coffee Shop Cutie?"

"Got a hairball."

Snorting, she opened the door and let Marianne out of the bathroom. Now was as good a time as ever to officially welcome Nero to her apartment—even if he'd already been there once. Once he got inside and the door was locked securely behind him, she gestured around her.

"Welcome to my mansion. Kitchen, bath, bedroom. This is where all the action happens. And by action, I mean movies and muffins." Eden decided to play the dutiful host. "Can I get you anything? Water, pop, Ovaltine?"

"Nah, I'm good. My stomach just about turned inside out when I stepped in front of that bus."

She cringed. "Me too."

They sat down on the couch, snuggled against each other like they'd known each other for years. There was no need to pretend that she was someone else, and she was comfortable in her own skin around him. The connection between them was undeniable.

A call rang through on his phone, and he fumbled with it for a second before asking, "Do you mind if I take this outside?"

"Oh—sure." She pointed to the door. "Just knock when you need back in."

The muted sounds of a conversation began outside her door, and gradually drew away. She scrambled upright, tidying up a few scattered things and quickly took stock of her mostly clean kitchen.

When she'd left the apartment this morning, she hadn't thought about bringing someone home, yet Nero's presence here seemed the most logical thing in the world. Granted, being under threat from a terrorist organization was not how she wanted to spend her last days, but in the company of someone like Nero, it'd make it just a bit easier.

On the heels of that thought came another: she could either tell Nero the truth and risk being ghosted by him, like it happened with so many of the people she'd considered friends. Or, if he accepted her, and they continued seeing each other, he'd be broken-hearted when her time was up. There were so many ‘what ifs' involved in the complex situation, and it was difficult to wrap her head around what the future would hold.

A knock at the door broke through the whirlwind in her mind. Nero was on the other side, looking grim. As she stepped back to let him inside, he said, "Can we sit?"

"Not good news, then?"

She wrung her hands together in anticipation of what was to come. Beside her, Nero cleared his throat. "Two of my sources have confirmed that you're being targeted, Eden. The Citizens are in hot water with the federal agencies, and your statement and research findings could potentially be the nail in the coffin."

The confirmation made her vision swim. She swayed briefly on the couch, but when Nero wrapped his arm around her shoulders, she crumpled against him.

"I know too much," she concluded.

"You do. When you said no to joining them, that was the turning point. They can't risk having you testify against them." Nero cocked his head. "When did you meet with them?"

"Only about a week ago."

"That'd make sense given the timeline. It takes time to get the wolves in play, and while I have no idea why that man was here tonight, I can tell you that this location is no longer safe."

Sucking in a breath, she nestled her head against Nero. Her mind was reeling, and a twinge of pain echoed between her temples.

"Do you have anywhere else you can stay?"

Eden looked around her apartment, grasping at straws. "My dad—he lives far away, but …" A sudden terror overwhelmed her. "Nero, I speak with him often, I mail him things, send him money. Do you think he's in danger, too?"

"They've got a hacker," he revealed. "If they know about this place—"

"Then they know about my dad?"

"They might."

She knew one thing for certain. "I've gotta get out there to him!"

"That might be exactly what they want you to do, Eden. If you give me his address, I can see about having a protective detail formed. He won't be in danger; I can assure you."

"Nero, I can't say thank you enough—I feel like I owe you so much. Are you sure he'll be safe? Maybe I should call the cops."

Nero mulled through the possibilities. "That's up to you. If that's the route you want to take, then I would support you."

"What would you do if you were in my situation?"

"I'd hesitate. Contacting the authorities might end in the witness protection system, and we both know what that might mean."

She cringed. "I'd get a new name, a new life, and wouldn't be able to contact anyone I once knew. I'd have to leave this—all my research and my speaking engagements behind." She wouldn't mention her medical treatment and team of doctors to him yet.

Nero remained silent.

"I can't do that. My work is all I have." And she didn't have much time left. Leaving her life—even one as simple as the one she lived—would be devastating. The only thing that brought her joy, speaking and lecturing on her favorite topics, would become a thing of the past. The realization of her predicament nearly brought her to tears.

"You could always come back to Oahu with me for a while. It might be far enough out of their purview that you could disappear for a little while, until they realize you don't intend to go after them, and they lose focus on you. My friends and I … we're familiar with the Citizens' strategies, unfortunately. They have many irons in the fire and aren't the most organized. You might get away with cancelling only a few lectures rather than disappearing forever."

"But what would I do in Oahu?"

He gave her a lopsided smile. "Enjoy the sun?"

Eden burst out laughing. In the end, there was truly no choice. Staying here would mean putting herself in danger or relinquishing all control over her life to other people. She couldn't hardly ask Nero to give up his life and become her own personal bodyguard, especially since he was already ensuring her father's protection.

Her life's motto was carpe diem —and now was the time to live by it. Since she'd forgone any aggressive treatment for her condition, there were no longer any travel restrictions she'd have to comply with. It was one of the reasons she'd stopped therapy. Living to the fullest in her last days meant travelling when and where she wanted—without the need to wait until she was approved.

Looking into Nero's warm brown eyes, she realized that no part of her was screaming ‘stranger danger.' Though they'd met only a day ago, and flying off with him to an island sounded like a bad horror movie with a protagonist that was too stupid to live, she couldn't imagine the man across from her ever doing anything to hurt her. He had protected her at every turn.

"Yeah, I think I could do that," she finally conceded. "But I'm not leaving Marianne here. We're a package deal."

"Oh, I'd never ask you to leave her royal highness behind."

"Glad to hear it."

"I have a townhouse that you can stay in that's not too far away from my home, or I have an extra bedroom. Either or, your choice. You don't have to spend time with me at all if you don't want to, but I would love it if you did."

"Thanks—I appreciate the offer. Can I think about it?"

"Of course. No pressure either way."

Nodding, she glanced at the windows. "Is it safe enough to sleep here tonight? Or should I look into emergency flights?"

"I think we'll be alright here for one night. That guy outside seemed pretty flustered when we spotted him," Nero said. "Ran off pretty fast for a human."

"For a human, huh?"

"I mean … as opposed to the vampires he thinks are real!"

She snorted. "Well, I've got a taser and pepper spray in my bedroom if he breaks in. I'll be prepared to take him down."

Something warred briefly behind his gaze. "Eden, I know how scared you must be, and I realize this much-less-than-ideal situation is influencing how much and how fast you have to trust me. I'd never do or allow anything to hurt you or make you feel uncomfortable. You set the rules here, Eden. If you need me to sleep in the hallway or want to go somewhere else and get separate bedrooms, I'm all for it."

"I will admit that no one has made it in my apartment after one date. But, Nero, the connection I feel with you seems more genuine than something born out of fear or context. You're warm and interesting, you get me to open up and talk about things I'd never usually mention. Plus, we keep saving each other, like fate decided we should be stuck together. Besides, Marianne gave you her seal of approval. Both of us can't be wrong."

Eden yawned, the day's events finally catching up with her.

"Shall we call it a night?"

There was no pretense in Nero's voice, no suggestion. As with everything else, the man was almost obnoxiously chivalrous: he expected nothing from her following their date. Glancing back at the couch behind them, she suddenly felt a different kind of worry: "Might be a bit of a tight squeeze. It's not meant to sleep giants."

"Fee-fi-fo-fum, my legs will fit and then some!" he replied in an exaggerated deep voice which reduced Eden to giggles. "Sorry, that's my best giant impression. Please don't worry. I'll be fine. I've slept on worse."

Twenty minutes later, after she'd discreetly snatched up the wicker box with her pill bottles from the coffee table box while Nero was in the bathroom, Eden fitted a sheet over the couch. She'd piled several comfortable blankets over one end, trying her best to pass for a qualified hostess.

When the bathroom door opened, she asked, "Do you need anything else? I realized with all the commotion we skipped dinner, and you're a big guy—muscular guy, I mean."

She cringed, feeling her blush rising to her hairline. Why she couldn't have just suggested a snack, she had no idea. Her traitorous brain just had to include that bit about all his muscles.

"I'm not hungry, and it looks like you've covered the bases." With a smug smile that suggested he wasn't at all bothered about her noticing his physique, he flipped off the bathroom light and strode over. "I'm very grateful, Eden. Don't worry about tonight—no one is going to get through me and hurt you."

She resisted the urge to fawn. "Thank you—for everything. It really means a lot to me that you're staying here just because I have a case of the heebie jeebies."

It was more than that, and they both knew it. But Nero didn't call her out, instead, dipping his chin in a gentlemanly manner. "Goodnight, professor."

Oh lord. Her toes curled in her socks at the purr in his voice. Everything about Nero was a temptation, from the way he walked to the seductive way he said her name to that silly pink t-shirt he bought just because she'd picked it. Part of her wanted to scrap the idea of him sleeping on her couch and just invite him straight into her bed.

Woah , she thought. Just where are these thoughts going? He's a guest. A friend. Nothing more. A deliciously tall, handsome friend with sexy arms and kind eyes, who makes me feel like I'm the most important woman in the entire world … Down, girl!

What was it about him that dropped all of her boundaries?

"Sleep tight," she chirped, spinning around and snagging the accordion wall from where it rested against the doorframe. "Don't let the bed bugs bite." She paused. "Or Marianne. That cat will probably attempt to gnaw off your toes or something during the night."

"I'll make sure to keep them safely under the blanket."

***

For once, Eden's sleep was dreamless and peaceful. Perhaps because the man on the other side of the wall had proven his instinct would always be to put himself between her and any harm coming her way.

She scrambled to freshen up, sans bathroom, quickly applying makeup and tying her hair back in a bouncy ponytail. Her comfortable Mary Shelley did it first pajama set was switched for a slimmer cut sweater dress, the kind that hugged her slightly emaciated body but hid the protruding bones well enough. Unscrewing each pill bottle, she popped half a dozen in her mouth and swallowed without water, accustomed to the slightly bitter taste.

Once she looked somewhat presentable, she gently retracted one side of the accordion wall to peer into the living room. And then stifled a laugh.

Nero's impressive six-and-a-half-foot frame was literally falling off the couch. Despite his claims the previous night, his legs dangled outside the edge from at least mid-calf. Thankfully, the blankets had done their job. Marianne the Betrayer was curled on his chest like the perfect little saint she definitely wasn't.

His right arm disappeared underneath his pillow, and when she noticed the warrior swirls of the Polynesian tattoo adorning his skin, her mouth went dry. Muscle, defined and corded beneath golden skin, was gleaming in the morning light. Her eyes struggled to take all that male perfection in, and would have given anything to get a peek at the abs currently covered in his white undershirt.

His chest rose and fell soundlessly, his eyes shut in slumber. She took the moment to just admire the handsome lines of his features, the way his bulk didn't fit her couch but seemed so incredibly right where he was.

Oh lord, she was a voyeur. All his reassurance the night before, and her doubts about trusting his intentions, and here she was, creeping on him instead.

A sudden shrill ringing echoed from his pants, and the man jerked awake. Eden had visions of Marianne going flying as he came to a sitting position, but his hand gently cradled the cat against his chest like a benevolent protector.

Eyes wide, he slapped a hand over his pocket and retrieved the phone. Nero stared at it, uncomprehending, as though he'd never seen its like before. Chuckling, she sauntered into the room and sat next to him.

"Having some trouble?"

"I'm not very good with technology," came his velvet voice, deep and slightly coarse with the morning.

When her eyes landed on the screen, the incoming name highlighted was ‘Zia', and a flare of suspicious jealousy seared through her. "Slide here to answer it."

He brought it to his ear. "Zia?"

Odd. He was answering another woman's call right next to her, but nothing about him screamed subterfuge or awkwardness. His tone was filled with genuine concern, as if he was expecting problems.

She quickly weighed the best options to give him privacy for his call. Her apartment was too small, and going outside would involve loud feline drama that would only cause more interruption.

"Caught on fire?" Eden snapped to attention at the fear in Nero's voice and the hand that reached out to hold hers. "Was anyone hurt?"

His eyes searched the floor sightlessly, his attention riveted to the other end of the line, but his thumb drew comforting circles in her palm. After a brief but entirely professional conversation, Nero was again blinking at the screen. Shily, she extracted her hand from his and ended the call for him.

"I didn't mean to snoop, but obviously overheard that you're worried. Is everyone okay? Can I help?"

"All is well, professor. Fortunately, it was just minor damage, and no one was hurt, so I have it handled. I do need one favor, though—could you help me with this phone? It doesn't have any proper buttons, and I feel like a caveman trying to handle a magic brick."

"How have you managed to avoid smartphones for so long?"

"Technology just… stays ahead of me, somehow." He gave her a disarming lopsided grin. "This is a work phone, not something I chose, and they didn't really provide any instructions. Apparently, everyone is just supposed to know how to use it."

Biting her lips to keep from laughing, she held out her hand. "Let me give you a crash course, grandpa."

Nero immediately handed her the phone, with no hesitation. Either he really hadn't used that phone at all, or he was an open book with no secrets. She gently grabbed his thumb, bracing for the delicious sparks that happened every time they touched, and pressed it against the home button to unlock it.

Launching into brief but prescriptive instructions, she continued her demonstration while the man beside her nodded encouragingly. As she went over his browser settings, he pulled a face. "It's just so slow compared to a computer. I don't think I'll use this function until phones can get proper internet speeds."

With a disbelieving side-eye, Eden inspected the programs and chuckled. He was worse than the ancient tenured professors in her department. "You've got literally all the apps on your phone open and running."

"And that's bad?"

"Only if you want it to work efficiently."

She was already tapping on his phone. As she closed each app, she became aware of just how close they truly were, her attention riveted to the man sitting next to her. In her haste to help him, she'd ended up basically sitting in his lap, his face only inches away from hers. His mouthwatering sea breeze scent invaded her senses, caressing her skin. The churning sensation in her gut became heavier, and an internal voice she'd never heard before was shouting mine.

She stilled at the oddness of the thought. Nero's attention shifted from the phone to her. Gently, asking her permission with his eyes, he delicately trailed his fingers down her neck. In their wake, a shiver of desire ran through her.

"Mahalo, Eden."

Velvety smooth, the deep baritone of his voice curled around her like a blanket, soothing the fever he'd stoked within her. Instead of giving in to the urge to see if those lips were as soft as they looked, she rose to stand on wobbly legs.

"I'm going to freshen up."

Without waiting for his reply, she spun and retreated into the small space of the bathroom, managing to shut Marianne out despite loud protests. Her hasty retreat had been her version of a cold shower, though he'd never know.

It'd been an easy out, because things were getting too heavy. The mirror showed an obviously flushed woman that was in over her head with a man she'd just met. Eden tried to lose herself in the routine of her morning rituals, erasing at least the external signs of her indiscretion. She brushed her teeth, touched up her makeup, and quickly used dry shampoo on her hair before pulling it back into the same ponytail without fanfare. If only controlling her impulsive thoughts was as easy as taming flyaways.

Checking her watch, she gave a curt nod when it struck twenty minutes, then emerged into the … empty apartment.

"Nero?"

Had he just left? She could understand if he decided there was too much at stake, with the danger she was under and whatever was starting to happen between them, but … he should've left a note. Said goodbye. She expected that much.

Eden collapsed on the couch, noticing Nero neatly folded the blankets and stacked them on the end. Any trace of his having been there was gone, and for a moment, she allowed herself to be sad for what could have been.

Paramilitary architect. Don't worry, Eden, I'll protect your father and take you to paradise. It was too good to be true. No one showed up at her doorstep and gave her everything in her wildest dreams. What a fool she'd been—

A knock cut off her downward spiral of self-pity. No one ever came to her door; even deliveries rang downstairs first. Heart in her throat, she considered pretending she wasn't home. A second knock had her tiptoeing to look through her peephole. A familiar face greeted her behind a tray of take-out coffees and pastry bags.

"I come bearing gifts."

Eden quickly opened the door, peering up at him. "Did you get locked out?"

"Nope." A dimple in his cheek caught her attention, but Nero kept speaking. "I went out to grab some coffee."

"Oh. I—I thought you'd just left."

Nero reared back as though she'd slapped him, affronted by the mere thought. "I apologize for the misunderstanding, but trust me, I would never do that to you."

"How did you get back through the doors downstairs?"

"I stood there looking sad and lost for a few minutes and the florist let me in. We'll have to have a chat with her when we return for your next lecture, she could give access to someone dangerous next time."

Eden tried not to feel giddy about that ‘we' and failed. Nero lifted the cup holder to her, and she greedily grabbed the one with ‘The Professor' scribbled in marker on it. "Aw, sweet nectar of the gods."

Taking her first swig, she savored the taste, sighing in pleasure. He'd bought her the Starbucks' version of the same drink she'd ordered yesterday at the campus coffee shop. Nero had been listening—and she was so incredibly flattered by his attention.

Eden faintly heard the sound of soft leather landing on the coffee table behind her. She was too absorbed in her morning joe to pay much attention, so she didn't notice Nero had stripped out of his shirt until she'd turned around to a fully naked male chest.

Every inch of him was delectable. More tattoos than she'd noticed earlier snaked across his skin. Delicately intertwined spades and diamonds decorated his shoulders, biceps, and forearms. On one of his pectorals, a perfectly round circle was bisected by a thick line which trailed downward all the way to his sternum. It seemed almost out of place with the tribal looking tattoos of his other arm, but no less fitting on his skin. Muscle jumped beneath his flawless golden-brown skin as he leaned down to grab his new pink shirt, a truly inspiring physical form. Her first impression of him had been that he looked like a Greek god, and seeing his imposing strength only cemented it.

He hadn't noticed her gawking, which was just as well. At least not until her feet moved toward him of their own accord, and her fingertips met the lines of his tattoo. Electricity danced up her arm, radiating from the warmth of Nero's chest.

That was when she noticed he'd gone still, like a predator waiting to pounce.