She frowned at him. “Are you okay?”
“My head hurts a bit, but I’m fine. My clothes?”
“From the look of you, it hurts more than a bit.” She rose and laid the back of her hand on his forehead. “My God, you’re burning up. You need rest. I’ll be right back to clean up the rest of this mess. Close your eyes, and I’ll bring a cool cloth for your head.”
“Abagail.” His voice hardened despite the pain.
Her brows shot up. “Don’t use that imperial voice on me. I’m not the one naked and in pain. You’ll do what I say. Now rest, and when that headache is gone, we’ll talk about when you leave. For now, you’re staying.”
With that she spun on her heel and left.
Kaelen closed his eyes and let himself fall into the darkness, the relief from the pain. He had to leave. He would leave. Soon. Through a haze, he heard Abagail return and clean up the glass. Soon after, she laid a cool cloth on his forehead, smoothing his hair back and murmuring softly to him. Her touch was soothing and light. He knew he had to leave—for her safety—but for the moment, he felt relief that he was still with her. For however short a time.
Chapter Four
Abagail watched him. Again.
Not that she thought he was going anywhere. The headaches, obviously vicious, worried her. She should call a doctor. She winced as she recalled his steely refusal to see one. Well, she’d talk him into it.
Her heart had nearly stopped when he said he was leaving. What was wrong with her? Why was she so attached to a man she didn’t know? The thought of him leaving tore at her. Of course, she’d have to get used to the idea though; he wasn’t a puppy she could just keep ‘cause she liked the look of him. Though it was more than his looks, which certainly were devastating. Shaking her head, she walked into the living room and sat at the piano. She ran her fingers over the cool keys and closed her eyes.
Music began to float through the room. Abagail didn’t think. She felt. And played. The music crashed over her like waves, lifting her into the melody. Vaguely, she realised she was playing the music she’d heard in the woods and then in Kaelen’s room. No thought, no plan was in her mind. Her fingers simply travelled the keys, seeming to know what keys to play, what notes came next. Her heart swelled as the music filled her. This was it. This was what she had been searching for when she had come here. This feeling—the joy, the love—that filled her as she continued to play. Images of Kaelen slid into her mind. They fit. The music seemed to come from him as much as it came from inside her.
Her fingers stilled on the keys; tears dampened her cheeks. Exhausted, she rose and climbed onto the couch. Pulling the throw over her, she wondered how she could possibly be falling for a man she’d met less than twenty-four hours before.
Her eyes drifted shut and sleep claimed her.
She stood again on the cliff, salty moisture kissing her face. Turning, she saw Kaelen stride towards her. Without a word, he gathered her in his embrace and captured her mouth with his.
Uneasiness swept over her at the first touch of his lips. Something felt different, wrong. He plunged his tongue deep in her mouth. She gagged and fought against the invasion. Pushing hard against him, she managed to break away. Frantically, she pulled air into her lungs and looked up at him. Her protest stuck in her throat. She stared into tawny gold eyes, not Kaelen’s silver ones.
“Who the hell are you? Where is Kaelen?”
She shoved the tall man aside and ran several steps away from him. How could she have mistaken him for the intriguing man in her home? They looked nothing alike. Kaelen’s dark midnight mane was a sharp contrast to this man’s golden hair. They were similar height, but Abagail couldn’t figure out how she’d messed up like this.
“I beg your pardon, Miss Guthrie. I’m here to help you.”
“Help me? With what? This doesn’t make any sense. Who the hell are you?”
“I’m a friend, here to help you avoid a mistake.” He stepped forward and touched her arm. “Abagail…may I call you Abagail?”
“Does it matter?” she snapped. “I want to know who you are and what you want.”
“My name doesn’t matter. As I said I’m a friend. You are making a big mistake trusting the man you took into your home. You must make him leave immediately. Call the authorities or whomever you need to accomplish this. Your life depends on this, Abagail, you must trust me on this.”
“Trust you? I don’t know who you are, and Kaelen has given me no reason not to trust him.”
Anger swelled within her, along with loyalty for Kaelen. How could she feel so strongly after so short a time? Confusion swamped her along with the rest of the overwhelming emotions.
“Look,” he gestured behind her with a tight smile. “Is that a man you can trust?”
Abagail turned and saw the scene she’d witnessed earlier. Kaelen faced the other man and pounced, breaking his neck in a swift motion. He turned and strode towards the woman and children.
Abagail cried out at the look of fury painted across his face. From a distance, he seemed to glow, to radiate a warm red light. He knelt beside the woman and grasped her head between his hands. Words began to flow from his lips. Unfamiliar words. Abagail couldn’t make out what language he was chanting. The eerie red glow intensified and the wind howled angrily, tearing at Kaelen’s hair and clothes.
Abagail squeezed her eyes shut and turned away from the horrific sight. Even in her self-imposed darkness, she couldn’t stop the questions in her mind. Would he kill the woman? The children? What was happening?
As if reading her thoughts, the man beside her spoke. “He killed them all. That is the type of man you’ve invited into your home. Get him out.”
She refused to open her eyes, to look at this stranger. He was lying.
“This is just a dream,” she murmured. “Like before. Just a dream, none of this is real. You’re not real.”
“Then perhaps your subconscious is trying to tell you something. Maybe it senses something and is warning you.”
“Go away.” She wrapped her arms around her waist and began to rock back and forth. “Go away. I don’t want you here. You’re not real. You’re a dream. Go away!”
“Get rid of him.” The words echoed in her head as she struggled to wake up.
Abagail sat straight up as she shook off the dream. Her hands trembled as she pushed her hair from her face.
“Abagail, are you unwell?”
She turned towards Kaelen’s voice. He stood in the hallway outside the living room, a sheet wrapped around his hips. A concerned frown furrowed his brow.
“I heard you cry out. Is something wrong?”
She shook her head. God, she was so messed up, she couldn’t speak.
He walked over to the couch and knelt beside her, taking her hand in his. His silver eyes pierced into hers, questioning.
“You’re freezing. And shaking. Perhaps you are ill?”
Looking into his eyes, she simply enjoyed the feel of his hands on hers. His thumb caressed the back of her hand, causing shivers to travel up her arm.
“I’m fine, Kaelen. I just dozed off and had a nightmare, that’s all. No big deal.”
“I wouldn’t say that. It obviously it upset you; that’s a big enough deal.”
Abagail’s heart ached. No way was this man a killer. It didn’t fit.
“How is it that I feel like I know you? That we’re connected?” she whispered.
His eyes widened and he stilled.
“Is it just me? Do you feel it, too?” she questioned, desperate for some reassurance that she wasn’t crazy.
He hesitated slightly before replying, “I do feel something. A pull towards you. I don’t know why or how, but I do.”
“Oh!” She pulled her hands from his and cupped his face. “You don’t know how relieved that makes me. I thought I was seriously going nutso.”
She pulled his head slightly and brought his lips to meet hers. Closing her eyes, she allowed herself to slide into
the kiss. This was real, not some stupid dream. Damn it, she was going to trust her instincts for once. What did she have to lose?
He nipped gently on her lower lip as he wrapped his arms around her waist. He pulled her against him and stood. His erection pressed heavily against her stomach, and she trembled in response. A spear of heat sliced through her and centred between her thighs, immediately moistening the soft folds of her sex.
“I want you.”
His words, whispered against her mouth set off an explosion within her. She pressed against him.
“I want you, Kaelen, so much,” she gasped, punctuating her words with kisses. “I’ve never wanted.” Kiss. “This much.” Kiss. “Never.”
His hands slid down to cup her hips, fingers digging deliciously into her flesh. He slid his tongue between her lips and seduced a moan from deep within her. She loved the slick, moist dance of his kiss, the slivers of heated desire rushing through her, the pulsing pressure of his cock against her.
He moved away from her mouth and began trailing kisses across her face and down her neck.
“By the Goddess, Abagail, you’re intoxicating. I’ve never wanted like this. Only for you.”
Her hands tightened in his hair, and she pulled gently until he looked in her eyes.
“Bedroom,” she ordered huskily. “Now.”
“Anything you say.” He grinned and led the way.
They stopped next to the bed and simply looked at each other, hands linked.
“You’re sure?”
Abagail smiled. “Oh yeah.”
“Good.” He pulled her shirt up over her torso.
She lifted her arms, allowing him to remove it completely.
He groaned at the sight of her bare breasts. “No, I was wrong. Good doesn’t even come close. You’re perfection.”
He leaned forward and drew a rosy nipple into the wet heat of his mouth. His tongue maddened her, alternately flicking the hardened nub and swirling slowly. He suckled the tip wickedly. Clenching, tight pulls of desire between her thighs answered each tug of his mouth on her breast.
He slid his hands around her and into the back of her pyjama pants. Cupping her ass, he dragged her against him until his erection nestled snugly against her softness.
Heat seeped through the flimsy sheet and the thin cotton on her pyjamas and panties. Too much. The slight layers were too much between them. Abagail tugged at the sheet, groaning as it stayed, caught between their bodies.
Kaelen pulled away, letting the sheet fall.
Her breath hitched as she stared into his desire darkened eyes. She tore her gaze away and allowed herself to look her full of his body. Lord, he was magnificent. His dark hair fell across his broad shoulders, and his chest was well defined. She followed the light sprinkling of coarse hair down over his flat stomach to his narrow hips and the bed of tight curls pillowing his jutting penis. She licked her lips as she thought about taking the smooth, rosy cock in her hand, in her mouth, into her pussy. A trickle of moisture slid through her soft folds, dampening her panties even more.
“Abagail,” he growled deep in his throat. “You keep looking at me like that, this isn’t going to take very long.”
She threw her head back and laughed. “Well, we’ll have to keep trying until we get it just right.”
“It’s with you—it’ll be just right.”
Heat bled up Abagail’s neck into her face. She wasn’t exactly the most experienced or skilled lover. What if he was disappointed? It wouldn’t be the first time a man found her lacking. Well, damn it; she’d make sure it was spectacular for him. She wrapped her hand around his hard length and moved to kneel before him. He stopped her by grasping her arm.
“Lie down, Abagail.”
“No.” She shook her head and took a deep breath. “I want to taste you, please.” She tightened her grip slightly on his cock and stroked up slowly.
He groaned and drew in a shuddering breath. She smiled up at him when he released her arm. Dropping to her knees, she stared at his jutting cock. Hope that she could please Kaelen swelled up within her. She’d never taken a man in her mouth, had never wanted to. Until now. Her clit beat a fierce tattoo simply at the thought of his smooth hardness sliding through her lips. Leaning forward, she kissed the swollen tip, the beads of moisture escaping the slit wet her lips. Looking up at him, she licked the saltiness away.
With a low grunt, he buried his hands in her hair. “Great Goddess, what you do to me.”
The gruffness of his voice crawled down her spine and pushed her to continue. She opened and took the reddened head in her mouth, swirling her tongue around it. Bolder now, she took more of him inside. Closing her eyes, she relished the smoothness of his skin, along with every ridge pressing against her tongue. His fingers flexed in her hair, massaging her scalp as she sucked him. She ran her hands up the fronts of his thighs and around to grip his ass. Her nails dug into the skin as she continued to move over him.
Suddenly he used the grip he had on her hair to ease her away. “Abagail, sweetheart, stop please.”
She slid her hands around to his front and cradled his balls in one hand, stroked his erection with the other. “You don’t want me to finish?”
He cupped her face and rubbed his thumb across her bottom lip. “More than you can know, but there’s something I want even more.”
“What?”
He pulled her up, sliding her over his body. He leaned his head down until his lips tickled her ear and whispered, “I want to be deep, deep inside you when I come. So deep, so connected for our first time together. Do you want that, beautiful Abagail? Will you take me deep inside?”
Unbearably aroused by his words, she simply nodded and backed up a step. Her gaze locked with his, she slipped her thumbs under the waistband of her pants and slid them over her hips and down her legs. She kicked them aside and stood before him in only a wisp of cotton.
“Allow me.”
He moved closer and dropped to his knees. He ran his palms up the length of her legs to her hips. Bending his head, he pressed his lips against her through her panties. Her thighs quivered and her knees buckled as his breath fanned across her heat. With a gasp, she grabbed his shoulders to steady herself.
“This isn’t a one night fling. You know that, don’t you?” He slid the panties over her hips, her thighs. “This is more.”
She brushed his hair off his forehead and struggled to breathe. “I know, Kaelen. This isn’t a fling.”
She lifted one foot, then the other, allowing him to remove the panties.
“Please get on the bed,” he said hoarsely as he stood.
She smiled as she lay on the bed. He really did want her as much as she wanted him. Her thighs trembled as he knelt between them. She squeezed her eyes shut and hoped she didn’t disappoint him.
“Open your eyes. Look at me when I touch you.”
She met his gaze as he slid a finger inside her. Her hips lifted in welcome.
“Aaah, Kaelen,” she murmured as her muscles clamped around his finger.
He stroked in and out and pressed his thumb against her pulsing clit.
“By the Goddess, you’re so hot and tight. So responsive. So bloody perfect.”
He covered her body with his and claimed her mouth, still stroking her heat. His tongue entered her mouth as he slid another long finger inside her. He coaxed little moans from her as he assailed her mouth and slowly stretched her silken folds. With a groan, he broke the kiss and trailed kisses down her neck to her breasts. He pulled a tight nipple between his lips and flicked it with his tongue.
He caressed and tortured the soft mounds sweetly and thoroughly. She arched her back, pressing herself against his mouth. Oh God. She squeezed her eyes shut. Fire swept through her body, obliterating every thought but him from her mind.
His hands replaced his mouth, rolling her nipples between his fingers, as he made his way down her quivering stomach. He didn’t hesitate when he reached the wet heat between her thighs.
His tongue darted out and swept over her pulsating clit. Abagail clutched the sheet and arched further. The man should be outlawed! She’d never felt anything close to this madness. Everything in her screamed for more.
He ran his hands down over her belly to her thighs. Grasping them, he draped her knees over his shoulders and placed his hands on her ass, lifting her. He licked his lips and looked up into her eyes.
“You’re so sweet. So damned addictive.”
Lowering his head, he began to feast. She cried out as his tongue laved the soft, wet folds of her pussy and encircled her swollen pearl. Pressure built within her. A blaze stoked with every caress of his tongue, every gentle scrape of his teeth, every pull of his lips. He moved one hand forward and slid one long finger, then another, inside her throbbing channel. With each stroke, she lost a bit more control. Everything was centred on Kaelen and what he was doing to her. He thrust his fingers harder and faster as he pulled her clit between his lips and sucked gently. Her body tensed as the orgasm slammed into her, a tidal wave of heat and sensation. Again and again, she tightened around his fingers.
He didn’t stop, but continued to pull the orgasm higher and higher with each stroke, each pull. Only when her body went limp, did he lift his head.
Gently he lifted her legs from his shoulders and made his way up her body again, trailing kisses along her torso. He withdrew his fingers and guided her hand to his cock. “Take me; slide me inside you.”
She grasped his hardness and slid the velvety tip across her swollen clit to position him at her slick opening. She lifted and circled her hips, taking him in inch by delicious inch.
Kaelen began to tremble when the entire length of his cock was buried within her. He dropped his head to rest his forehead against hers.
She ran her hands down his back, over his firm ass and back up to his shoulders. She lifted her legs to wrap around his hips, sucking air through clenched teeth as the divine pressure built again and pleasure knocked through her.
“By the Goddess, I’m trying so hard to fight it.” He pulled out and drove back into her, setting a frantic, desperate pace.
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