Driven by Night

by Aliyah Burke

  He prowled toward her before stretching out beside her. “I am.” He trailed his fingers up her bare calf.

  “You are what?” She was having a hard time following the conversation.

  “A mean bastard.” Up and down. “And the best.”

  “Modest much?”

  “I’m honest. Why aren’t you looking at me?”

  Because if I do, I’ll forget myself and jump you. “Enjoying the scenery.”

  Tiarnán drew her back so she lay on the ground, his head on her waist. He lifted the bottom of her shirt and began pressing kisses to her stomach. She bit the heel of her palm and swallowed back her moan.

  “Me too.”

  Her muscles clenched as strands of his hair tickled and teased her skin. “We’re out…outside.”

  “Noticed that, did you?” He swirled his tongue in her belly button and her clit throbbed as moisture gathered in her pussy.

  “What about the kids?” Her fingers flexed as she moved them around in the air.

  “Classes.”

  “Vineyard workers?” Her eyes continued to flutter and she struggled to fight them closing completely.

  His kisses continued and he used one hand to grip her side, opposite of where he lay, imprinting his hold on her hip. “Working.”

  She had no other possible excuses. He moved up and she held his shoulders. Up and up he went, tormenting her all the time nudging her shirt out of his way with his face. When his lips closed around her nipple, her back bowed and a gasp escaped.

  “Tiarnán.” She wrapped her fingers in the damp locks at the nape of his neck. Her voice, high-pitched and breathy, barely went over a whisper.

  He moved to her other nipple and sucked it. She teetered on the edge of the massive orgasm she knew awaited her. He released it and moved up to her lips. Eyes boring into hers, he took both her hands and stretched them out over her head.

  “Now.”

  She wasn’t about to argue with him any further. Her body burned hotter than the sun for him. Both her wrists he held captured in one of his large hands and with his other, he jerked down her shorts and panties. He sank deep in her pussy. Her breath was stuttered as she struggled not to cry out. Three pumps then he withdrew, flicking her clit as he retreated.

  “Stop teasing.”

  The sound of his zipper lowering filled the air and she widened her legs when the broad head of his cock nudged her entrance.

  “Tell me you want me,” he commanded against her lips.

  Writhing beneath him, she tried unsuccessfully to get him any deeper inside her. He was just too strong for her.

  “Tell me.”

  “I want you, Tiarnán.”

  He slammed home in one stroke, filling her completely and launching a scream from her throat. His mouth covered hers, eating her cry. He kissed her again as he began moving, his tongue mimicking the action of his cock.

  With his free hand, he played with her sensitive clit and was the final nudge that sent her over the precipice. She came apart, eyes scrunched closed, her nails raking across his back, digging in as her body bowed, pleasure washing over her.

  He didn’t relent, he continued powering into her. Tiarnán took his touch from her clit and moved that hand to her hair. He gripped it hard, making her gasp as his tongue surged deep one more time, then he came. Thick ropes of his seed shot within her. Her heart pounded and her lungs burned. He gentled the kiss then ended it, burying his face in the side of her neck.

  Flattening her hands against the planes of his muscular back, she held him tight. The feel of him against her was indescribable. It was also when she believed herself to be the safest, and didn’t want to lose the sensation.

  Chapter Twelve

  Tiarnán drummed his fingers on the table as he sat in his usual chair. He stared at the screens and the multiple images placed there for the entire room to view.

  “Are we sure they’re New Order and not some other idiots?”

  “We thought that at first, right up until Altair found this.” Edmond put up another image and Tiarnán growled low in his throat.

  The symbol belonging to The New Order stared him back in the face. It was the last thing he wanted to see.

  “They’re getting bolder.”

  “Or more desperate.” Aminta spoke up.

  Desperate wasn’t good. People in that frame of mind took bigger risks and tended not to care who they hurt. Or how many. Not to mention they didn’t give a damn about the damage they caused either.

  “Are the children safe?” He glanced around at the five faces there with him in the ops room. The other Astral Guardians, sans one. Dracen was still MIA. The fifth person was Edmond, their computer and tech wizard.

  “They’ve always been safe here.” Roz sat up. “We were safe here.”

  “New Order bastards hadn’t been this demonstrative before. We know there are rules that They are supposed to adhere to. Do you trust the humans who want the destruction They do to follow said rules? We’ve already had to deal with a few attacks on the grounds. What’s going to stop them from sending more?”

  “Problem with doing anything extreme, such as moving all the children from the premises, is they’ll think they are on to something and potentially redouble efforts to get the artifacts or us.” Billy spoke up this time.

  “Shouldn’t we ask Lian what to expect?” Cale questioned.

  “Don’t you think he would have by now, could he tell us more?” Roz tapped a pen.

  Cale shrugged. “Beats me. The man’s a master at asking more than he answers.”

  “Don’t start.” Tiarnán glared at them both. Ever since they’d arrived as children, those two had been able to argue about the color of the sky. They both settled back. “I think we need to make a decision on whether or not we go to Lian about the kids. We have to keep them safe.”

  The doors slid open and he glanced up to see the five mates walk in. Calida and Dex led the way. All of them sported frowns or scowls. She marched over to him and slammed her hands on the table. He didn’t miss the pinpricks of flame dangling from each fingertip and splashing to the table’s surface where it poofed and vanished.

  “Why would you think to keep us on the outside about this?” she demanded, not bothering to lower her voice.

  “We’re trying to figure out what to do.” He frowned back at her and to his dismay, she wasn’t at all perturbed.

  Not at all. Calida pulled out a chair and plunked into it. “And the five of us are all intelligent. Not to mention involved. We can help search for and offer possible solutions.”

  A united front, he saw, as the others sat. Tiarnán caught Edmond’s grin as he discovered a sudden interest in his computer console. He turned his head to stare at the woman picked for him by someone out there who was immensely wise.

  Her long hair had been pinned up in the back by a pewter and leather barrette. The design was that of the tree of life, and surrounded by Celtic knots. A gift from Mal, no doubt. Her pink shirt was loose on her and he knew the shorts would be the same. Leaning back, he stole a glance beneath the table and wasn’t at all surprised to see her feet were completely bare. He almost smiled but cut it off at the last moment.

  “I’m mad at you,” she said under her breath.

  “Why?”

  “How could you—?” She flashed her hand through the air between them. “Later. We have things to figure out.” Calida turned from him to gaze across at the others.

  “What’s the plan, Tiarnán?” Roz’s question echoed by the others ran through his mind.

  “We include them.”

  “Scared of your woman?”

  “Yes. And cautious, Cale. You’d be wise to do the same with yours. I’ve seen her fight.”

  Laughter exploded. He ignored them and listened to Calida speak.

  “…and while I understand, I would be hesitant to remove the kids. If they weren’t here, they would be without the protection provided. And could also be used as pawns because they are
important to us.” She shot him a glare. “All of us.”

  Tiarnán watched her as she spoke. Confident. A born leader. It had been a month since they’d arrived and she’d recovered fully and fit in—in his opinion—exceptionally well.

  “She’s like you, Tiarnán. A leader.”

  He nodded at Billy, completely agreeing with the sentiment. He’d been continually impressed with how she’d settled in. The thing he was still concerned about—in regards to Calida—was her forgetting incidences. It had happened a few other times.

  A sharp kick to his ankle had him frowning at the woman beside him. “What?”

  Calida delivered to him another disapproving stare. “We’re waiting for your thoughts.”

  Shit. He scratched at the day’s growth on his face. “If everyone else is on board with it…”

  “So weren’t paying attention,” she muttered, frustration lacing her tone.

  “…then I’m good with it.” He avoided looking at his brethren, well aware of the laughter they would have for his predicament.

  “Like avoiding our gazes will stop the torment.” Roz said.

  He wouldn’t respond. He wouldn’t. Instead, Tiarnán watched Calida. She’s really upset about this. She never even glanced at him. The others had her full focus. He now understood how seriously she was taking this situation.

  Angling his chair a bit toward her, using the table as cover, he placed his hand on her upper thigh. Without missing a beat in the conversation she participated in, she reached down and shoved it off. Did he say pissed? That and a bit more.

  Undeterred, he placed his hand back, squeezing slightly. Same unwanted result as the first time. And the third had a disturbingly familiar feel of déjà vu when she whipped his hand off her thigh. He went for a fourth time and felt a flash of pride she allowed him to stay until he realized she was just going to ignore him.

  With the tips of his fingers, he inched up her soft cotton shorts until he could touch silken smooth skin. Calida worked her jaw but didn’t move. He drew abstract designs on her leg as the discussions continued. However, his attention shifted when the topic moved to Dracen.

  “Has anyone heard from her?” Cale asked. “Tiarnán, you two are closest, has she contacted you?” There was no way to hide the heavy concern in his words.

  He hated that everyone—himself included—responded in the negative when it came to divulging whether or not they’d heard from Dracen. Her absence was hard on everyone but he knew it was hardest on him.

  “What are we going to do about it?” Billy questioned.

  “What can we do?” He put both hands on the tabletop and leaned forward. “Until she decides she wants to be found, there’s nothing we can do.” He absolutely refused to believe something bad had happened to her and wouldn’t allow his mind to go down that road.

  “Can’t we have Edmond track her cell phone?” Billy again.

  “I’ve already had him do that,” he admitted. “It’s not on. And her GPS only gets us to the bus station where she purchased a ticket to Stewartstown.”

  “Where the hell is that?” Aminta pursed her lips.

  “In New Hampshire, right along the border between here and Quebec.”

  “So she’s in Canada?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t know, she could have gotten off at any stop. So for all I know she’s somewhere between here and there.” He spread his fingers wide and scrunched them back before he relaxed them.

  “I’ll see if I can reach her again. Let me know if she contacts any of you.” He raked a hand through his hair, a sure sign of his frustration, and when he finished, he looked to Calida. Something was different about her. She still sat there and appeared attentive but he could see a difference.

  Every inch of her was rigid and tense as she sat in the chair. The others rose and began to leave, Calida as well. He reached out and grasped her wrist, halting her. She looked at him, one eyebrow arched.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.” She tugged trying to free herself from him. “Mind letting go?”

  Actually, he did mind. “Are you still mad I didn’t include you in this?”

  “Nope, but I can see now why you didn’t.” She pulled again, this time managing to break his hold.

  “What?”

  She shook her head and walked out with the others. There was no look back. When only he and Edmond remained in the room, he faced the man. The smirk on his face had him pausing.

  “Something amusing, Edmond?”

  “Yes. The fact you can’t seem to understand your woman amuses me.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “Explain.”

  “You shut her and the other mates out of this little chat. When they arrive and offer assistance—which I must say, they put out some good ideas on how to keep the children here and up the protection—you tune her out and don’t listen. However, the moment Dracen is mentioned, you sit up and are one hundred percent attentive. I don’t know how you’re used to doing things, but from where I’m sitting, that’s not the best way to treat your woman, by putting in more interest in another female. Especially one she’s not met and knows how you feel about.” The man shrugged his shoulders. “Just an observation, my man.” Edmond walked out, his face buried in his tablet as he worked on something else.

  Shit.

  * * * *

  Calida fumed as she walked. Seriously, did she have to deal with this? No. What were her other options? Leave and possibly get killed. Okay, so perhaps it wasn’t so bad.

  Nothing like being second fiddle to another who’s not even around. She rolled her eyes at her dramatic thought. “Get over it, Calida.” Another eye roll and she continued on her way, not paying attention, just walking. She wandered the property, just enjoying the day in the afternoon sun.

  Lowering herself to the ground, she dug her toes into the rich soil and groaned at the feel of it pouring along the skin of her feet. She rested her flip-flops beside her and dug her fingers in as well. It was cool and smooth. Calida tipped her head back and welcomed the warmth on her face.

  A brief shadow crossed over her yet she didn’t move. However, when she felt someone sit beside her, she cracked an eye open and saw Tiarnán there. Closing the eye again, she didn’t move.

  “Are you busy?”

  “Yes,” she replied.

  “Okay.”

  They sat in silence for another thirty minutes. She eventually lay back and soaked up the rays. She watched him from beneath lowered lids—he didn’t move, just waited.

  “Still busy?” he asked later.

  “What do you want, Tiarnán?”

  “A swim now, I’m hot after sitting in the sun.”

  “So go swim.” She closed her eyes once more.

  “I think we need to talk first.”

  “Isn’t that what we’re doing right now?”

  “You want me to apologize for not including you or the others.”

  She rose up on her elbows and squinted up at him. “You think I want you to apologize for that? Nope. Wrong.”

  He pivoted his body toward her. “So what do you want?”

  So much she didn’t even know where to start. Wasn’t an option of saying however, she understood he wanted her to talk. She shook her head. “Nothing.”

  “So you are no longer mad at me?”

  “Nope. Not mad. All’s fine. Go swim.” She lay back and rolled onto her stomach, wriggling her toes again.

  “Why are you turning away from me?”

  “Why are you still here? I thought you wanted to swim.”

  “You lied to me. You are still mad.”

  “I’m not mad at you.” She pushed up to her feet and dusted off her clothing. “What I am is disappointed. There’s a huge difference between those two words. I was mad. Now, I’m not. Got it? Good.”

  She whirled around and walked off. Calida made it to the edge of the forest before he stopped her. Tiarnán captured her arm and spun her back toward him. His hazel gaze bur
ned in the light, the shadows from the forest cast stripes on him and she realized just how much like the tiger he truly was. Even there, holding onto her, and her looking directly at him, it was like he was vanishing before her.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “For what?”

  “Whatever I did wrong.”

  “You’re apologizing for something, yet you don’t even know what.” She shook her head. “I didn’t want an apology from you before and I sure as hell don’t want one that you have no recollection as to why you would be issuing it.” Prying his fingers off her arm, she gave him a small squeeze. “Go enjoy your swim.” She walked off into the forest, hoping he’d leave her alone to cry in peace.

  He did. However, Lian didn’t.

  The man showed up as she wiped away her tears and tried to pull herself back together. Just out of nowhere, he appeared.

  “Everything okay, Calida Michaels?” He stood before her, cane in hand, looking as if he’d just walked off a magazine cover. He wasn’t in a suit, but in jeans and a nice polo.

  “Good afternoon, Lian.”

  He gestured with the tip of his cane to the log beside her. “Might I sit?”

  “Of course, I’m sorry.” She admonished herself for not thinking to ask him if he needed a seat. He moved to her side and sat.

  “You like the forest.”

  “I love the outdoors.”

  “I know you do.”

  She furrowed her brow slightly at his word choice but held her silence. Around them the birds chirped and sang, smaller creatures chattered while dashing back and forth along the floor as well as the branches.

  “How are you settling in? Mal says you have recovered well. Exceptionally well.”

  “She said that to me as well. I love it here, your grounds are…spectacular, to say the least.”

  “The children respond well to you also.”

  “I don’t have a lot of experience with them, but I do enjoy them.” Silence lingered between them and she turned on the log so she faced him. “Is there something I can do for you?”