Warriors of Poseidon 01 - Atlantis Rising

knowing he could find her by scent alone from that moment. Loving her scent in his nostrils.
     
    Wanting her taste in his mouth. His hands actually ached to feel her skin.
     
    She was looking at him. Oh, right. Something about continents. "Not so much a lost continent. We always knew where we were," he said. "We've simply developed shields to hide the Seven Isles from your technology."
     
    He smiled. "Your invention of submarines was almost a problem for a while."
     
    She backed clear around to the other side of the bed. "Okay, show me your gills."
     
    Completely caught off guard, Conlan stared at her for a moment, then threw his head back and roared with laughter.
     
    Riley looked at him as if he were insane.
     
    Of course, she wasn't that far off. He probably was insane.
     
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    Catching his breath, he shook his head. "Thank you for that, aknasha. I needed to laugh, after the events of this evening."
     
    His smile disappeared. "After the past seven years, in fact."
     
    Making a decision, he backed away from her and dropped into the chair in the corner of the room. "If I sit here, far away from you, would you feel safe enough with me to listen to what I have to say?"
     
    Trembling, seemingly poised for flight, Riley stood for the space of several heartbeats looking at him. Finally, she seemed to reach a decision of her own. She nodded and sat, cross-legged, on the bed. "Yes, I'll listen. It's the strangest thing, but I already feel safe with you. Or maybe it's not strange, considering what happened on the beach earlier."
     
    Conlan wanted truth between them. "You've been inside my mind, Riley. Unwanted or not, you know me now on a deeper level than most people do. Maybe on a deeper level than anyone, barring our healer."
     
    She stared at him, hesitating, then nodded.
     
    "You must realize by now that I've been inside your mind as well," he said, almost afraid to admit it. "I've seen your goodness and your self-sacrifice. I know you."
     
    Unless her deception was hidden behind some mental trickery, his mind mocked him.
    Who knew what a true empath was capable of?
     
    Jumping up off the bed, Riley began to pace back and forth in front of him. "Yon don't know anything," she said bitterly. "Goodness? Yeah, right I'm just somebody who tries to do her job the best she can. And usually fails miserably at it."
     
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    She stopped in frost of him, so close he could reach out and touch her. He had to clench his hands on the arms of the chair to keep from doing so.
     
    To keep from touching her. Damn, he wanted to touch her.
     
    "Tell me," he said, instead.
     
    "Right. You're from mythical Atlantis, and you want to hear about a day in the fife of a social worker?"
     
    "Tell me," he repealed, opening his mind to her so she could feel the trail of «. Feel how he wanted to know all about her.
     
    A look of wonder came over her face. "You really do want to know, don't you?"
     
    "I do."
     
    She paused for a moment, then sank down onto the carpet near him and—almost in a trance—recounted the events of her day. As she related the story of the girl with the gun, Conlan had to fight with every ounce of his self-control to keep her from seeing his rage. He wanted to kill. He wanted to rend, tear, and put his fist through the wall.
     
    He did none of those things, but sat with a mask of calm on his face, reaching desperately for his training, for his objectivity. How could he be affected so much by this woman?
     
    He looked at her, sitting on the floor in front of him, anguish on her face as she told of the children she tried so hard to rescue. Babies having babies. The hopeless struggle against poverty and a society that didn't have time for the lost ones.
     
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    As she talked, as he felt the emotions underlying her words, the question in his mind changed.
     
    How could he not be affected so much by this woman?
     
    Her words trailed off. "So that's when you showed up, and I guess you know the rest.
    Maybe now you can tell me exactly who and what you are, and why you followed me to my house."
     
    She looked around, blinking, at the room, then scrambled to her feet, wary again. "While you're at it, you can let me know where the hell I am."
     
    He stood, slowly, so as not to startle her. "You humble me, Riley. I must match your