Earth Bound by Christine Feehan

rewarding challenge.
    She moistened her lips. “I’m not very good at conversation. I’ve never had company before. Not someone who isn’t family.”
    He smiled at her. “But I am family in a way.” The last thing he needed was for her to see him as a brother. He didn’t make the mistake of snagging her wrist, although he could have. He waited, his hand extended, willing her to take that first step toward him and their future relationship.
    Lexi glanced almost longingly out toward the beds of herbs and flowers surrounding her house and then, as if making up her mind, put her hand in his and sank down onto the swing beside him again.
    Gavriil put his feet up on the railing and stared out at all the lush green. So many colors. There was no doubt she was an earth element. No one could grow so many varieties of plants and have them thrive like they were here. The way to her heart was right in front of him. She loved her plants, loved the farm. Everything she was she poured into her home.
    â€œIt’s beautiful here.”
    â€œI think so,” Lexi agreed, sounding pleased.
    â€œWho helps you? It’s a lot of work to maintain this many acres.” He took care to sound casual, to keep his gaze away from her, studying the layout of the farm and wishing the house was positioned just a little bit better. Clearly when it had been built, his brothers hadn’t been living there to give them advice on where to build. Still, he could make security work with what they had.
    â€œIn the beginning all of us did the planting. Everyone helps out as best they can. We needed money when we firststarted, before the farm began to produce, so everyone else worked in businesses off the farm.”
    He allowed his lashes to drift down, watching her closely out of the side of his vision. He’d managed to retain possession of her hand. She was very aware of it, but she didn’t seem to know how to take it back from him. She moistened her lips nervously, but she didn’t pull away. He idly began to draw circles with the pad of his fingers, keeping the patterns feather-light and nonthreatening.
    â€œI worked on a farm a time or two.” That was strictly the truth. Both times he’d assassinated the landowner, but that wasn’t really relevant. One had been a fairly large opiate farm and the drug lord had crossed Sorbacov one too many times. The other had been owned by a very successful hit man who had made a try for Sorbacov himself. He’d thought himself safe on his vast and well-guarded farm. “None of the places were as beautiful as this place. It’s almost a work of art.”
    Some of the tension drained out of Lexi. “Sometimes I think of it that way, a canvas waiting to be painted. I like to put splashes of color here and there to show off all the shades of green. Judith is really our artist, but this is my attempt. I try creating beauty with living plants.”
    She turned her head and looked directly at him. He felt her hand tremble and instantly that deadly part of him coiled, went still, ready for anything.
    â€œIs he really dead? Caine? Is he dead? I’m not certain I can believe it. I’ve spent most of my life terrified of him. To hear that he’s dead and not see it . . .” She shook her head. “He seemed invincible to me. Protected by the devil. I knew he’d find me one day. It’s hard to believe he’s really dead.”

3

    T HIS was the moment Gavriil had dreaded, had feared would come. He had known Lexi would ask about Caine. How could she not? The man had destroyed everyone she loved. He’d turned her life into a nightmare. She couldn’t believe he was dead without seeing the body, and that wasn’t going to happen. He took his time, trying to think of a satisfactory answer, one he could give her without revealing the fact that another monster sat right beside her.
    â€œGavriil? Is Caine really