Warriors of Poseidon 01.5 - Wild Hearts in Atlantis

feel the heat of your body from here."
     
    Her pinks burned a hot pink for a moment, and she ducked her head. "You, ah, well. No.
    I'm certainly not a witch. Why? And quit distracting me, anyway. What did you do to the water?"
     
    "It's an Atlantean thing. We channel the elements, especially water. Occasionally, strong negative emotion will siphon off into the nearest water source. I fixed it." He realized his voice was gruff, but damned if he'd wanted to show weakness on his first day as an ambassador. What had Conlan been thinking? Perhaps love had addled the prince's brain, as justice had implied.
     
    Bastien waited, but she remained silent for a while, headlights picking out the bumpy road in front of them. He sank into his own musings, dire expectations of the dozens of ways he could fail his prince in this mission. He was made for battle. For crushing the enemies of Atlantis and of humanity. Not for delicate political negotiations.
     
    "Is something wrong?" Her voice was hesitant, but the amusement was still there. "You seem to be heaving a lot of deep sighs over there. I didn't hurt your manly pride, did I?"
     
    "My what?"
     
    "Hey, I live and work with a whole heck of a lot of the most alpha of all alpha males on the planet. I know frustrated pride when I see it."
     
    He glanced at her and glimpsed her perfectly calm expression.
     
    He also noticed her white-knuckled grasp of the steering wheel.
    Wild Hearts In Atlantis – Warriors of Poseidon 1.5
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    She was afraid of him. The knowledge twisted painfully in his chest.
     
    "I'm sorry, Katherine. Miss Fiero. Ranger Fiero," he stumbled over the words, in his haste to get them out. "What do you want me to call you?"
     
    She smiled and relaxed her grip on the steering wheel. "Kat is fine. And you are Bastien. Am I pronouncing that right?"
     
    Something inside him made a weird flipping movement when she said his name. He ignored it. Indigestion, probably.
     
    "Yeah, that's it. Mom loved France in the 1500s. She gave us all names from that time period and area. Phillippe, Marie, Antoine, and me. I'm the baby."
     
    She whistled. "Some baby. What are you, a family of giants?" Then she winced. "Hey, I'm sorry. If anybody shouldn't make cracks about size, it's me. I'm practically a freak of nature."
     
    He could almost feel the pain that washed over her bitter words. Wanted to kill whoever'd caused it. Unclenched his fists and wondered if he were losing his mind.
     
    Turning in his seat to face her as she pulled into the driveway of a small house, he slowly looked her up and down. "If an enemy approaches with such obviously deceitful ploys, you gain the advantage in any battle strategy."
     
    She turned off the ignition and set the parking brake, then tilted her head to stare at him with those spectacular amber eyes. "What are you talking about?"
     
    "In the vernacular, anybody who sold you such a line of crap is a fool, and you will easily kick his ass." He lifted a hand to touch a strand of the tawny golden hair that had Wild Hearts In Atlantis – Warriors of Poseidon 1.5
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    escaped her braid. "You are gloriously lovely and would grace the arm of even royalty, were any mere man to deserve you."
     
    The thought of Ven, brother to the high prince, approaching Kat crossed his mind, and he had to clench his teeth against the searing jealousy.
     
    Yep. Losing it.
     
    Kat's eyes widened, and her pupils dilated until she looked almost more like her namesake panther than she did human. "What? Younobody talks like that. I mean, are you some kind of poet? They sent me the poetry ambassador? But you look like a warrior—"
     
    She stopped. Smacked herself in the forehead. "Right. You were mocking me. I get it.
    Well, I'm used to it, so don't be too impressed with yourself. Been there, done that, got the tracking collar to prove it."
     
    Before Bastien could stop her, she was out of the jeep. He slammed out of his side of the car and focused his energy to flash to the front of the jeep. He caught her arm as she tried to pass, pulled her toward him with barely leashed fury. "Never accuse me of mocking you again, I implore you."
     
    He stared down into the depths of her golden eyes and sank into her. Sank into her soul.
     
    Was suddenly, desperately ashamed. He released her arm and took a step back.
    Bowed. "I offer my sincerest apologies, Lady Katherine. I cannot begin to explain what has come over me that I would offer insult or