by Mayburn, Ann
Linda wiped a hand across her quivering lips. “She knows about your little adventure in the woods with Eliana, Dillon.”
Staring off into the tree line, Dillon paled. “How did she find out? Did you tell her?”
“No,” she snapped. “Do you think Lucifer and Eris don't talk to each other? She didn't know you tried to kill the girl, only that you attempted to recruit her. Evidently, Lucifer bought your story about using the Barghest to intimidate her.”
Dillon let out a sigh and stroked her hair back. “I've been listening to the radio, and I haven't heard anything about the raid on the store yet. Looks like they are keeping it under wraps. Lots of chatter on the police scanner though. They've put out an APB with your description. Will Eris protect us from the police?”
“Yes. Well, sort of. I have one month to solve the prophet's riddle. If I fail...” Linda turned red then pale then a sickly yellow. “If I fail, Eris and Lucifer are going to make an example of us.”
Dillon sat with a thump next to her, too shocked to care about the dew soaking his Armani pants. “Tell me what I can do to help you, and pray David succeeds where we have failed.”
Linda nodded, leaning her bright red hair against his shoulder as she began to plan.
****
Sunlight warmed a portion of Eliana's leg as she dozed next to Aiden. She’d woken occasionally during the night, comforted by his large body sleeping next to hers. In the light of the morning, the warmth of his body seduced her, and she cuddled back into him. Closing her eyes, she drifted back into a comfortable sleep on the soft sheets.
Dimly she heard the sound of a phone ringing. It wasn't her ringtone, so she didn't stir when he got up to answer it. She opened her eyes and watched him as he talked into the phone. His red brown hair was an unruly mess, probably from a combination of sleep and her hands running through it last night. She sat up and moved behind him, placed a dozen gentle kisses before moving off the bed.
Feeling the call of nature, she mouthed the word bathroom, and he pointed to a door on the other side of the room. She grabbed his shirt from the floor, all too aware of the way he was devouring her with his gaze. As she sauntered past him, he grabbed her hand and mouthed the word beautiful. She grinned and moved to the bathroom with an extra sway in her hips, her footsteps silent on the thick carpet. Aiden made her feel so good about herself, so confident and….and loved.
No, it was way, way too early to be thinking about the ‘L’ word.
She used the bathroom and washed her face with a nice smelling soap on the sink. With a grimace, she tried to comb the snarls out of her hair and gave up. Using her finger, she brushed her teeth using his toothpaste and gargled with his mouthwash to get the fuzzy taste out. When she looked into the mirror she couldn’t help giving reflection a silly grin. Wait until Chrissy heard about this.
Then her grin faded as she realized she couldn’t tell Chrissy anything, hell she couldn’t tell anyone anything. Her stomach sank and she turned around, no longer wanting to look at herself. In all the chaos of the last few days she really hadn’t had a chance to think about what everything that had happened meant to her future. If she did become a Chosen, she’d forever be living in a secret world and she wondered what she would do for a living, or if there was even a point in going to school anymore. Then again, every Chosen she’d met seemed to have some kind of side job, so maybe there was a chance she could still use her business degree. Like maybe her god or goddess of choice could really use an office manager.
She snorted back a laugh, then took a deep breath and slowly let it out. Right now wasn’t the time to be stressing out about the future. She needed to focus on the present and worry about keeping herself alive long enough to have a future. Funny how a few days ago her biggest fear was failing a class on religion and now it was not being eaten by a demon dog or being framed as a terrorist. Then again, a few days ago her greatest wish had been to have someone as amazing as Aiden in her life, and now she did. The feeling of being with him, of making love to him, of just being in his presence, was just about the most wonderful thing she’d ever experienced.
And she wanted to feel more of that joyous sensation, right now. Preferably while she rode him to their mutual satisfaction. The memory of his body over hers, of his scent filling her soul just like his cock had filled her body, made everything south of her belly button tighten. Gods there were so many things she wanted to try with that man.
Feeling a little more normal, and horny, she went back out into the bedroom to find Aiden gone.
With a frown, she wondered if she should look for him or wait here. It was after 7 a.m., so she had time before she had to return to her dorm room and get ready for class. It seemed like another world now, a place so different from this world of magic and danger, and incredible sex.
She was bending to retrieve her discarded skirt when he came up behind her and threw her onto the bed. She let out a shriek and smacked his arm. He grinned unabashedly at her, looking somehow both utterly masculine yet boyish. “Sorry. I had to use the facilities myself.”
He gave her a gentle minty kiss and rolled her back into the pillows, tucking her into his arms with a sigh. Immediately she snuggled into him and sighed as well. They both laughed and cuddled together for a few, blissful minutes. He stroked his hand over the curve of her butt where it showed under the edge of his shirt.
“Who was that on the phone this early?”
“My mother.”
She scooted on the bed and eyed him. The dire way he’d said that made her want to laugh, as did his sour expression. When he looked at her his frown melted away and he reached out to stroke her cheek. He seemed to really enjoy touching her and she sure as hell enjoyed being touched.
“Why the frown? Are we in trouble?” she asked with a small smile.
He laughed. “No, but she did invite you to come to the country club tomorrow night for a benefit dinner they’re throwing. And, by invite, I mean if I don't bring you, she will come hunt you down. She is very eager to meet you.”
“Meet me? Why?”
“Because you’re my student, among other things.”
She groaned and buried her face in the fluffy white pillow. “Do you think she knows about...us?”
He traced the edge of her exposed hip. “Considering I think we left your bra in the den, I believe the staff put two and two together.”
“Great, your mom thinks I'm a hussy,” she said into the pillow.
“No, my mother does not think you're a hussy. Besides,” he murmured into her ear, “you're not a hussy. You're a potential Chosen and my lady. That earns you big marks in her books. Not to mention you’re also smart, beautiful, and courageous.”
She peeked at him with one eye and rolled over onto her back. His compliments made her want to giggle in a totally immature way, but she held it in and asked, “How do I get to the country club?”
“I'm going to have Jack come pick you up at your dorm. Until things settle, I don't want you driving anywhere by yourself. The chances for someone to...hurt you are much greater when you're alone. But I won’t let that happen, I promise. ” He pulled her into his arms again and cupped her bottom with a gentle grip.
The reminder of yesterday sobered her, and she held his hand. Hardcore feminists would have been pissed at how much comfort she took in the knowledge that the powerful man beside her would help keep her safe. “Aiden, I have to get back to my dorm. Are you going to follow me there?”
With a nod, he said, “I'll follow you as far as the entrance to the dorm parking lot. Remember what I said: stick to crowds, lock your doors, and keep your cell phone on you at all times. I'm going to spread the word among the Chosen to keep an eye on you.” As he talked, his fingers traced patterns on the soft curve of her bottom that gave her goose bumps.
“So I'm going to have stalkers? What a lovely thought.”
“I wish I could keep you here, safe in this house until your time of Choice, but that isn’t possible. W
e have to live our lives, follow our dreams, and do the best we can. We're no good to ourselves, or our gods, if we remain hidden from the world we're supposed to protect. The things I try to protect you from may be the actions the gods use to judge you by. Once you’ve been Chosen, and I have no doubt you will be, you’ll be able to defend yourself and I won’t have to get grey hairs worrying about you.”
Trying to lighten the mood, she gave him a narrow eyed look. “Are you sure your grey hairs are from worrying about me? I mean you are getting older.”
His eyes widened. “How old do you think I am?”
“At least forty, maybe fifty.”
“Brat.” He glanced at the clock next to the bed and groaned. “Damn, I wish we had more time. I’d love to spank that round ass of yours, but we need to get moving.”
To her surprise she found the idea of Aiden spanking her, preferably while he was fucking her, rather arousing. Pulling the sheet over her and crossing her legs, she watched him getting dressed. He was magnificent when he was naked. Long, lean muscles moved under his skin while he covered up his killer body and she had to clasp her hands together to keep from jumping him. A slow and sexy smile curved his lips as he noticed her watching him. He moved back over to the bed and crawled toward her.
Holding her breath, she stared as he teased the sheets down and began to nuzzle and kiss her inner thigh, his hair brushing between her legs. He licked along her skin until his breath warmed her pussy, then he blew cool air over her now wet and swollen skin. Damn, he could make her arousal go from zero to ‘oh my god fuck me now’ in no time.
She sighed and moved to grab his head, but he leaned away with a wicked smile. “Oh darn, look at the time. I don't want you to be late for my class. I'll go get your clothes so we can head out.”
“What? You get back here and finish what you started.”
“Nope. I want you all wet and bothered, knowing that when you look at me in class today you’re thinking of all the ways I can ease you, make you come.” He sauntered out the door, and she was indeed hot and bothered as well as ticked off.
A few moments later, he returned with her clothes and found her standing naked in front of his mirror, tracing circles around her nipple with her fingertip while she watched his reflection. He wasn’t the only one who was good at teasing. Well, she didn’t have much experience teasing men, but she knew Aiden enjoyed her body and if he felt the same way she did while looking at him naked, she figured her naked and touching herself just might break his self-control enough for a quickie.
He froze, his eyes raking over her breasts and hips to the little patch of hair between her legs.
Turning on tiptoe, she sauntered across the room, loving the pained noise he made in the back of his throat. Leaning into him, she placed her hands on his shoulders, and the tips of her breasts grazed his chest as she said, “Thank you.”
He reached to grab for her, but she snatched the clothes out of his hands and darted away toward his bathroom with a laugh then shut the door. She opened it again and peeked out. “Oh, and, Aiden, next time I get to go down on you. I can’t wait to get your big cock in my mouth.”
He reached the door as she clicked the lock, giggling at his snarl. He then yelled through the door, “If the housekeeper wouldn't get so mad, I'd break this door.”
“What? With your erection?”
She could actually hear his growl. “Fine? You want to tease me. Well two can play at that game, my sexy little student.”
Chapter
I'm in hell, Eliana thought as Aiden's class started and she braced herself for a massive test of her self-control.
Chrissy had given her a big hug when she got home and expressed how glad she was that Eliana was all right. It surprised her and made her feel warm inside. She really did like Chrissy, and it was nice to have a friend that cared about her. She had filled Chrissy in on the fictional night at the friend's house and brought up the dinner at the country club with said fictional friend to deflect more questions. Chrissy had seen about the raid at Eliana’s work, but she played it off like she was more of a spectator than an actual participant.
Then Chrissy had told her all about Linda, and how they’d found a bunch of bodies at the house where she’d been staying. The thought that Eliana had been close enough to that woman to touch had made her physically ill, then she’d learned about the children that woman had killed and anger mixed with her fear. Chrissy had mentioned Devon King giving an interview and when she’d gone all dreamy eyed about how hot the man had been all Eliana could think about was kicking his ass. She had no idea why the man irritated her so much, but something about him just brought all her aggression to the surface and she had to pretend that he was indeed dreamy before she changed the subject back to her the charity event she’d be attending.
After bemoaning a lack of Eliana’s clothing options, Chrissy had decided that later on that day they were going dress shopping. Eliana reminded Chrissy of her nonexistent funds, especially now that her job was in a holding pattern until the store reopened, but Chrissy told her not to worry about it.
So now Eliana sat in class, next to Rachel was her usual bubbly self, and went over the notes from the last lecture with her before the test at the beginning of class. The distraction helped, but she was afraid she was going to turn in a blank paper at the end of class, which she totally could not afford. Her future, well at least the academic part, rested on getting passing grades and she somehow managed to tune out the world around her and tried to cram the information into her brain.
The front door of the room opened, and Aiden came in with Professor Ventan. At her first glimpse of Aiden her entire body went hot and she swore she could smell his psychic scent. That reminded her to check her own shields and she was glad to find them still in place. She’d been practicing her shielding and it was getting to be an almost automatic thing to have them in place. But nothing short of a ten foot thick brick wall could have lessened Aiden’s impact on her senses. Dressed in a black suit with a green tie two shades lighter than his eyes, he was too fucking sexy for words. The fact that she could remember what he looked like getting dressed certainly wasn’t helping her keep her mind on her scholarly pursuits.
Aiden set his briefcase down on his desk then removed a blue velvet bag before moving over to Professor Ventan and speaking to him in a low voice. Ripping her gaze off of Aiden, she gave the list of gods and goddesses in front of her one last glance as the room quieted, Professor Ventan went over what the test would be on and reminded them all that cheating by magical means was strictly prohibited.
Despite her best intentions, she found it practically impossible to keep her eyes off her sexy as hell professor. It was an effort not to keep staring at him, knowing what he looked like nude, his head thrown back as he emptied himself in her. He seemed to be avoiding looking at her, all his attention on a blue velvet bag in his hand and she wondered if he was having as hard of a time as she was trying to pretend they didn’t know each other, intimately. Reaching into the bag he carried, Aiden carefully pulled out a sparkling crystal frog and cupped it in both hands.
“Wow, I've never seen one of those in person,” Rachel whispered to her. “The amulets Professor Ventan is using look like standard anti-charm and anti-hex detectors, but that crystal frog is Mayan. It will show any illusion spells that might be hiding cheat notes or answers written on someone's hand.”
Eliana joined the rest of the class in staring at him. “I've never even heard of it. Are they hard to get?”
Rachel nodded and whispered, “Yeah and expensive. I guess the school has a big budget to afford those for their staff.”
They leaned away from each other and stared at Aiden as he passed in front of their row with the frog. A tiny smile quirked his lips, and he lowered his shields, his psychic scent flowing over her as he passed and the slight phantom touch of a hand caressed her lips, making her gasp softly. He kept his eyes on the frog and moved on to the next row, leaving her trying
not to stare after him. She drew in a deep breath, drawing the delicious scent of amber and fall leaves deep into her body. Fuck, how was she supposed to think about anything, but him?
Then the test began, and she turned her attention to it with an iron will. She had managed to study for it before all the insanity had started yesterday, so she hoped to get at least a B out of it. At one point, she glanced up as she pondered a hard question and found him watching her. He held her gaze and ever so slowly rubbed his hand over his lips, his dark green eyes burning into hers. Tingles raced through her body and she swore her pussy went instantly wet. When he smirked she glared at him until he casually licked his lower lip, watching her from beneath his lashes.
Asshole, she had to pass this test and he was not helping.
She whipped her head back to her test and tried to calm her galloping heart and happy hormones. After finishing and reviewing her answers, she brought it up to where Aiden and Professor Ventan’s desk sat. Feeling him watching her, she put an extra roll into her hips and a sexual challenge in her gaze. She glanced at him once and softened her lips as she gently licked the full lower one. With satisfaction, she noticed his hand clench on his pen, and she handed her test to Professor Ventan with a bright smile. That would teach him to mess with her.
A phantom hand brushed across her bottom as she strolled back to her seat, causing her to stumble on the steps. With a hot glare, she turned around and found Aiden coughing in his hand to hide his laughter. Gritting her teeth, she tried to ignore the phantom lips that brushed over cheek in a soft kiss. She was going to learn how to do that, and when she did, she’d see how he liked getting a phantom hand job in front of the class. Thankfully most of the students were still taking their test so only a few saw her stumble. She caught one guy to her left staring at her chest and when she looked down she noticed that her hard nipples were sticking out from her shirt. Embarrassment filled her and she crossed her arms over her chest, quickly returning to her seat.