“I’ll keep that in mind.” Niall smiled. “Are you okay?”
She took a deep breath and nodded. “I am now that you’re calming me. I have never told anyone about the dream. Not even Grace.”
“I’m flattered, sweetheart.”
“Well, I felt like I probably needed to fill you in on a few things.” She smiled. “Since you were kind of in one with me.”
He chuckled. “Aye, I was.”
“I feel like I’ve known you my entire life.”
“I suppose in some ways you have.”
“How does that work?”
“You have access to my thoughts, my memories, my heart.” He ran a lock of her hair through his fingers. “I doubt anyone in the world could know me better than you.”
She blushed, taking a few minutes to process his adoration. It was humbling. “And you’ll never cheat on me.”
“I will never cheat on you.” He scowled. “And the likes of Blake Harris will never touch you again.”
Charlotte cupped his cheek, calming him this time. “I haven’t thought about him in a really long time.”
“And you’ll no’ have to think about him again.”
“I appreciate that.” She took a deep breath and sipped her wine. “Anyway, enough about me. What happened with the girl on your front stoop?”
“Before we go into that, just one more thing.”
“Oh?”
He leaned forward and kissed her. A sweet, comforting kiss that still managed to be sexy beyond reason. She slipped her hands into his hair and scooted closer to him. He pulled her onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her and deepening the kiss. She broke the kiss with a sigh and laid her head on his shoulder, kissing his pulse. “Thank you.”
He gave her a gentle squeeze. “You needed a distraction.”
“You can distract me like that any time you want to.”
Niall chuckled. “Good to know.”
“Continue, or I’ll be forced to ravage you.”
He grinned. “Colleen was the girl on my stoop. She was fifteen at the time, and when she told me what happened to her and her friends, I realized I’d just had a nasty introduction to a trafficking ring not far from my home.”
“What? Seriously?”
“Aye. They had a warehouse where they held the girls.” Niall grimaced. “She was one of six that had been either lured or taken from Dublin. The bastard who’d taken them had sold all but two of them, and Colleen was one of the ones not sold. She was ‘mouthy,’ therefore, unsellable. But not unusable.”
“How awful.”
“Yes, but she was incredibly brave.” Niall linked his fingers with Charlotte’s. “She was instrumental in helping us find four of the other girls…”
“What about the last one? The last girl?”
“She didn’t make it. She overdosed on the heroin they injected. Siobhan was her name.”
“No! That’s awful. Her poor parents.”
He scowled. “Her ‘poor’ parents weren’t devastated enough, in my opinion.”
“What do you mean?”
“When the Dublin police informed the mother of her daughter’s death, she was drunk at the time and said she was happy the tart wouldn’t be around to seduce her boyfriends anymore,” Niall hissed through his teeth. “Siobhan was only fourteen.”
Charlotte felt the anger in Niall and flattened her palm to his chest. “I bet her mother felt differently when she sobered up.”
“I’m no’ so sure.”
She glanced up at him. “Where’s Colleen now?”
“She works for me, actually.”
“She does?”
“Aye. She helps to counsel young women who are rescued. She’s a vital part of my team, as is Oliver. We needed a human faction that we could keep separate from our Cauld Ane interests.”
“Yes, I’d imagine you would. Does she know you’re not human?”
“No.”
Charlotte ran a finger absently over his chest. “Who heads up the faction? Is it you?”
He nodded. “Yes and no. Ollie and I run it together, but we also have help from the security team that works in tandem for the royal family.”
“As in the English Royal family?”
“No. We have our own.”
She leaned back. “You have your own royal family?”
Niall nodded. “The Gunnach Clan, headed by Dr. Kade Gunnach, who is our king. The oafy one in your dream is the third brother, Brodie. He’s bonded to Payton, who’s been my closest friend for years.”
“Gunnach. Why does that name sound familiar?”
“Probably because the king’s wife, Samantha, was Maggie’s doctor.”
“Wait.” Charlotte pulled her hand out of his and rose to her feet. “Are you saying that a queen was Maggie’s doctor? Like a real queen?”
“Yes.”
“If she’s a queen, why the heck is she a doctor?”
“She was human.” Niall stood and took her hand. “She and Kade haven’t been bound a year yet.”
Charlotte rubbed her forehead. “Wow.”
“You okay?”
“I’m a little…ah…I don’t know. Overwhelmed, I guess.”
He pulled her close again. “I’m surprised it’s taken you this long.”
“To do what?”
“React like a normal human being.”
She pulled away, frowning up at him. “Are you trying to tell me I’m not normal?”
He chuckled. “Yes. In the best of ways.”
“Well, at least you aren’t a liar.” She smiled. “You know, Tarah works for Shared Hope International.”
“I didn’t know that,” Niall said. “It’s an incredible organization.”
“I know, and she’s perfect for the job.”
“Yes, she would be, wouldn’t she?” Niall’s phone buzzed and he released her just long enough to grab it. “Oliver’s responded.”
Charlotte bit her lip. “What does he say? Has he found something on Nikolai’s phone?”
“No. It’s a burner.” Niall sighed.
“Crap! Well, that throws a wrench into everything.”
“I was expecting that, honestly.”
“You were?”
He nodded. “If he was on the up and up, the phone wouldn’t be disposable.”
“Which means he’s probably a bad guy.”
“Aye, love. He’s probably a bad guy.”
Charlotte groaned. “My sister’s an idiot.”
“Or he knows exactly what to say to elicit the response he’s looking for.” He stroked her cheek. “You’d be surprised the young girls who fall for predators.”
“Yes, but that’s not Vandi,” Charlotte stressed. “You heard her on the phone when we picked her up. She won’t put up with BS, of any kind.”
“That’s good, sweetheart. But in the meantime, I’m going to look into this guy further, just to be sure.”
Charlotte bit her lip. “Do you think we might be overreacting a bit?”
He shrugged. “Possibly.”
“I don’t want you to go to any trouble.”
“It’s no trouble, Charlotte.” He raised an eyebrow. “Would you rather I drop it?”
“No. She’s still reeling from my parents’ divorce, so she’s vulnerable. Daddy issues and everything.” She wrapped her arms around his waist and settled her cheek against his chest. “You feel so good.”
He ran his hands through her hair and stroked her back. “You’re not so bad yourself.”
“I am so not a hugger.”
He chuckled. “Really?”
“Yes, really. But, good lord, I like hugging you. You smell delicious.”
He kissed her head. “You want me to bind you here and now, don’t you?”
She nodded and slipped her hands under this shirt to explore. The ridges of his chiseled chest and stomach were like a roadmap, guiding her to wonders she’d never seen or felt before. That was her last coherent thought before he kissed her.
CHAPTER TWELVE
NIALL BROKE THE kiss and watched her eyes as they flickered from blue to red and then to green. He bit the inside of his cheek when Charlotte shifted, straddling his hips without breaking the kiss, and sliding her hands into his hair. She let out a groan as she slipped her hands under his shirt and stroked his chest.
“Your hands,” he said.
“Mmm…do you like that?”
“They’re like ice.” He leaned into her touch. “They feel incredible.”
She smiled against his lips and slipped her hands under the waistband of his jeans. He couldn’t think, couldn’t do anything except feel. His body called to her. He broke the kiss with a groan, pulling her hands away. “We have to stop.”
She whimpered, shaking her head as she kissed him again.
“Charlotte, baby, we have to stop.”
“No,” she growled, and kissed his neck.
Niall stood with her still wrapped around him and lowered her feet to the floor. Charlotte whined in protest and pulled his head down for another mind-blowing kiss. She slid a frozen hand under the waistband of his jeans again and Niall sucked in a deep breath. He didn’t know how much more he could resist.
“Charlotte,” he rasped, and stepped away from her.
Her eyes were green, glassy, and frantic as she licked her lips. “Come here.”
“No, baby. We need to slow down.”
“Damn it!” she snapped as she picked up her empty wine glass, throwing it against the wall. He watched as the glass shattered and the sound startled her. She gasped, laying her hands over her mouth. “What did I do that for? Oh, Nye. I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me.” She rushed to pick up the glass, cutting her finger in the process.
He knelt beside her and took the glass shards from her trembling hands, kissing the cut and healing it. He noticed her hands were warm again.
“What’s wrong with me?” She shook her head, tears streaming down her face. “I don’t understand. I have never felt rage like that before.”
“I’m not sure I understand it either,” he admitted. “You have some very strong emotions, and I’d venture a guess, some gifts that are quite rare.”
“This isn’t me.” She swiped her tears away. “I really am some sort of freak.”
“It is you, sweetheart. But it’s perfectly normal and okay.” He stroked her cheek. “It’s because of me you’re feeling all of this.”
“Yeah, I figured.” She sighed. “Is it always going to be like this? Because I can’t go around smashing glasses and fine tableware every time I get horny. We won’t be able to have any nice things if I do.”
“We will sort this out. I promise.”
He leaned in to kiss her again, but she laid her fingers over his mouth. “Um, no. No more of that business until we can be certain I won’t go all rock star on your hotel room.”
Niall chuckled. “All right, love.” He helped her stand and guided her away from the glass. “You are going home with me, though. We can’t get any answers here.” He grabbed several paper towels and went about cleaning up the glass.
“I can’t get on a plane, Niall. I will panic.”
“Your fear is ungrounded, Charlotte.”
“Isn’t most fear?”
“You have a point.” He threw the glass shards away and closed the distance between them. “I want you to do something for me.”
She narrowed her eyes. “What?”
“Close your eyes and imagine yourself getting on the worst plane imaginable.”
“You mean like a puddle jumper?”
“Sure, if that’s your worst fear.”
Charlotte took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Panic set in almost immediately, but disappeared just as quickly when he took her hand. She gasped and opened her eyes. “How did you do that?”
“Baby, it’s what we do. We’re connected. I can calm you and you can do the same for me.”
“But I thought it was just if I was kind of upset. Not freaking out.”
He smiled. “We can calm all of it. And when we’re bound, I won’t even need to touch you.”
“Wow, that’s a cool trick.”
“Aye, it is.” He kissed her palm. “Try and panic now.”
“Seriously?”
He nodded. “Very. Try.”
Charlotte imagined all manners of horrors, but regardless of what she envisioned, she stayed calm. Niall ran his thumb across her knuckles and smiled. “See? You can get on a plane and be perfectly fine. I’ll make sure of it.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.” He kissed her nose.
“So, you will hold my hand the whole time?” She raised an eyebrow. “What if I have to pee?”
“If you want me to come with you, then I’ll come with you.”
“Ah, no.” She widened her eyes. “That falls under ‘things,’ I think.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Things?”
“Yes. My mother always said that there were certain things my father could never see. And I believe bathroom habits were on the list.” She shuddered. “Among other things I wish she hadn’t shared. You know, being able to un-hear things would really be a nice gift to have—can you manage to get me that one?”
Niall laughed and poured a fresh glass of wine for her. “What’s the point in being married if you can’t share each other’s ‘things’?”
“Well, I suppose you have a point there.” Charlotte sat on the sofa and took the wine he offered. “I always wondered if they would have stayed together if she weren’t so weird.”
Niall sat beside her again. “How did they meet?”
“My dad works for Grace’s dad and they met through them. I think it was just as hard for Lila and Garrett when my parents split. They did a lot of stuff together.”
“I really like Grace’s parents.”
Charlotte smiled. “Who wouldn’t? They’re basically perfect…and they probably have no secrets from each other.”
He chuckled. “Well, I look forward to discovering everything about you, sweetheart. Even your ‘things.’”
She giggled. “Me too.”
“Is that a ‘yes’?”
She tipped her wine glass toward him. “To getting on a plane with you, yes, but no ‘thing’ sharing until we’re married…or bound.”
He grinned. “Fair enough.”
“I suppose I need to find out if my passport’s still good.”
“That would be a good idea. We can expedite it if we need to.”
She rolled her eyes. “Kind of expensive, don’t you think?”
“Worth the price, don’t you think?”
She pressed her lips together in a thin line.
Niall cocked his head. “What, love?”
“If this all works out, do you expect that we will live in Scotland?” she asked.
“When this all works out, I suppose we can make that decision together after you’ve visited, why?”
“Because I love America. I know Grace jokes about my card-carrying ways and all, but I seriously don’t think I could live anywhere else.” She ran her finger down his chest. “I met a lot of people from a lot of different places while I was in L.A., and they all said America was the best boat afloat. I tend to agree, even with my limited experience of traveling.”
He smiled gently. “I feel a bit like that about Scotland. I’ve never wanted to live anywhere else. My people are there, so it’s comfortable. But that doesn’t mean I’m opposed to living here.”
“Really?”
“Yes, love. Perhaps we can live here part of the year, and Scotland part of the year.”
“I love that idea.” She settled her head on his shoulder. “I am totally going to get used to this.”
“What exactly?”
“Oh, I don’t know, this unlimited flow of money you seem to possess.” She grinned. “Especially, if you’re spending it on me.”
Niall laughed as he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling he
r closer. “Shall I just hand over my credit card now?”
“According to you, we won’t ever be apart, so I don’t think we need to go quite that far.”
He nodded. “Touché.”
She glanced up at him. “By the way, when I checked my balance this morning, I noticed the charge from the bar never hit my debit card. Should I assume you had something to do with that?”
“Well, the slimy little bastard you were with wasn’t going to pay up.”
Charlotte narrowed her eyes. “Were you there the whole time?”
“Not the whole time, love. Just long enough to watch him skip out on the bill.”
She raised an eyebrow. “That was kind of a dick move.”
“Aye, it was.” He scowled. “It’s a moot point now. He won’t be contacting you again.”
She gasped and sat up. “Seriously? What did you do?”
“I simply let him know my opinion about what he did and suggested he make it right.” He smiled without mirth. “He quite enthusiastically offered up what was in his wallet, which was just enough to settle the bill and leave a relatively decent tip. I managed to intercept your card.”
“Nye.” Charlotte groaned. “I don’t think I want to know what your version of ‘suggested’ entails.”
He grinned. “No, you probably don’t. Halo slippage and all.”
“You didn’t hurt him, did you?”
“I didn’t touch him, love. He knew what he did was wrong, so my words were enough to drive that home.”
“See? Vanquishing the demons before I even met you. Halo back in place.”
He laughed. “He wasn’t someone you liked, was he?”
“Good lord, no.” She wrinkled her nose. “Horse teeth aside, he was one of the most irritating people I’ve met in a long time.”
“Yes, I picked up on that as well.”
“And what was the purpose of drugging me?” Charlotte continued. “It’s not like I was going home with him or anything.”
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