by Amber Carew
She heard her name, spoken in a deep voice. Masculine. Familiar.
Warmth enveloped her hand and she tightened her stiff fingers around it.
"Lucinda. Wake up, sweetheart."
Nyte’s voice. Close. Beckoning.
Slowly, and with great effort, she tried to push open her eyelids.
The hazy image of a face drifted into view, then slowly cleared to show Nyte’s strong, rugged features, his midnight eyes filled with concern. The warm, flickering glow of a fire cast dancing shadows across his face as he knelt beside her. She was lying on the four poster bed in the bedroom of his house by the ocean, a soft, fluffy blanket tucked snugly around her. A roaring fire blazed in the white marble fireplace across the room.
Memory slowly emerged in her foggy brain. She’d escaped Remlin’s hold by slipping out the bathroom window. Her theory had been right that he’d only used the energy barrier to stop others from getting in, not to stop anyone from getting out. Of course, he had assumed she’d been too weak to escape on her own. He’d underestimated her.
But he’d almost been right.
The bitter cold had slapped her a violent blow as she’d searched for Nyte for what seemed like an endless distance, but was probably no more than a few meters. The knowledge that Nyte was in danger had kept her moving, until her feet, heavy with exhaustion, had tripped over a jagged edge of ice and she’d fallen. She remembered pushing herself to go on, her hands burning cold as she dragged herself forward. The wind had assaulted her wet, stinging face. The snow seemed to draw her into its depths. Dreadfully cold, viciously numbing snow. Somehow the white stuff had sapped her will, and her body had shut down.
She hadn’t found Nyte, but he must have found her.
She reached out and touched his cheek to convince herself he was really there. She stroked his whisker-roughened jaw with her fingertip, the coarseness stimulating her nerve endings. She rested her palm on his cheek.
A feeling of euphoria welled around her. She felt immersed in Nyte’s essence.
"Nyte. You’re safe."
"Me?" He covered her hand and shifted her palm to his lips. The warm moistness melted another degree of frigid cold from her being. "It was you who was kidnapped. You I was worried about."
Kidnapped. Thoughts crashed into her brain like chunks of crusty snow collapsing from a roof after an ice storm. Remlin. Nyte was still in danger from him.
She jerked forward, grasping both Nyte’s hands. "Nyte, there’s a strange wizard. He was using me to lure you and Rand. It was a trap of some sort, and--"
"I know, Lucinda."
He gripped her shoulders and eased her back against the pillow. The fluffy down cushioned her back, but not the fear gripping her heart.
He was too calm. Maybe he thought her words were just feverish jabbering. She had to make him understand.
"His name is Remlin and--"
"I thought it was him."
She blinked in surprise. "You know who he is?"
"Yes, I do." He stroked the hair from her cheek, his touch gentle and intimate. And very welcome. "Did he tell you what he wanted?"
"Not exactly." She reached for his hand and held it tightly, needing the comfort of his touch as the fear for his safety welled within her again. "But he watched you and Rand the whole time you were searching for me. I’m sure he wants to hurt you."
He squeezed her hand. "It’s okay now. We’re safe here. I brought you back to my house and I’ve erected the protective spell again." He stroked her cheek, his fingers lingering on her skin, and his eyes grew intent. "But I want you to understand, I didn’t do it to keep you confined. Only to protect you. I want you to stay here, but if you insist you want to leave--"
She intertwined her fingers with his, unable to get enough of touching him. "I’ll stay here as long as you do. It’s you he’s after. I’m sure of it."
He smiled warmly. "Don’t worry. I plan on staying right here. I have to look after you." He leaned forward to kiss her cheek. "And in case you decide to get all defensive about that statement, you’re suffering from exposure and you’re weak from exertion, so I intend to nurse you back to health." He picked up one of her blond curls lying across the blanket and twirled it around his finger. "You’d do the same for me."
It hadn’t even occurred to her to protest. The thought of him taking care of her felt very right. More than right. She longed for his tender care.
He curled his fingers around hers. "And I want to reassure you," he continued, "that I meant it when I promised I wouldn’t overpower you again."
She remembered the elation she’d felt when he’d made that promise. Before they’d had time to discuss it, he’d removed the barrier spell and Remlin had snatched her away.
He drew their joined hands to his mouth and kissed her knuckles, the light brush of his lips sending tingling fireworks dancing across her nerve endings.
"I want you to trust me," he murmured. In his eyes, she could see much more than his words expressed. His desire for her trust was a need that burrowed into his soul.
Did she trust him?
She knew she loved him and didn’t want him to get hurt, but trust?
The realization slid into place within her like a hand into a well-worn glove. Yes. She did.
As she stared into his dark, granite eyes, she became aware of an intense longing. To be with him. To hold him. Never to let him go.
Joy fluttered through her at the thought that she had finally formed a true Love Bond. A Love Bond she would cherish.
"As for taking care of you...." He stood up and started unbuttoning his shirt. At the sight of hard muscle stretched taut over his broad, naked chest, the pattern of her thoughts scattered, then flitted from her mind.
"You’re suffering from hypothermia... so...." He pushed off his shirt and tossed it over the armchair. Her heart fluttered like a nervous hummingbird. "The best way to warm you up is with body heat."
He shoved off his pants and left them in a lump on the floor as he lifted the covers.
She barely felt the cold draft as her body flared to life at the thought of his sexy, muscular body pressing against hers. He lay down beside her and the heat emanating from him took her breath away.
"Nyte, I--"
"Don’t worry, sweetheart." He grinned as he shifted closer to her. "All I’m going to do is hold you. I don’t want to drain what little strength you have. You need it to recuperate."
He folded her in his arms and drew her against him. She almost gasped at the feel of his flesh on her bare skin.
Bare skin? Somewhere along the way he’d peeled away her clothes.
"I intend to share a lot of heat with you now." He kissed the tip of her nose, then smiled broadly. "And an explosive amount later."
She shivered, partly because of the cold still gripping her, and partly because of the thrill of feeling him next to her.
Several sensations demanded her attention at once. The rough hair on his legs prickled against hers. Her breasts crushed against his chest, her nipples growing rigid--and not from the cold. His belly pressed against hers and a bulge growing between their lower bodies. His swollen flesh told her clearly he wanted her.
And she wanted him. Not later. Now.
Her fingers itched to slide down and stroke him. She remembered the wild sense of abandon she’d shared in his arms when they’d made love and the urge--in fact, an overwhelming desire--to do it again, jolted through her like a strike of lightning.
She suddenly felt a surge of strength. Her hand drifted down his chest--and farther. His erection moved slightly against her belly as she neared its tip. She dragged her finger over the cotton of his black briefs and he groaned. His hand grasped hers and flattened it against his thigh.
"Lucinda, stop that."
She snuggled closer, pressing her breasts more firmly against him, deciding to use her natural assets to break down his resistance and convince him to give her what she wanted. Him.
"But I want to be warmer
." The words came out sexy and low. She pressed her lips to his throat and nuzzled.
"Lucinda."
She couldn’t tell if his tone was warning or taxingly restrained. Or both.
She dragged her tongue along his collarbone, the salty-male taste of him eliciting an overwhelming desire to taste other, more interesting parts of him. His arms stiffened around her as she started to move down his chest.
"Mmm. I told you, I want--"
Her eyes widened as he shifted suddenly, rolling her under him, and pinned her hands beside her head.
"I want, too, but I’m holding myself back," he said through gritted teeth. "You aren’t helping."
She smiled. "I’m not trying to help." She nipped his chin with her teeth. "Because I can’t help myself." She kissed his bottom lip, then drew it into her mouth. "I want you." Her voice had never sounded so husky.
His determined expression faltered.
"Great stars, Lucinda, it wouldn’t be right for me to make love to you in your weakened state."
"Why not?" She leaned forward and captured his left nipple in her mouth. The feel of it beading tightly between her tongue and teeth delighted her.
"I could just lie back and let you do all the work." She teased his other nipple with the tip of her tongue. He closed his eyes tightly. "And think how warm I’d be afterward."
At his preoccupation with her playful teasing, his grip on her loosened, giving her the opportunity to wiggle her hands free. She wrapped her arms around him and drew him down until his chest touched her body, then she pressed her breasts into him. "That is why you got in here with me, isn’t it?"
"Yes," he forced out through gritted teeth.
She nudged him onto his side, then stroked her hands down his chest and across his stomach. His swollen erection stood tall and proud, obviously in need of her attention. When she wrapped her hands around it, it pulsed. She loved the feel of it. Like kid leather stretched taut over hard muscle. With one finger, she traced its length from tip to base.
Nyte growled, then buried his face in the hair at her neck. The feel of his lips caressing the flesh of her neck sent sparks tingling through her. His lips danced down her shoulder and across her chest, until he captured her nipple in his mouth. She gasped with exquisite pleasure. Delicious, overpowering urges lurched within her. She arched to him. An incredible warmth swept through her.
"Oh, Nyte, I’m feeling hotter already."
He lapped his tongue across her other nipple, then drew it firmly, and deeply, into his mouth. She thought she’d faint at the extreme sensations raging through her. She stroked his erection with both hands.
"Lucinda, I want you so badly." The words sounded rigid. "If I don’t make love to you now--"
The absolute need in his voice thrilled her.
She tightened her arms around him and pulled him against her. "Now, Nyte. I need you now, too."
She arched her body to his, using one hand to guide his erection to her, then wrapped her thighs around him. He slid inside in one smooth, even thrust. She felt weak from the intense pleasure of his deep penetration and her body stretching around his enormous rod. She tightened her legs and drew him deeper still, moaning his name as he stroked inside her.
Exquisite. Overwhelming. Sensation.
He drew out then slid in again. She gasped for air as she compressed internal muscles and felt him slide tightly within her, magnifying the intense sensations.
"Lucinda, my love." He planted a line of unsteady kisses along her throat. "Please tell me you’re ready. Because I certainly am."
She nipped his earlobe. "I’m long past ready," she murmured. She dragged her tongue around the edge of his ear, loving the sound of his groan, knowing she’d caused it.
He thrust forward. Once. Twice. Three times. Like a countdown to detonation.
On the last stroke, she exploded with sensation, blasting straight to a mind-numbing climax. His arms tightened around her as she cried out his name.
Chapter 19
Where had Nyte disappeared? Rand wondered as he glanced around the barren, arctic landscape. He’d been gone more than fifteen minutes and it was too damned cold to stand here doing nothing.
The wind whistled past his hooded head and he felt an answering echo through the caverns of his soul. His life felt so empty. This inactivity gave him too much time to think. He should be doing something to find Lucinda, to bring her back into his life, but that thought only augmented the hollowness inside. Once she was back, she’d go to Nyte. She was bonded to him now.
Somehow, Rand had known all along that he wasn’t meant to be Lucinda’s lifelong mate, but he had thought they’d always be friends. That would be impossible now. She loved Nyte and his and Nyte’s animosity would cause her too much heartache. Better to withdraw. Bit by bit he’d dismantle the friendship they’d built over centuries. Distance would be best for them both.
No matter where their friendship went in the future, however, right now he had to find her and assure himself of her safety. Standing here shivering wasn’t going to accomplish that goal.
He rubbed his hands together and stomped his feet in an effort to get the blood moving to his rapidly freezing extremities. He’d been trying to conserve his magical energy to break Lucinda free, but soon he would have to cast a spell to keep warm.
In the meantime, he’d search for Nyte. The walk would help.
He strode around the house following Nyte’s footprints. When he’d gone most of the way around the dwelling, he still saw no sign of him. He went another few feet and saw that Nyte’s footprints ended. From the opposite direction leading to the end of his trail, Rand saw a wide track carved through the snow.
Had Nyte fallen into some kind of trap?
Rand noticed a small object glittering in the snow. He knelt down and picked it up. Holding it in the palm of his hand, he saw it was a small, silver dragon holding a rectangular gem in its claws. A stone that was part yellow and part purple. He clamped his fingers around it. His fingernails dug into the heel of his hand. His heart pounded.
He’d given this necklace to Lucinda last Christmas.
The wide trail through the snow must be Lucinda’s, and from the look of it, she’d been crawling.
Somehow she must have escaped from the house and made it this far. He glanced at the house, his lips clamped tightly together. Had she been taken prisoner again? Had Nyte been taken captive, too? Or had Nyte whisked her away?
If the latter, would Nyte have left without a thought for Rand’s safety?
He didn’t have to search very deep for the answer to that question.
"It looks like you’ve been abandoned."
Rand lurched to his feet and spun around. He found himself facing a tall man with long, black hair and similar features to Nyte. Except he had brilliant, green eyes rather than Nyte’s charcoal ones.
Rand shifted his feet apart and held his arms free and ready at his side--in case he needed to act quickly--and kept a keen gaze on the stranger. He could sense the powerful aura of magic around this man.
So this was the wizard Nyte had warned him about.
From the similarity in appearance and build, clearly, he and Nyte were related. And that made him dangerous.
"Where is Lucinda?" Rand demanded.
He shrugged. "I don’t know--exactly. It seems she’s escaped."
Rand didn’t know whether to believe him or not.
The man strolled toward him, heedless of Rand’s stiffening stance. Unlike Nyte’s purposeful manner, this man seemed very laid back. Rand wanted to keep his distance, but he refused to retreat from the other’s advance. He would show no sign of weakness, yet neither would he strike out without provocation.
"Rand, believe me, Lucinda has been safe all along. I never meant her any harm."
An uncomfortable feeling stole through him at the fact the other man knew his name.
"Then why did you kidnap her?" Rand growled.
"That requires a lot of explana
tion." He smiled and gestured toward the house. "Come, let’s go inside where it’s warm and talk."
Rand hesitated. The pendant digging into his palm reminded him that Lucinda had been outside the house, but that didn’t necessarily mean she had escaped. This was probably the only way he would ever get past the impenetrable barrier and get inside the house where this stranger might still be holding Lucinda prisoner. On the other hand, if she had escaped, this could be a trick to capture Rand and use him to lure Lucinda back.
"This is no trap, Rand. Come inside and listen to what I have to say. You won’t be sorry."
Rand stared at the green-eyed stranger, amazed at the aura of sincerity emanating from him.
"An interesting choice of words," Rand said. Sorry is what he would be if he found himself imprisoned. "Why do you say that?"
A blast of wind prickled his face with tiny crystals of snow and he shivered.
"Because I know the questions that have been haunting you for centuries. And I have the answers."
* * * *
Lucinda was definitely warm now. In fact, she was in danger of becoming overheated, pressed intimately close to Nyte’s long, sexy body, his arms wrapped snugly around her. If she didn’t do something soon, her hormones would ignite again, and she didn’t have the energy for another round of lovemaking. It wouldn’t even help to suggest Nyte do all the work, because making love with Nyte demanded full participation.
Getting a little fresh air would be a good idea. She could go for a walk on the beach. Or maybe she’d just flake on the couch and watch the ocean waves dance in the sunlight as she enjoyed a tall, cold drink.