Don't Tempt the Phoenix

by CJ England

  “Call it payback for the ‘Ferris Wheel’.”

  Aithne’s mouth dropped open. “Excuse me? You paid me back plenty. In the ‘Tunnel, on the ‘Zipper’, on the ‘Caro—”

  He stopped her with another kiss. “But I ached through those as well. So I figure you still owe me.”

  “What do you have in mind?” she asked, with a smile. She half expected him to pull her farther beneath him and start loving her all over again.

  “I would hope,” he said somewhat hesitantly, “that we can spend more time together. I enjoy your company. I miss you when we are apart.”

  Her eyes filled. Here was the openness she’d longed for. Was this what was different about him? Had he finally realized they belonged together? Her heart swirled with emotion, knowing now, that without even realizing it, she’d handed her heart into his keeping.

  She was in love with him.

  Aithne buried her head into his chest, praying one day he might feel the same. Had she finally found her twin-flame? “I love being with you, too.” She hugged him to her. “And we have plenty of time to spend together. I’m not going anywhere.”

  Milcham swallowed as he held her tightly to him. She may not be planning to move on any time soon, but unfortunately he was. He had no choice.

  Chapter Eleven

  “He said it was what?”

  The short, motherly looking woman blinked at Aithne over the vat of pink floss. Her apron was speckled with the sticky candy and there were trails of it in her graying hair as well.

  “He said it was arson, dear. I thought you knew.”

  Aithne tried to keep her voice even. It wasn’t Tabitha’s fault Milcham had lied to her. Okay…not lied. But he sure didn’t tell her the truth. “Alexander said it was gasoline that started the fire?”

  Tabitha nodded as she swirled the white paper cone into the pink spidery floss until a large puffy ball formed. She handed it to the last customer, a gap-toothed little boy and accepted his wadded up money.

  “That’s right, honey. One side of the tent was completely doused in the stuff.” She shook her head and closed her window. “It’s a wonder you made it out alive.”

  Aithne sat down hard on the stool next to the vat. “I can’t believe it. Who would want to burn me out?”

  “That’s a good question.” The woman turned off the floss machine and started scraping at the left over candy. “We’ve all been told to keep an eye on you.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Now honey…don’t get your knickers in a twist. The Boss, he just wants to know you’re safe.”

  Aithne thought back over the last week since the fire. She hadn’t realized it until now, but there had been someone with her every hour of the day, and then Milcham was with her at night. No wonder he’d wanted her to move in with him. Her temper began to rise. “He should have told me.”

  “Gotta agree with you there.” Tabitha gave a loud groan as she leaned over the machine. “Oh…does my back ache today.”

  “Tabitha!” Aithne leaped off the stool. “Go put your feet up. I can clean this up.”

  The woman blinked wearily at her. “Now when I invited you in for a spell, I wasn’t expecting that.”

  “I know…and we had a grand time reading the cards for you.” Aithne giggled. “Remember to look for that guy who is good with his hands.”

  Her friend laughed. “I do like the way you do Tarot. But you aren’t here to pick up after me.”

  “I got the fact you were just watching out for me, like Milcham wanted.” She firmed her lips. “But I’ll be fine. You head off to bed and let me take care of this.”

  The thought of soaking her tired feet was very tempting. Tabitha wavered between keeping an eye on Aithne and the idea of one glorious night free from cleaning. With a sigh, her resolve crumbled. “If you’re sure?”

  “Positive.” Aithne helped her untie her apron and shooed her out the door. “Straight home and relax. Gypsy’s orders!”

  Tabitha laughed. “I’ll see you tomorrow, honey. And go easy on the Boss. He meant right.”

  “I’ll go easy on him,” Aithne snarled as she watched the older woman stagger toward the back lot. “I’ll go real easy!”

  Turning, she tied the apron over her clothes and set to cleaning. Temper made her hands fly, and she quickly cleaned out the sticky vat of floss. As she scrubbed, she thought of all the reasons Milcham might keep the truth from her. She could understand him wanting her to be safe, but why wouldn’t he just tell her about the arson?

  Her heart dropped like a stone when a she thought of something. She bit her lip to keep from crying. Could it be he just wanted someone to screw? And the fire was a convenient way to get her into his bed? Was that why he seemed so distant at times? It wasn’t emotional…just physical?

  Fury rose up inside of her again, adding to the hurt. She deserved better. She’d waited for a century, knowing someday, she would find her twin-flame. She’d fallen in love with Milcham, dreamed of making a life with him…but now…

  She finished wiping out the vat and was looking for a place to dump the extra rapidly hardening floss mixture, when the door opened.

  “Hey, beautiful!”

  Aithne turned to see the smiling face of Milcham. His eyes shot around the small stand and he frowned. “Where’s Tabitha?”

  Immediately, she knew why he was asking and her anger sparked even hotter. “I sent her home. She was tired.”

  “You’re here alone?”

  “Yes. So what?” Maybe he would tell her the truth.

  He frowned deeper and then came into the booth. “I…I just don’t like people taking advantage of you.”

  Her fury grew. “Tabitha wasn’t taking advantage. I offered.”

  His eyebrow rose at her tone. “Even so, I’ll talk to her in the morning.”

  “You will not!” she spat at him. “There is no reason for me not to do this for her. She’s a nice lady and I wanted to help.”

  “Easy, Assai,” he soothed, coming closer. “It’s all right. No big deal.”

  She backed away, trying to control herself. She was angrier than she could ever remember being. Why was it the men in her life felt she couldn’t make decisions for herself? Why did they insist on keeping the truth from her? First her brother, and now Milcham. It was all just too much.

  “Are you ready to go home?”

  Her head jerked up, her green eyes lit with temper. Home? If all he wanted was sex, he could take his offer of home and stuff it. She’d been so wrong about him. He didn’t care about her at all.

  “I’ve been thinking, Milcham. It’s time I got a place of my own. When we are in Raleigh , I’m going to get a trailer.”

  His mouth dropped open. “What?”

  “It’s time we gave each other a little space. I want to be alone, so I’m going to buy a trailer.”

  Milcham stared at her in total shock. She wanted to be alone? Rage and hurt that she wanted to leave him, warred within. He was so shocked at the thought; he missed the anger on her lovely face. Responses tumbled through his mind, but all he could come up with was, “I…I don’t think that would be a good idea.”

  She tossed her head. “I think it’s a great one! I don’t want to be with you any more.”

  His own eyes went dark amber as his own temper exploded. “The hell you say!” He grabbed her arm. “You are going to stay with me! And that’s final!”

  She didn’t mean to do it, but without thinking, she tossed the contests of the floss mixture at him. “Leave me alone!”

  He gasped and staggered backwards as the sticky mess splashed all over the front of him. It coated his hair and face and his once pristine white shirt was suddenly covered in pink spider webs of candy floss.

  He cursed and wiped the liquid from his eyes, leaving his long eyelashes to harden into sweet spikes. “What the fuck did you do that for?” he roared.

  She was as shocked at herself as he was, but recovered quickly. “You’re a liar and a
bully and a…liar!”

  Milcham wanted to use his flame. He wanted to explode. Not just to melt the damn candy off, but he was so angry, he needed to just let go. He battled back the temper, staring at the angry woman in front of him. He couldn’t decide whether to spank her ass, or kiss her senseless. Suddenly, her words caught him. “What did you say? What are you talking about?”

  She stomped her foot and tossed the canister at him. Pushing past him, she left the stand. “I hate you!”

  His heart felt like she’d set fire to it. “Aithne!” he shouted as he raced out the door after her. He grabbed her again. “Why are you so angry? What have I done?”

  She struggled against him, tears dotting her lashes. “Were you ever going to tell me, Milcham? Or do you think I’m too stupid to know?”

  “Aithne!” he ordered as he tried to hold her still. “You’re not making sense. What is it I’m supposed to have done?”

  “You didn’t do anything.” She jerked herself free and rubbed at her arms. “That’s the problem!”

  “I don’t believe this!” He paced away from her and then back. He could see curious carny folk coming out of the different stands and tents, but he was too furious to care. “I can’t fix it, if you don’t tell me why you’re angry.”

  Aithne glared at him, loving him despite her fury. Maybe that’s why it did hurt so much. It showed her exactly what he really thought of her, making all her rosy little daydreams about the two of them into nothing but ashes.

  “Aithne!”

  “I trusted you,” she shouted at him. “I believed you wanted the best for me. Now I find it’s all a lie!”

  “So help me,” he growled. “If you don’t tell me what’s wrong, I’m going to spank that cute little ass of yours!”

  Her stomach jumped. The thought of Milcham standing behind her with a paddle suddenly became vivid. But she pushed it away, and shook her head. “You’re a liar!”

  “Tell me!”

  Her chest heaved as her tears finally overflowed. “Were you ever going to tell me what really happened to my tent?”

  Milcham froze. He stared at her beautiful angry face and groaned aloud. She’d found out about the arson. He cursed the person who’d let it slip, but then cursed himself even more for keeping it from her. No wonder, she was angry.

  “Assai—”

  “Don’t call me that,” Aithne screamed, putting her hands over her ears. “I’m not. I’m not. If I was precious to you, you wouldn’t lie to me.”

  His heart pounded in his chest. “Aithne, I’m sorry. Please, let me explain.”

  “What can you say to explain this, Milcham? How could you keep this from me? So you could get a willing bed partner?”

  His head jerked up, suddenly understanding her pain and fury. “No! Assai…it was never like that. This I swear.”

  “How can I believe you?” she wept. “Someone torches my tent, and you move me in with you. And you don’t tell me why? What else am I to think?” She shook her head. “Am I that good a lay?”

  There was no way to answer that one without getting another vat of candy thrown on him, so he ignored it. “Aithne, I should have told you. I’m sorry. But I moved you in with me to keep you safe and because I wanted you with me.” He took a careful step closer. “The fire terrified me. When I saw you lying unconscious, and I realized I’d almost lost you, I couldn’t bear it. I...care too much. All I could think about was having you close to me. Period. I wasn’t thinking about sex. I was thinking about being with you.”

  She was listening, but the anger and hurt was still in her eyes. “What about later?”

  “I didn’t know it was arson. Alexander and Jarrod discovered it when they were mopping up. Remember when they brought your purse?”

  She nodded.

  “That’s when they told me. I would have told you when they left, but you’d already been through so much. I wanted you to sleep that night. Then…” he grimaced when he tried to run his hand through his sticky hair and it got stuck. “I just didn’t. You were so happy with me and…” he trailed off with a sigh. “I am a fool.”

  “Yes…you are!”

  “But Assai,” he went on, hoping desperately it wasn’t too late. “It was never because I wanted a bed mate. I wanted you, yes. But…only you. Please…if you believe anything, you must believe that.”

  “Why? Why should I believe anything you say?” she cried. “You lied to me. Everyone in the carnival knew, but me. Did it ever occur to you I’d be safer knowing someone tried to burn me out?”

  “I will keep you safe.” His voice was arrogant, but his eyes begged her to understand. “I didn’t want you to worry! Everything I did…I did for you.”

  She swore loudly, making his eyes widen in shock. She never used that type of language, even in love play.

  “We’ve had this discussion before, Milcham,” she shouted at him with even more fury. I will make my own decisions, remember? It’s the one thing I demanded of you. Who do you think you are, to take that away from me?

  His control snapped. He grabbed her by the arms and shook her. “Who do I think I am?” he shouted. “I’m the man who loves you, damn it!”

  Her eyes went impossibly wide and she stilled in his arms. Her mouth opened and shut several times before she managed to croak out, “What?”

  Milcham swore under his breath. He had not planned to tell her how he felt. Somehow, she constantly made him ignore his own rules. This would change everything. He struggled for a moment, and then gave up. He pulled her against his sticky body, and tipped her startled face up to his.

  “I am in love with you, Assai. So much I would use any excuse to keep you with me. I didn’t mean it to happen, but it did. When I pulled you from the fire, I think I knew then, but I have never been in love before, so I fought my feelings. But I tell you true. I…love…you.”

  Aithne could only stare at him. Her mind was a complete and total blank. After several long moments passed, she managed, “You…love…me.”

  He pressed a sticky kiss on her parted lips. “I do. More than anything in this world.”

  She blinked, feeling warmth start to course through her. It was gentle at first, and then it grew. Little by little it filled her. Her heart started pounding in her chest and she felt a laugh well up inside of her. It was then that she recognized the feeling. It was joy. Pure, unadulterated joy.

  He loved her.

  “Aithne?” His voice penetrated her dazed mind and now she could hear irritation in it.

  She met his gaze and saw the familiar arrogance, but this time, she saw something else. Vulnerability. She couldn’t help a smile. This big, strong, gorgeous hunk of a man was afraid of what she was going to say.

  “Damn it, Aithne. Speak to me!”

  With a glad cry, she leaped into his arms, pressing wild kisses all over his candy coated face. After a brief, frozen second, Milcham responded, lifting her against him and holding her close.

  She pressed her cheek against his. “Oh Milcham,” she whispered. “I thought I was the only one.”

  Milcham went very still, his arms tightening around her. He could feel his own heart beating in tandem with hers. “Assai,” he murmured, hardly daring to hope. “Please. I need to hear you say it. Please.”

  She leaned back, her eyes sparkling with happy tears. He drew in his breath at the look on her face. Cupping his cheek in her hand, she smiled mistily.

  “I love you, Milcham. I love you so much.”

  His own eyes flared with joy and love. Holding her close, he gave a whoop of happiness and whirled her around in a circle. “She loves me!”

  The crowd that had gathered to watch their fight, now broke into cheers and applause. If nothing else, carny folk enjoyed a good show.

  “Stop, please,” she laughed. “I can’t breathe!”

  Milcham halted, yet refused to let go of his precious armful. One hand snaked up into her hair and grabbed a handful of it, as he stared deep into her loving green eyes. “
You are mine, now.”

  Her own hands slid into his sticky locks, holding him just as tightly, as she answered him with a saucy grin. “And you’re mine.”

  Their lips met and everything around them disappeared. Immediately they were both wrapped in a cocoon of light and love and heated desire. The kiss was a declaration of all that was left unsaid, yet deeply felt, as they pressed closer together sharing their first true embrace of love.

  They stood there, their arms wrapped around each other as the night stars twinkled over head. Their kisses grew more heated, more filled with passion until someone in the crowd called out, “Get a room!”

  They pulled apart and stared at each other, ignoring the now laughing group. Milcham touched her face with gentle fingers. “You have my love, Aithne. Please, come back to the trailer. I want to touch you. I need you.”

  Her heart swelled with love. Never before had he said those words. He was too self possessed…too solitary. To be needed for herself was as important a gift to her as his ‘I love you’ had been. She turned her face to kiss the palm of his hand.

  “I need to be with you too, Milcham. Take me home.”

  His amber eyes flared gold and after a quick kiss, he lifted her into his arms. Turning, he walked rapidly through the whispering crowd to the trailer. Suddenly, he stopped abruptly and looked down at the woman who held his heart. She was as sticky and covered with candy as he was. “Do you want to stop at the showers, first?”

  She smiled, so slowly and seductively, he felt his cock harden instantly. She reached out and trailed her finger through the floss coating on his cheek. She kept her eyes on his as she put her finger in her mouth and sucked…hard.

  “We can,” she murmured in a sultry voice. “Or…I can lick it off of you.”

  He groaned and almost ran toward the trailer. “Lick now…shower later.”

  —

  High above the carnival, a dark figure rained down curses as it gnashed its teeth. It had been so sure the female wouldn’t forgive the Phoenix his lies. But she had, and even worse, the two had admitted their love for each other. Now it would be even more difficult to keep them apart.