Sleeper (Rise of the Fianna Book 1)

by Amy Brock McNew

  Rhys smiled as if he could read her thoughts. “So, did you grow up here?”

  She hadn't expected the question. Nobody ever asked about her. She took a sip of coffee before answering. “Uh, yeah. As long as I can remember.”

  “And your parents, do they still live around here?” Hope and a strange fear flared in his eyes. What the hell was that all about?

  His emotions were the least of her worries. Why did he have to go there? They were just supposed to be having fun. Makenna sucked in a breath. Might as well give him a little something and hopefully he'd drop it.

  “No. They died when I was a baby.” Her aunt and uncle had never really told her when she came to be with them. Then they were taken from her too. The only family she'd had, gone. Her old friend grief reared its head, tightening her throat. She shook her head to drive away the sadness.

  It was too late. Rhys had seen. His eyes softened, and he reached out to caress her cheek. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause you pain.”

  For a second, she leaned into his hand, aching for the comfort. She closed her eyes, letting him brush his hand down the side of her face. His thumb tugged at her bottom lip before retreating.

  Makenna opened her eyes, wishing he'd continued, wanting to remain under the spell he'd created so easily. Her voice was soft, breathless. “It's okay. I never knew them. But my aunt and uncle...”

  Her mouth snapped shut. Giving him too much was a recipe for disaster. What the hell was wrong with her today?

  “You don't have to talk about it. The last thing I want is to upset you.” He took the hand not holding her coffee in his huge, rough paw. Shadows hooded his eyes and his grip tightened. “My parents were killed when I was sixteen.”

  Her head whipped up. “So you get it, then?” She felt a connection to him few others she’d met could understand.

  “Yes.” Rhys sighed heavily. “I had no other family. They're dead as well.”

  Makenna nearly dropped her cup. “Oh my God. What happened?” As his forehead developed deep ridges, she rushed to speak. “You don't have to, I mean, we don't─”

  “They were killed in the war.” His eyes searched hers, looking for what, she didn't know. The world halted as he seemed to hold his breath, waiting for her response.

  “War? What war? Where are you from exactly?” Questions flew around her brain like stray fireworks.

  Disappointment wafted from him. That hardened jaw didn't bode well. Rhys released her hand and stood, shaking his limbs as if he couldn’t contain the energy inside. “Around.” He watched her closely. Obviously not getting the reaction he wanted, he huffed. “A war started by a mad man to destroy everything good.”

  She was mute, her mouth gaping. Their conversation had taken a turn she hadn't expected, and his desire for something from her she couldn't give and didn't understand made her head hurt. She needed to get this situation under her control and moving back into lighter territory.

  Sensations creeped up her spine. Another knowing. One that said she should know what it was he wanted, that the things he spoke of concerned her. A feeling that the war he talked about was closer to her than she could imagine.

  That wasn't possible. He might have similar creepy abilities to hers and have also lost family and they might be very strongly attracted to each other, but that was as far as the connection went. There simply couldn't be more.

  Her desire took a nosedive as reality hit. Rhys was too intense. No way would he want the fling she had in mind. He wasn't that type of guy. He was one she could take home to mom, if she had one. If he didn't have that mantle of authority and attitude of a vicious warrior to him.

  Nope. This thing was over before it began. Had to be.

  Makenna sprang to her feet. “You know, I do have some things to take care of. It's my only day off. I got a shift at the bar tomorrow.” Shit. Why did she tell him that?

  She drained her coffee as he stared at her, fire in his eyes. Fire half of her wanted to get burned by, the other half wanted to douse quick, fast, and in a hurry. She tossed the cup in the trash and snatched the bag of beignets from the bench. “I guess I'll see you around. Maybe. I mean, I'm pretty busy with the gym and the bar and all.”

  Great. Now she was rambling.

  Rhys gave her a half grin and stepped closer. “You don't have to run from me, Kenna.” His voice was low and rough and his nickname for her sent her diving straight back into that pool of lust. Damn, he was killing her. She turned to flee the feelings he brought out of her, but he caught her arm. “Don't. We're not done here.”

  Heat flashed through her and instinct made her react. Makenna dropped the bag and with her opposite hand, dug her thumb into the pressure point on the wrist of the arm that restrained her. He released his grip, a grin playing at his lips. She'd wipe that smirk off his face.

  Dropping low, she shot out a kick to his left knee, buckling it. She blasted his sternum with a powerful palm strike, sending him flying back a few feet and landing on his ass. Then she was on him. She landed on his chest, straddling him. No thinking, just acting, she rained down a punch to his jaw that rewarded her with a satisfying crack. Pain exploded in her hand, and still she pulled back for another.

  It never landed.

  He caught her fist midair. She found herself on her back with the wind shoved out of her lungs and a smiling Rhys pinning her arms above her head. She squirmed as he settled himself between her legs, and his grin got serious real quick.

  “Baby, you might want to quit moving. There are people around.” His threat was followed by him grinding himself against her. Just enough to show Makenna this whole thing hadn't pissed him off, but instead turned him on.

  Big time.

  “I'm not your baby.” Anger was so much easier than the rabid lust biting into her. She stilled, but a fire deep in her blood urged her to challenge him. Yeah, it was so turning her on too.

  Turned on by fighting? Deviants, the both of them.

  “You will be.”

  Then he shocked the ever holy shit out of her by taking her lips.

  The kiss was hard and aggressive, forcing her to open her mouth on a gasp. He dove in. When his tongue met hers, fire. Plain and simple. He let go of one of her hands to grab her jaw, tilting her head where he wanted it and going deeper.

  Makenna lost all sense of reality. Pressed into the grass in full view of who knew how many people, she forgot it all. There was only her and him and that kiss. No, it wasn't a kiss, it was more like a claiming. Like he was cementing his words in her mind. You will be.

  It was more than a promise. It was a vow.

  It should have scared her. She should've flipped him off of her and ran as fast as she could. Instead, she gave herself over. Gave him more than even she knew in that moment. As he took control of her mouth, her entire body, for the first time ever, she gave up her precious control.

  Rhys was all. She had to have more of him.

  Damn. This guy scrambled her brains something fierce.

  He broke the kiss, leaving both of them panting. His eyes were completely black, drilling into hers with emotions she didn't understand. Didn't want to. All she wanted was to get him back to her place and let him continue what he'd started. Let him feast on her until they were both consumed.

  His hand slid from her jaw and down her throat, collaring her gently. “Kenna, what you do to me.”

  “You don't even know me. And I don't know you. But shit, you do something to me too.” Her voice was breathy and quiet. The thoughts in her mind coming out without a filter. As usual.

  He smiled as he planted a light kiss on her lips, then slid to his feet and reached for her hand. She allowed him to pull her up and dust off her backside. She raised her eyes in time to see an older couple walk by smiling. The man winked as they passed.

  Heat rose in her cheeks, but her mind was full of Rhys, still under his spell. The words that came out of her mouth shocked her.

  “Why don't we head back to my place?”
/>
  Yeah, he was trouble. So was she. But that fire in her blood had reached inferno status. If she didn’t get a piece of him, she might just spontaneously combust. No good would come of this. It was too much, too fast. But she couldn't fight the temptation. The pull to him was too strong. Beyond them both.

  Rhys picked up her dropped bag and took her hand. “The least I can do is walk you home.”

  Was that a euphemism? Makenna took a good look at him as they walked. The eyes that had smoldered with passion a minute ago had cooled, his face settling into calmness. He seemed completely in control. Too much so. Here she was all sweaty and needy and he was cool as a cucumber. What was up with that? Maybe he wasn't into public displays and had lost himself for a moment. That had to be it. Because despite his cool demeanor, the same need she experienced oozed from him. It reached out and licked her, stoking the flame under her skin.

  As they passed Mr. Labeaux's store, he stood on the sidewalk waving to a customer that'd just left. He turned to go back inside but froze when he saw them walking hand in hand. His gaze took them in from head to toe, then he smiled. He winked before heading back in. Makenna glanced at Rhys, but he didn't seem to have noticed.

  She led Rhys up the stairs to her apartment, butterflies on crack flipping around in her gut. He was about to come inside and the incredibly sexy dreams she'd had all night last night were about to come true.

  Unlocking the door as quickly as she could, she drew him inside and shut the door before he could change his mind. She walked to the kitchen and dropped the beignets on the counter, then turned to watch him, nerves on edge.

  Rhys walked around her living room, taking everything in like he was scoping a battlefield. The overstuffed bookshelf. The old but soft and comfy couch. The huge trunk in the corner. The bare walls, except for her blades. He stopped in front of her sword collection hanging on the wall. He lifted her favorite katana from its holder. “Nice blade. Sharpened?”

  “Yes.” Makenna cleared her throat. “Yeah. I keep them all sharp and oiled.” She walked to him and fingered the steel as he removed it from the sheath. “I like doing it. It calms me.” Right. Way to let him know without a doubt she was a freak.

  Rhys nodded with approval. Weird. “I know what you mean. I have my own collection.” He peered at her, again looking like he was waiting for her to say something.

  She was just happy he didn't think she was a head case. But she'd had enough talking about blades. She took the sword as he handed it to her, re-sheathed it, and hung it back in its spot. Time to go after what she wanted.

  “So Rhys, do you do this often? Come home with strange women you found at the grocery store?” She fought to keep her voice light. It was difficult with him standing so close, his aroma of man and forest and leather tickling her nose and sending her lust into the stratosphere.

  “No. You're the first I've picked up at the store.” He chuckled quietly and moved in until they were chest to chest.

  Makenna raised her hand to run up his chiseled abs to the collar of his T-shirt. “Ah. You're more of a bar man, I'd guess.” Her other hand rested on his belt.

  Where her bravery came from, she didn't know. Normally, a guy like him, all that tightly contained power, the sense of authority, would've given her pause. Not with him. All she wanted to do was tackle him to the floor and shred clothes until she got to hot, smooth skin.

  “Ah, no. Not necessary.” He squirmed, but not away from her. He was uncomfortable. Not with her, but the conversation. Interesting.

  “Figures. A guy like you, you don't even have to try.” Her attempt at getting him to focus on her worked, if his hands flexing at her waist were any indication.

  “Something like that.” Evasive. Oh well, she didn't want to know anyway. “I'm guessing you don't have to try either.” He leaned in and sniffed her neck. Actually sniffed her. Then he licked up her jugular to tug her ear between his teeth. She had the strangest urge to bare her throat to him. Her knees buckled, and he held her tighter. “I could devour you.”

  Her fingers slid up and into his long, thick hair, pulling his lips to hers. Shit, he was hot. Like his skin was on fire hot. Then again, her own bones were melting. Rhys licked the seam of her lips, then bit her bottom lip. Hard. Oh yeah. That was the stuff. Makenna opened, and he took over.

  As his lips consumed her, he pushed her into the wall. Her back hit hard, so hard the wall shook. Still controlling her with his mouth, taking everything he wanted, his hands moved to her ass, kneading along the way. Rhys squeezed and lifted and she wrapped her legs around his waist. She moved herself along his length. He ground into her, seeking relief.

  The kiss became frantic. Wet, deep, teeth clashing, biting. Their hands were everywhere. She yanked his shirt out of his pants, then broke the kiss to pull it off. At the same time, he ripped hers open. Literally ripped her T-shirt in half. She tossed his across the room at the same time Rhys buried his face between her breasts, kissing and nibbling.

  Makenna grabbed the back of his head, clenching his hair until she knew it hurt, pressing him to her. Wrapping it around her fist. It spurred him on. He took a nipple between his teeth through the thin silk of her bra. Sparks flew behind her closed eyes.

  She'd known it could be like this. Heat and wildness and pleasure edged with pain. Exactly what she wanted and had never found. Rhys didn't hold back. Wasn't afraid of breaking her. He gave her everything.

  He was her match.

  A click sounded in her head. Then a melody. A hum, like the softest of whispers. Like soft jazz or easy blues. No, it wasn't just in her head, it was deeper than that. The music came from her soul. Or was it his? Maybe both. All Makenna knew was that something was happening. She didn't understand it and couldn't explain it.

  Fear colored the edges of her lust, and she lessened her hold on his hair. She was about to pull away, to tell him to stop, when she felt teeth on the pulse at her neck. Immediately, she was dragged right back down into the abyss. Then the teeth sharpened. Like it was a different mouth on her. The sharp points scraped delicate skin, stoking her desire with a beautiful hint of pain.

  The beast within her she kept ruthlessly contained clawed to the surface, howling to be let out. The animal assumed control, seeking the man who held her. A second later, Makenna tilted her head to the side to give him better access to her throat. She didn't know why, only that a voice deep inside urged her to give him everything he wanted, everything she had.

  It was right. Necessary.

  Rhys froze.

  Makenna raised her head, her foggy brain slowly coming back on line as the beast growled and protested at the loss of his mouth. When his gaze met hers, everything in her stilled.

  It wasn't the eyes of a man looking back at her. These eyes looked...wolfish. Bright, almost glowing, with a brilliant red center. Never had she had someone look at her so intensely, with so much need. It was primal. Animalistic.

  Wait. That couldn't be right.

  She shook her head to clear it, and when she looked again, it was Rhys. Same dark eyes as usual, but still with the ferocity she'd seen before. Shit. Now she was seeing things?

  Her desire cooled a bit as he lowered her feet to the floor and stepped back. Though she felt bereft at the loss of his touch, his heat, she needed the space right then. Her chest tightened. Breath came in labored pants.

  “I'm sorry.” Rhys dragged a shaky hand through his hair. He quickly shoved the hand in his pocket. “I shouldn't have gone after you like that. I don't know what got into me.” His tight jaw and the certainty in his eyes called him a liar. “I'm a fucking idiot.”

  Makenna nodded, having no clue what to say. Wrapping her arms around her middle, she stepped toward the kitchen, needing to put space between them yet mourning the distance.

  They'd been close to something. A major turning point. To what, she had no idea. But if they'd continued, she knew down to her bones her entire world would've changed. The thought had her shaking too. She wrapped her arms ar
ound her stomach, as if she could protect herself from the unfamiliar feelings rushing through her.

  Finally, she cleared her throat. “It's okay. I was as much to blame as you.”

  “Kenna, I nearly fucked you up against the wall. Our first time shouldn't be like that. It should be beautiful. And only once you know everything.” Rhys forced out a breath and inched closer to her, then thought better of it and stilled. His jaw clenched hard, teeth grinding. He was extremely pissed at himself, and it had to do with way more than what had just happened. “Gods, I almost mar─” He shook his head violently. “It shouldn't have happened. I'm sorry.”

  Makenna head tilted to the side as her mind cleared completely. What he'd said wasn't sitting right. “Wait, you almost what? And what don't I know?” She was afraid of what he might say but had to ask. There was something there. Something she needed to hear. She was certain.

  “Nothing. Just what I said.” He moved slowly toward her, pain in his eyes. Her soul reached out to comfort him without her permission. He grazed a finger down her cheek, then leaned in to kiss her forehead. Makenna felt his restraint as he held himself in check before stepping back. “I have to go, before I do something we both regret.” Rhys took her hand and squeezed. “Stay safe for me, Kenna. I'll see you soon.”

  Then he was gone.

  She stood frozen in place, a hand coming up to touch her lips, still wet from his kiss. She had no idea what had just happened, what was happening to her, or what was going on between them, but she was changing. The beast within had grown louder, stronger. And she'd lunged for Rhys, recognizing the same wildness in him.

  What seemed like hours later, she moved to lock the door before heading to her room. She flopped across her bed, staring at the ceiling with the stereo pounding out an angry tune.

  Rhys O'Conaill had blown her world apart. She didn't really know anything about him, except that their souls had connected as strongly as their bodies. The short time they'd spent together had been eye-opening, passionate, and utterly amazing, but so confusing. It had created questions she'd never dreamed of, couldn't have imagined.