“Well, he has a very red nose. He’s also a reindeer, which—before you ask—is an animal with four legs and antlers.”
“What makes this animal special? Does it breathe fire? Spit poison saliva? Shoot venomous darts from its tail?”
Her eyebrows crept up. “Wow. Thalyria sounds like fun.”
Piers cracked a smile and started walking again. “Well?”
“Okay, I’ll give you the scoop on Rudolf.” Sophie slipped her arm back through Piers’s. She liked it there. “He brings holiday cheer and helps deliver presents to children around the world. He’s also totally made up—a myth. And our version of magical, I guess, because he flies and has a glowing red nose. Regular reindeer—feet on the ground, no lightbulb noses—are real, though. They’re super cute, but I think they’re kind of smelly.”
“Have you encountered one?” he asked.
“I’ve never been up close and personal with a reindeer. I hit a regular deer with my car once, though.” It got up and ran away, but she’d been so shaken she’d driven well under the speed limit for days.
Piers’s brow drew low. “Were you all right?”
“I was sad. I was scared I hurt it.”
“More worried about the animal than yourself…” He seemed thoughtful all of a sudden. “Lifedoeshave more value here. Killing is so common where I come from. People war, and people die. That’s just the way of it.”
“It sounds…”Awful. “Harsh.”
“Maybe it’s because the Olympians abandoned this world. You seem to have done better without them.”
Sophie winced. “You wouldn’t think that if you watched the six o’clock news.”
He frowned. “The what?”
“I’ll explain later.” She squeezed his arm. They’d almost reached the most spectacular winter sight in the city. “Look.” She pointed as the massive ice-skating rink and huge Christmas tree came into view. Snow swirled in the air, bells jingled somewhere, and all the bright, colorful lights looked festive and wonderful.
Sophie sighed in happiness. Noteverythingwas a mess. This was just as it should be.
“Good gods.” Piers stopped and stared. “That’s…impressive.”
“Right?” Excited, she tugged him closer. Rockefeller Center at Christmas took her breath away, and she’d seen it before, both in person and on television. “It’s not magic, like you have where you’re from, but I think it’s pretty magical.”
Nodding, Piers wrapped his arm around her shoulders while he took in the plaza. As one, they inched closer together, eliminating the gap between them. Sophie’s heart beat faster. Excitement thrummed inside her. She couldn’t imagine so easily touching anyone else, but she looped her arm around Piers’s waist and leaned her head against him. She loved how towering he was, how broad, and how freaking warm on a winter afternoon. He was the very definition of tall, dark, and handsome.
She relegated her worries about the shard and everything else to the back burner and just let herself enjoy the closeness, her body a riot of sensations she hadn’t felt in forever. And never this strongly. Sophie was starting to think she was going to try to have her wicked, wild way with Piers back at the hotel room, which would probably shock his old-fashionedness into the next world over.
And what would that be? Atlantis? She would’ve laughed at the thought if she hadn’t been so breathless.
It took a huge effort not to turn and jump on Piers, lips first. She’d never trusted someone so completely this quickly. Add to that trust a blood-sizzling attraction, and her girl parts hadn’t only woken up; they were clamoring for action.
“It’s beautiful. Stunning. Special.” Piers hugged her tighter, his jaw pressing against her forehead. Somehow, Sophie knew he meant her just as much as Rockefeller Center. Her heart clenched, and the idea of Piers being torn from her life just as quickly and surprisingly as he’d entered it suddenly made her want to hold on to him with all her strength and in any way possible.
Maybe it was the harrowing circumstances. Or maybe that stray thought she’d had about destiny hadn’t been just a stray thought. If the Olympian pantheon Piers worshipped had a hand in this, the Fates probably weren’t far behind. In fact, they were probably well ahead of everyone.
Sophie breathed Piers in, along with the crisp scents of pine boughs and winter. Mulled cider. Rink ice. Snow and a hint of exhaust. It was New York, after all. Piers’s big hand squeezed her shoulder, half comforting and half an erotic zap she felt deep in her belly. She wanted his hands on her. She wanted them everywhere. Her whole body tightened. Luckily, she was good at multitasking, because she’d just addedSeduce Piersto her immediate agenda.
A red light flashed, distracting her. She glanced down. The little dot stopped on her chest, right over her heart. Her pulse exploded. “Oh my God,” Sophie breathed out, her muscles freezing solid.
“What is that?” With his free hand, Piers swiped at the little red spot on her parka. He tried again, scowling.
“Someone’s aiming a gun at me.” Fear shattered her voice down to a broken whisper. “They’re hidden somewhere. A rooftop. A window.” Only her eyes moved as she scanned the buildings in front of them, seeing nothing. “They can kill me from a distance.”
“Like with an arrow?” Piers’s sharp gaze followed hers to the rooftops. His arm tightened around her shoulders.
“A bullet. More powerful than an arrow. Faster.” She’d be dead before they even heard the shot go off. A tremor went through her. And here, she’d been feeling almost safe.Stupid. She should’ve stayed out of sight. She should’ve run to a new city.Stupid. Stupid.Panic surged, turning her heart into a sledgehammer.
