by Kari Thomas
This was madness. He should walk away.
Now.
But he couldn’t.
Sensual thoughts bombarded his mind as he visually caressed the soft beauty of her face, not daring to move closer. Smooth cheeks, rosy in color. Long lashes, dark half-moon shadows against those cheeks. A dainty nose, turned up in distain more often than not. Plush, parted, pink lips. If he didn’t leave now he was going to cave, allow loose his howling…hungry lust.
And damn the consequences.
Clenching his jaw in resolute determination, he turned away from the temptation laying in his bed. An unaware, innocent temptation. His aching, aroused body protested each step that led to the other side of his door. He stood out in the hall, his jeans so tight they felt two sizes too small. As he leaned against the closed door, his sweaty palm still curled around the ornate door handle, he struggled with his want…the persuasive need to turn around, go back into that room…back to her.
He was a fool. In more ways than one.
Why hadn’t he heeded his instincts when she’d first entered their lives? He tried to justify that it had been for Marissa’s sake. All for the sweet baby foxy. But he knew that wasn’t the truth. He’d allowed her….no, welcomed her into…almost every area of their lives.
A primal, possessive something had swamped his senses the moment he’d seen her in the clearing. He knew now that it had been his cougar-counterpart, recognizing something his human mind stubbornly rejected.
Still rejected. It was absurd.
Ludicrous.
He had seen the results of that type of relationship, how it had torn his family apart from the very beginning. Love of a human cost Kyle his life. Left an innocent child orphaned. The repercussions of that union continued to be a danger to his family with Riana’s more frequent, violent changes. They walked on a thin line now with their attempts to keep Kira from discovering the truth about Marissa, a truth they had all come to believe caused her sister to spiral faster into her insanity. Getting involved with a human woman, even if she was a witch and prone to not freaking out over the unusual, wasn’t something he could see himself ever contemplating doing.
Not now. Not ever.
“Damn Sonya.” And damn Kira, too.
He snarled and pushed away from the door. As he stalked down the hall his thoughts were dark, dangerous. Instead of wanting to do nothing but make love to her until neither could move for a week, he should be thinking about throttling her, snapping that pretty, delicate neck. But, God help him, he knew that when he touched her the intent to inflict harm would never cross his mind. Pleasure…that was all he could think about.
The pleasure those deadly hands could bring them. Bring her.
The things they could do to her. With her.
For her.
God help them both.
*****
Booming with startling loud intensity, an echoing roll of thunder faded as lightning flashed, following close in its wake. Kira jolted awake with a surprised yelp. Disoriented for a moment, her gaze flew around the room until she realized where she was.
In his bed.
Where she shouldn’t be.
She’d had every intention of getting off Aiden’s bed and leaving after she’d heard his footsteps recede down the hall, but an unexpected wave of exhaustion had washed over her. She had promised herself she’d only rest for a few minutes, just enough to build up her strength, which she desperately needed if she was going to be able to drive home safely. She hadn’t realized how much her healing spell had taken out of her, didn’t even remember falling asleep. She just remembered laying against the soft pillows, breathing in his scent, the lingering memory of those hot, possessive lips causing her heart to speed and those butterflies to return in force.
She’d dreamed of him; confusing dreams of wild animals roaring through the woods, dodging and playing, hunting and feeding. Aiden had been in their midst, jean-clad and powerful, his naked chest gleaming in the moonlight. He had stalked her, moving with the grace and unblinking focus of a big cat. The dream had changed from stalking to taking.
Erotic images, pictures burned in her mind. The two of them, lost in each other’s arms. Entwined together, one blending into the other. Amidst the chaotic sounds of surrounding animals, unseen in the background, they had made passionate love with a wildness that rampaged out of control, the fire consuming them. Kira caught her breath, the sensual images still vivid in her mind. A burning flush flowed over her, tinting her skin. Her pulse jumped erratically, her veins heated with wanton fire.
Calm down, she mentally scolded herself. It was only a dream. It didn’t mean a thing. Don’t keep thinking about it. She groaned softly. Ha. That was easier said, than done! She touched shaky fingers to her mouth, her lips tingling from that kiss. Her breathing escalated as she thought back. She should have seen it coming, but how could she?
It hadn’t exactly been a kiss. It’d been more like a ravishing possession. His mouth had claimed hers. He hadn’t waited for her consent. He had simply taken. Just as he had in her dream. “Great,” she muttered. “He’s slowly driving me crazy even when I’m asleep!”
Kira sat straight up on the bed as another rolling boom of thunder heralded several blinding streaks of lightning. She flinched and stared through the huge panoramic window facing her. The wind increased in velocity, blowing leaves past the wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling expanse of glass. She nervously watched the violent storm erupt, pelting a harsh crescendo of rain on the pane.
She hated storms. She’d always harbored a childhood fear of them, knowing the devastating havoc they had caused when she lived in Louisiana. She wondered if Marissa took after her mother. Sonia had always loved the wildness of Mother Nature, reveling in it at its worse. Kira sighed. The thought of Sonia not being there, of her niece growing up without her parents, was something she didn’t want to dwell on.
It hurt too much.
The gusting wind reminded her that she needed to go, and she hoped Lena and her uncle were not too worried. The rain pelted harder, sounding like small rocks as it tapped against the huge window pane and she wondered how bad the roads had become. It sounded like it was time for her to go…now, while she could still drive home with some semblance of safety.
Even as she stood in the middle of the hallway the storm could be heard strengthening in power. She resisted the urge to spin around and race back into the safety of Aiden’s bedroom and the comfort of his bed.
She grimaced.
Right. Like the word ‘safety’ went with ‘Aiden’s bed’.
Before going downstairs she peeked in the nursery to check on Marissa, needing to be sure she was safe and to say goodbye before she fought the storm. But her niece wasn’t anywhere in her rooms.
Kira smiled when she reached the top of the staircase and heard Marissa’s sweet, childish laughter from the direction of the family room. She followed the sounds of her laughter and stood for a moment in the doorway of the family room, looking in at the group gathered there. Marissa and Gavin were scampering around on hands and knees, making little barking noises at each other while Aiden and Riana sat on the settee, laughing at their antics.
“Kira! You’re awake.” Riana smiled and motioned for Kira to sit beside her on the sofa. “Did the storm wake you? I peeked in and you were sleeping so soundly I didn’t want to wake you.” Kira walked across the room, feeling Calhoun eyes following her every step. One pair, in particular, unnerved her and she peeked at him from under her lashes as she crossed the room to sit beside Riana.
Aiden appeared relaxed as he sat in front of a large bay window bare of coverings, but she sensed that wasn’t entirely true. She could feel his hot gaze intimately caressing her with every step she took and the heat caused her cheeks to pinken. She could feel an underlying tension radiating from him and it made her think of a caged animal, pacing, waiting, watching. She pushed the disturbing thought away. She needed to keep a clear head and it wouldn’t help thinking about wi
ld animals, or those tantalizing and explicit dreams. She cleared a throat gone suddenly dry and hoped she sounded normal when she turned her back on those torching looks to answer Riana. “I’m fine. Thanks for being so concerned, but there was no need. It was just a small healing spell. How are you feeling?”
Riana smiled. “I’m much better. How can I thank you for what you did for me? I was so afraid that—’’
“Riana,” Aiden’s deep voice smoothly interrupted, “Let’s not dwell on what was. You’re better now and that’s all that matters.”
Kira had the distinct feeling that Aiden had purposely interrupted his sister, but she didn’t understand why. She continued to ignore him and looked Riana straight in the eyes, hoping to share her concern over the violence of the debilitating episode. “I’m glad I could help. But I’m worried. Lena mentioned that you’ve been unwell for a long time. Have you seen a doctor?” As Riana shook her head, ‘no’, she continued, “Maybe you should, Riana. Your pain was excruciating.”
“That’s a meddlesome woman for you. Always butting in where she has no business going,” Gavin muttered, in a tone that was clearly audible. He smiled sardonically when Kira glowered at his words. “Riana has these head pains every once in a while. They pass. But thanks for your help. You shouldn’t believe everything you hear from Lena, Kira. There have always been rumors about us. Some good, some bad.”
“Moo-mers?” Marissa giggled at Gavin. “Moo not a mer, silly uncle. She’s a—’’
“Rumor,” Gavin stressed the word and grinned wolfishly at Marissa. “You little rascal, you know exactly what I said. You just wanted to bring up the subject of visiting your new friend again. I’ve already told you. She’s just a baby. You’ll have to wait awhile longer.”
“Her new friend?” Kira was curious. She hadn’t seen any other children around the house and wondered who Marissa played with. “Do they live nearby?” She had to smile when her niece started giggling, laying on her back on the floor. “And she gives them the oddest names. Or are those their real names?”
“Marissa has nicknames for everyone she cares about,” Aiden replied smoothly, a small smile hovering on his sensuous lips as he watched his niece giggle, Gavin tickling her ribs. “You just have to learn to associate which nickname goes with which person.”
“Simple enough,” Kira murmured sarcastically. She hadn’t met enough people who interacted with Marissa to even begin to figure out who was who. She noticed the gleam in his gray eyes and wondered what he was thinking about, what put that satisfied look on his face.
Aiden knew she wasn’t happy with his explanation but wasn’t about to expand on it. He wasn’t surprised when Kira kept asking questions. She was like a bull terrier; she sunk her teeth into something and didn’t let go until she got the answers she wanted.
Stubborn minx.
Masking her annoyance, Kira flashed a deceptively sweet smile. “Does she have a nickname for you, Un-cle Aid-en?” Kira drew out his name teasingly. She almost hoped it was something she could use to knock him off his perch a bit.
“My lion,” Marissa answered with a giggle. Her next words caused Kira to catch her breath and blush a rosier red as the little girl studied her aunt with an intent expression. “My lion, big Kitty. My aunty, little Kitty-Kira. Same – but not.”
Aiden’s low, sexy chuckle sent heated streaks of desire shooting through Kira’s veins. She didn’t dare let him see how much that attractive sound affected her so she raised her chin nonchalantly and shot him an impish grin, silently stating she could see the humor in the situation. “Big Kitty, huh? I like that. I’ll have to remember it when I want to call you something else besides—’’
“Little Kitty-Kira,” Aiden purred the words, “you’re about to push your luck if you say that word one more time. Your sweet mouth shouldn’t have words, that mean, coming out of it.” His grin was pure male, belying the silky threat. “Maybe we should change the subject. Marissa is too young to be hearing nicknames grownups like to use.”
Kira was far too aware of his intent, hot gaze on her lips and willed herself not to blush. Again. She wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction. “I need to be leaving. The storm sounds nasty and doesn’t look like it is going to be letting up anytime soon. Plus, I don’t like driving in this weather.”
“And you won’t be driving in this one.” Aiden glanced over his shoulder at the window. “With this hard rain, the main road has been damaged with flash floods. It won’t be repaired until the water has gone down and flooding is finished. Most likely that won’t be until late tomorrow.” He stared at her and stressed his next words with a silken tone. “Maybe not even until the day after tomorrow.”
“No!” Kira’s nerves tightened with sickening tension and she surged to her feet. The thought of staying in that house, where wild animals probably roamed the hallways at all hours of the day and night, wasn’t something she was willing to do. That short nap had been unplanned. This would not.
And, to stay overnight, with Aiden so close...
She shivered and took a deep breath, prepared to argue her way out. “I can’t stay here.”
“Why not?” Riana was open in her concern and knew Aiden was telling the truth about the roads. “You know we have more than enough guest rooms. And Marissa would love having you stay a little longer. Right, little foxy?” Kira missed the sharp look Aiden shot Riana when she said ‘little foxy.’
She was far more concerned about leaving. At that moment it was her first priority. She smiled at Riana apologetically, explaining, “I’m not really comfortable being a ‘guest’. I sleep better at home, in my own bed.” Great. I just had to go and say ‘ bed’, didn’t I?
The tension between them was hard enough to handle without her making such stupid mistakes. The look Aiden wore as he watched her, his eyes glowing with a purely sexual heat, was completely male. Those invisible butterflies bounced off the walls of her stomach.
Goddess, help me.
“I can understand that,” Riana replied. Standing up she motioned for Marissa to jump into her arms. As Riana hugged her niece close she offered, “But there’s no way around it tonight. Come on. You can help me put this baby to bed, then we’ll settle you in one of the guest rooms.” Marissa giggled and buried her face against Riana’s shoulder, peeking at Kira through dark lashes. “Not a baby. Just a little foxy.”
“Little Foxy. Hmm… Bunny LoLo. Moo. Big Kitty. I’m afraid to hear there’s more.” Trying to make the best of her situation, Kira smiled at the faces her impish niece made over her aunt’s shoulder. “Do you and Gavin have nicknames, Riana?”
“Yep,” Marissa supplied cheerfully. “Aunty is Beary-girl. Uncle Gavin is Wolfie.” She reached out and patted her aunt’s cheek, her next words startling Kira. She hadn’t realized that she had been so obvious about her fears. “Don’t worry, Aunty Kitty-Kira. They’re the bestess team ever. They won’t let any of the others bother you. My lion would eat them all up if they tried to hurt you. Is’n’t tha’right, Uncle Aiden?” The baby’s head dropped to her Aunt Riana’s shoulder after her telling comment, stubborn eyes suddenly fluttering, fighting off the rush of sleep.
“Without a second thought,” Aiden murmured, holding Kira’s wary gaze with his heated one.
“Others?” Kira felt a little faint, worried Aiden was playing on her reaction from the other day, her petrifying fear of animals. Or was there some hidden truth in Marissa’s baby talk? Did they actually allow wild animals to roam the mansion at night?
If so, there was no way she would be staying!
Aiden watched a myriad of emotions flitter across Kira’s paling face and felt a twinge of guilt for allowing their conversation to go that far. He could smell her fear and reacted to the scent on a purely primal level. Propelled out of his chair he advanced toward her with smooth, gliding strides. His primal dominant instinct prodded him to throw caution to the winds. He planned on carrying her off to his bed and keeping her there for a week.
<
br /> Or longer.
And he might have gotten away with it if Gavin hadn’t intercepted him.
Ambushing his brother, who’s sights were firmly set on Kira frozen in the middle of the hallway, Gavin slid between them. In a deadly calm voice, and serious eyes piercing his brother’s sensual haze, he said, “Aiden was only teasing you, Kira. There’s nothing to be afraid of. We would never knowingly put you in any kind of danger. From anything. Isn’t that right, brother?”
“Damn it, Gavin,” Aiden muttered for his brother’s ears only. “You have rotten timing. When did you suddenly become a conscientious hero? Go save someone else.”
“Back off, Aiden,” Gavin warned softly in return, his voice too low for any others to hear. “You were about to do something crazy and you know it. It puts us all in danger. Fight it. She’s not worth it. When you’re thinking clearer, with your head, then you’ll come to your senses and realize she’s not worth the potential consequences.”
Riana stood at the base of the stairs, her arms heavy with the dozing child. When she looked back to see what was going on, she quickly thought of her options. From the doe-in-the-headlights look on Kira’s face, and her brothers’ defensive stances and the prickly scent of male testosterone, it would be better for everyone in the hallway to separate before her brothers decided to pound one another into the ground. “Please hurry, Kira. Marissa is falling asleep in my arms and she is getting heavy.” After a reproving glare, aimed at her stubborn brothers, she followed a pale and very quiet Kira up the stairs.
Aiden watched them leave and forced himself to stay where he was. He knew she was afraid to stay there for a variety of reasons, and he was one of them. He wanted to protect her but maybe a little apprehension, caution, for what she might encounter, was a good idea. But he was having a hard time accepting he couldn’t stop her fears, comfort her through the night.