It was quiet, save for the buzzing symphony of crickets and the faint whistling of the wind as it swept across the estate, further disheveling the few thick, recently tousled strands of dark auburn hair out of place. Cropped as short as it was - a habit he’d picked up during his stint in the military - Donovan rarely concerned himself with the irritating … complications that would have arisen from its management if he’d allowed it to grow beyond its current length, preferring the simplicity of its style to that of the unruly, curly undercut that would have taken its place. Optimal management, designed with timeliness in mind. After all, there was much he was forced to undertake at the behest of his employer, and maintaining one’s superficial appearance didn’t factor into the equation.
But his physicality - that was something he absolutely refused to jeopardize. One must stay in tip-top shape if they were to survive the perils of this cold, vicious world.
Not only for himself but for Zoe as well.
She was his world and by extension his greatest weakness - a weakness his employer made great use of time and time again.
Thick, violent energy pulsated around him, responding to his thoughts - and the air … It was heavy, so thick with razor-sharp tension that the hair on the back of his neck stood on end.
But it was the intrusive, unfamiliar presence encroaching on his property - rather than the thought of his daughter falling into the pitiless, callous hands of his employer - that prompted him to take action. On silent feet, the ex-special forces stalked the intruder, following the unmistakable sound of grass crunching beneath a stealthy tread.
And there he was - four feet ahead, skillfully navigating the security cameras’ blind spots as he crept closer and closer to the house … where his daughter slept, so fragile, so easily broken.
Barely leashed violence pulsed in the air around him like electricity from a live wire.
With a sudden burst of speed that had nothing to do with the humanity that had been stripped from him years ago, Donovan intercepted the male before he could reach the house, firmly blocking his route to Zoe. “Five seconds,” he rumbled, his tone quiet yet packing enough intensity to stagger the senses. “That’s all I’m willing to give you.”
There was someone behind him, the intensity was closing in, chills crept up his back akin to the sensation that made you run up stairs because something was at the bottom. Autolycus looked back, squinting through the dark but saw nothing of note.
Then he heard it. The growled threat.
Jerking, genuinely started by the deep voice that crackled the air in front of him, Auto whipped his head towards the sound, long strands of dark hair getting tangled with lashes as he seemingly materializing on the spot. It stunned him, getting caught, and for a second the thief blanked, gaze sweeping up that ridiculously built body to find the most intense stare he’d ever seen. Oh yeah. They matched the voice.
“Five seconds,” he repeated, unblinking as fear made him quiver but rather than take the defensive Lycus batted his lashes and shamelessly eye fucked the shit outta him. He smiled, silky, charismatic and breathed out a suggestive, “I can make that work.” Hell, for a man who out muscled the Greek Gods, he could make anything work.
An eyebrow cocked. Cheeky. “But it’d be a shame to rush things...” Coy, his right hand ghosted close, knuckles just barely teasing across the ridge of what had to be rock hard abs. Zeus almighty. Fingers tingled, warm from the electric spark, and curled fruitlessly in and out with the need to clench skin instead of air.
You really think you can flirt your way out of this one?
He didn’t. But one look at the built motherfucker told him all he needed to know.
There was no fighting his way out.
So he angled his body closer, seeking the warm intensity the other projected rather than shying away. “You’re tense,” he purred, breaking the eye contact to glance at those brawny forearms, momentarily mesmerized by the ripple and jut of veins. Shit was he vascular. “Easy there, I’m only admiring the architecture— ” Hah! Claimed the man who hadn’t glanced at the manor since Mr. Tall Dark and Brooding showed up.