Temptation Unleashed

by Kari Thomas

  “Uncle Warren was with us that day. He seldom went into the swamp. Lena was away on a trip with friends.” She sighed deeply. “Thank the Goddess.” He summoned more patience as Kira stopped talking, lost in her thoughts. When she started again, he heard the tremor in her voice, felt the tension in her body. “Uncle Warren had wandered away from us somewhere in the swamp and I remember Mother wondering if he had gotten lost. Sometimes he has the worst sense of direction. My parents were a few yards ahead of us when we heard rustling in the surrounding brush.” She shivered.

  Reliving these memories took all her strength.

  Aiden tightened his arms around her, assuring her she was safe. “Go on,” he encouraged quietly.

  “At first I thought it was one of the swamp creatures, playing hide-n-go seek with us. They knew our scent and steps, and often sat by the path watching us forage what we needed. But this was different. A feeling of…of overwhelming menace struck me. I’d never felt anything like it. It was something completely out of place…incredibly strong, immensely powerful. And, whatever it was, it wasn’t hiding from us. It was stalking…us.”

  A surge of protective anger surfaced and Aiden’s jaw clenched.

  “Everyone else felt it, too.” Kira’s voice was more muffled as she pressed her face tighter against his chest as if to shut off what she saw with her mind’s eye. “Sonia, Shey, and I looked at each other, our senses expanding to search out the threat, see if we could pinpoint its location. Just as we thought we’d found it, we felt it being joined by two others.” She was silent for another long, tense moment and Aiden forced himself not to say anything. “My parents had turned to come back to us when—”

  She paused and her breathing increased. Her body shuddered with her memories.

  He held her as close as possible, stroking her back. “I need to know, Kira,” he murmured against her bent head. “I’ve got you, sweetheart. Nothing can hurt you now. Finish the story.”

  She took several deep, shaky breaths before she could continue. “Two large black panthers leapt from the brush and ran straight at our parents. It was horrifying. They pulled them down to the ground before either Mother or Father could defend themselves. I remember screaming, remember Shey and Sonia’s screams piercing my heart. I threw up my hands…started to shout out a spell…I wasn’t even sure of the words I was saying…when another black form jumped out of the brush next to me.” Her voice took on an abrupt, emotionless monotone and Aiden almost stopped her from saying any more. He couldn’t bear the sound of defeat he heard in her voice. “When I turned, the third panther struck me in mid swing. It slashed my wrist and arm then flew over me to land on top of Shey. It knocked me over before it reached her. Knocked me flat on my face. There was blood everywhere. Deafening screams surrounded me. Sonia was shouting at me to do something. Use my powers. Save them. And all I could do was stare at the torn flesh of my arm, watch the blood gush, and feel the freezing of my heart as the rest of my body went numb with terror.” Her breath caught and she bit back a cry.

  Aiden held her tight and whispered “Shhh…” as she trembled and tried to continue.

  “My mind went blank. All my power, all my knowledge, fled. I watched the cats tear them to shreds and was unable to save them. I could have saved them. I had the power. I should have used it. They didn’t have to die. I should have done something. Anything. But I didn’t. I couldn’t.”

  He felt helpless as he held her while she cried. A man always in control, he was powerless against her grief. As long as he lived he knew he’d never again feel as impotent as he felt at this moment in time. Kira’s sobs eventually quieted and he continued to hold her tight.

  When she broke the silence once more, her words cut deep to his heart. “The last thing I remembered tonight…before I woke to you kissing me…was staring into the eyes of a big cat. I was in the garden and it had gotten in. Somehow. He was ready to attack…I know that… then I fainted.” She lifted her head and looked him in the eyes. “How did I get back here?”

  He had no choice but to lie. “I found you in the garden and carried you inside. There were no signs of a cat, big or small. Maybe the night shadows were playing tricks on you.”

  She doubted it but wasn’t up to arguing with him. She sat up so that she could move away from his tempting touch. She wanted nothing more than to stay in his arms but knew the consequences would be disastrous.

  “Why did you kiss me?” She lowered her lashes afraid to see the truth in his eyes. The memory of his heated mouth caused a shiver of lingering desire to streak through her. “When I left your house I thought there was nothing more left for us to say to each other. Then you show up, here, tonight. Kissing me, holding me, comforting me. What’s that about?”

  She leaned away, forcing his arms to fall from around her body. “And you accuse me of being deliberately confusing.”

  He stared at her for long tense moments. When he spoke his voice was gruff, “Tell me the truth and I’ll give you an honest answer.” He grasped her chin and forced her to look at him. “Have you placed any type of spell on me?”

  She sputtered in indignation. “You are so arrogant! Do you honestly believe that I would place a love spell on you? Why would I do that, especially considering the animosity that’s been present between us from the beginning.”

  “My point, exactly,” he muttered dryly. “What better way than that, to get what you want?”

  “Believe me,” Kira scowled, her lovely eyes darkening to blue fire, “A love spell would be the last thing I’d use on you. A ‘make-you-nice-spell’ would be far more productive.”

  “Sarcasm doesn’t fit you, baby.”

  “Or maybe something more on the lines of turning you into a frog,” she pondered, one finger on her chin as if contemplating his potential transformation. “Yeah, that would be perfect. Something black and gnarly – covered in warts. Then I could donate you to a lab that dissects rotten little critters with bad attitudes. Hmm. Why hadn’t I thought of that before?”

  The words ‘lab’ and ‘dissect’ stabbed at his memory; they were the main reason he’d found himself stalking her tonight. He suddenly remembered that Warren and Lena were conspicuously absent. After arriving and scenting Kira nearby, he had forgotten to check if the magic shop’s van was anywhere around.

  Damn. He had let her distract him again!

  “Where are Warren and Lena?”

  Kira blinked in surprise at his rough tone. “Why is that any of your business? Afraid to be alone with me…and my powers?”

  “Stop being so sarcastic and answer me. Trust me, Kira, I’m not in the best of moods right now.”

  “I’m sooo scared.” She made an innocent face. “See me tremble?”

  “Keep it up and I’ll give you a more legitimate reason to tremble,” he warned huskily. “Where are they?”

  “In Phoenix. If you must know. They’re attending a Natural Health Conference. They won’t be home until late Monday. Why are you so curious?” She studied his features, noticing his jaw clench at her news. “It’s not just curiosity, is it? You’re…angry about something. Fine, Aiden. Let’s get all this out in the open. Why did you really come here tonight?”

  He decided confrontation might be the only way to get to the truth and watched her closely for any telltale reactions. “The Venus Poppy’s van was seen trespassing in the compound yesterday. Several men abducted a few small animals, stuffed them in cages. What the hell is going on, Kira? What do you know about this?” Her mouth dropped open in surprised shock and he was sure her expression was genuine. It made him feel better, but damned if he knew why.

  “It couldn’t have been there. Uncle Warren and Lena have been gone since Thursday night. And I certainly wasn’t driving the van. It should be in the garage.”

  “What about hired help? Does anyone else have access to the van?”

  “No. Lena and I are the only ones who run the shop. Uncle Warren never uses the van.” She frowned hard at him. “You’r
e looking at me as though you don’t believe me. What are you accusing me of now? Why in the world would I send someone out to your animal reserve and grab a few animals? Honestly, Aiden. Do you know how stupid that sounds?

  “You know I’m not a fan of wild animals, so why would you even think I would go looking for them? And I can assure you I certainly wouldn’t be doing something so…so nefarious! If you believed I could do something that…that wrong…why in the world did you come here and kiss me like that? You aren’t making any sense.” He growled in warning, obviously not happy at being called stupid, but Kira didn’t care.

  The man was so exasperating!

  Aiden’s thoughts were flying in different directions. If Kira was telling the truth...

  He decided to sort it out later, when he could focus better on the problem. Yeah, later definitely has its good points. Especially with Kira so riled up.

  She was absolutely stunning when she was angry.

  And sexy as hell.

  He grinned. “You keep bringing the conversation back to me kissing you.” He tangled his hand in her thick, long curls and slowly pulled her closer. She lost her balance and fell against his chest, her face mere inches from his. “Just can’t stop thinking about it, huh?”

  “You are so egotistical,” she muttered. “I didn’t kiss you.”

  “Yes, you did,” he countered with male smugness. “You gave back hot kiss for every hot kiss. Admit it, baby, this attraction between us is undeniable. Why fight it?”

  Kira’s lovely eyes narrowed, long lashes lowering to conceal her expression. He should have been warned but he was too caught up in the moment. She felt so good, lying against him, soft and curvy.

  “Let me count the ways why we should fight this.”

  Aiden controlled a sudden surge of anger. If she brought up that ridiculous notion of Marissa being his daughter again, he just might strangle her. That there were secrets he wouldn’t share regarding Marissa were fact, and those would be protected at any cost. But father…no way!

  “Don’t start, Kira. You’re wasting your energy trying to understand something that has no place here and now.”

  Kira looked him straight in the eyes, never blinking. “Did you even care for Sonia…when you…made love to her? When she conceived Marissa?”

  Chapter Thirteen

  The old cliché ‘it was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop’ flashed through Aiden’s mind as his thoughts raced and he made the valiant effort to keep his temper in control. He didn’t know which he was most angry at: Kira’s stubbornness to get to the truth, or her tendency to jump to unfounded conclusions. Add her innate talent of witchcraft…the basis of all the troubles in his family… well, it certainly didn’t help matters.

  Damn it all to hell.

  A war raged inside him. His body was on fire, wanting her with a desperation that was overwhelming. But his mind fought the urges, telling him to leave now while there was still a chance to walk away.

  Walking away wasn’t an option. She was entrenched too deep inside him.

  Her alluring, sensual scent beguiled him. Her beauty mesmerized him. She’d been in his thoughts constantly since the first moment he’d set eyes on her. She haunted his restless dreams at night, while thoughts of claiming her taunted him during his waking hours. He stayed in a constant state of torturous arousal.

  His nerves strung tight, his body always achingly hard. No other woman, human or shape-shifter, had ever affected him like this. And even when that little voice had made one last ditch effort to save his sanity, telling him his obsession was the result of witchcraft, he should have given up, given in.

  He was fighting a losing battle…and he knew it.

  He gripped her chin harder, ignoring her wince of pain. Anger and lust battled deep inside him and, at this point, he didn’t care which won. “Damn it, Kira,” he muttered roughly. “I told you that Kyle was Marissa’s father. I don’t give a damn about your little spell saying otherwise.” Her dark, confused gaze searched deep, searing him, and he bit back a frustrated growl.

  Kira’s heart raced, her thoughts confused and contradictory. She’d never been wrong before. Not in using a spell. Although she hadn’t used her craft for years, the inborn talent was strong, never fading. She knew her skills were powerful.

  Aiden’s aura had matched Marissa’s perfectly. But he was refuting the evidence, denying that which she had seen with her own eyes.

  Why?

  Deep down she wanted to believe him. The thought of him being Marissa’s father was too painful. She was so deeply in love with him she was torn, and that hurt just as much. She couldn’t let it happen. Something inside warned her that falling in love with Aiden would bring her devastating heartache, a hurt she might never recover from.

  She tried to pull back but he only moved his grip from her chin to tangle his hand in her hair, holding her still no matter how she squirmed. She bit her bottom lip to keep from uttering a moan of longing that would show him how much she craved his touch, wanted nothing more than to feel his lips on hers.

  “Don’t chew on your lip like that,” he bit out, his voice hoarse and deep. “I only have a fraction of restraint left, Kira.”

  Burgeoning fire raced through her as she watched the molten swirl of desire flare in his eyes, darkening them to near black. She felt the restrained tension in his hard body, sensed his anger and lust battling for supremacy.

  It frightened her. It excited her.

  But she had to get one thing clear before she reached the point of mindlessness, her rational thinking obliterated. Until she was just feeling.

  “You were never with Sonia?” Darn, how she hated the vulnerability in her voice as she asked the question. She held her breath waiting for the explosion.

  “No.”

  One word. A wealth of meaning. Quiet and firm.

  Might as well push her luck a little more. “Were you and Kyle twins?”

  “No.”

  Kira closed her eyes for a long moment as she pondered the implications. She had to make a choice. She could either believe him, accept his words and his passion. Or walk away from him, to live forever with the heartache of being without him.

  Aiden made her choice for her.

  He murmured her name, the sound an aching need, “Kira. Forget it.” He leaned forward and softly touched his lips to hers. Their breaths mingled. “Just for this moment, don’t think about anything but this incredible hunger between us.” He sensually rubbed his mouth over hers with deeper pressure. “I’m on fire, Kira. I know you feel it too. Forget about everything else but the two of us. Here. Now.”

  Kira moaned. She leaned into his kiss. Expecting him to take her mouth with his usual ravenous hunger, she was surprised to feel the gentle pressure of his lips as he slowly, thoroughly kissed her. Something inside her melted. Heated. All the reasons why they shouldn’t be together fled her mind, and she willingly let her heart take over. Whatever happened later, she’d deal with it. Aiden was right.

  Now was all that mattered.

  She moved her hand from his chest and slid it caressingly up his throat to his jaw. He groaned in response and deepened the kiss. His arm around her back tightened like a steel band as he pressed their bodies as close as possible. His lips moved from her mouth and trailed hot kisses across her cheek. Kira wanted to protest the loss of his kiss but caught her breath in delighted bliss when he tugged her head up and his rough, hot tongue tortuously licked a long fiery path across her throat.

  “You taste like the sweetest of honey,” he murmured in a near growl. “All fire and silk. I want to devour you.”

  Kira shivered, ecstasy caressing her tightly strung nerves. The picture his words evoked was beyond erotic, and her breathing increased. Her pulses beat erratically as thoughts of what was to come flickered, teased.

  He tugged her hair, brought them face to face. Gruffly, he choked out, “Swear to me, this is not a spell.”

  She reached up and touched his lips, he
r fingers sliding across them with a gentle caress. With a whisper as seductive as her touch, she answered, “I swear, Aiden.”

  It was all he needed. Aiden’s control broke. He claimed her mouth with a hunger beyond voracious.

  It was consuming. Soul-searing.

  It was magical.

  Kira melted into him as a slow heat started low in her belly and moved to spread through the rest of her body. Not even the spiraling aftereffects of her most potent spell had ever rushed over her like this euphoria that now claimed her body, and soul.

  Never breaking their kiss, Aiden slowly turned her to lie beneath him. One hand remained tangled in her curls, the other hand caressed its way down to her hip, then under her, to cup the curve of her buttocks. He allowed his full weight to settle over her, fitting their bodies snugly together in all the right places, like pieces of a perfect puzzle.

  She felt his restraint in the strength of his hard, muscled body, felt the tension in his arms as he tried to keep his weight from crushing her. The knowledge that he was trying to be gentle, despite his obvious hunger, made her heart melt. Her love for this rough, enigmatic, mystifying man flowed through her. Deepened. She wrapped her arms around his broad back and sighed a soft moan of acquiescence into his mouth.

  She’d known from the beginning it was inevitable, though she had fought the knowledge. She’d fallen in love with him the moment they’d met. She silenced the little voice deep inside that whispered back, reminding her of a truth she didn’t want to accept: Aiden didn’t love her. He only wanted her. But it didn’t matter. For, in this magical moment, she wanted all that he could give her, anything he would share.

  She’d deal with any consequences…later.

  Aiden groaned and broke their kiss, sliding hot lips across her downy cheek, down to her throat. He lingered there for a long moment, his breathing rough. “I want to kiss every inch of you,” he muttered hoarsely.

  The erotic picture his words painted made her gasp with shivering expectancy. “Every inch?” she whispered, a catch in her voice. He was making her feel things she’d never imagined feeling. It was intoxicating.