by Mary Winter
“Same with Cord,” she continued, “if you want to throw him up at me, though I never slept with him, thank goodness. There’s a reason why I haven’t done any of that.” Her gaze clashed with his. “It’s because I want you, Reid. You’re the only member of StarMyst I’ve ever wanted.”
She gauged his reaction. He seemed stunned by her heartfelt admission and Laura knew she was exposing herself but she couldn’t stop. “Hell, you’re the only sorcerer I’ve ever wanted. At least with you, I know that whatever it is between us is because you want me and not my Conclave.” She threw the words at him, as ashamed of her own need as she was the fact that she still kept crawling toward him, even if he told her in no uncertain terms he didn’t want her. Spoiled princess. She sure as hell wasn’t that now and he had to know it.
Rising from the floor, she backed into the rocking chair. Right now, she wanted as much space as possible between them. Reid sat on the couch completely still. He clenched his hands together, elbows resting on his thighs. The stony look on his face gave her no reassurance. Even if he hated her, even if he never forgave her, she’d told him the truth.
Her heart clenched. If she had to go back to Brazos she would…no, she couldn’t. Fresh tears stung her eyes. Returning to her father’s Conclave would kill her, maybe not in body, but surely in spirit. A cold chill laced its way through her bones. After leaving Brazos, who knew what her father had in store for her? She struggled to draw air into her lungs.
“StarMyst isn’t strong enough to go against Brazos Conclave. How do I know this isn’t just a game?” Reid asked.
“Because it isn’t.” Laura forced herself to look him in the eyes. “I’d never do that to you.”
He opened his mouth to speak but then closed it again.
“Look, what happened with your brother is in the past. If you’re going to bring it up every time we get into an argument then forget it. Just forget it.”
“I wish I could.” Reid closed his eyes as if not looking at her could block out whatever memories filled his mind. “Every time I look at you all I can see is your lying naked in bed with my brother. He looked at me like he’d won a prize and he did. He’d won you.”
“My body, Reid. Only my body and only for one night. Haven’t you had a night where your lussor made you do something you regretted?”
“Yeah,” Reid growled.
An opening, however small, and she took it. “Then don’t you judge me on what happened. Look, I won’t ask you to do anything that you don’t want to do, but if I go back to Brazos, I guarantee you I won’t be back to see StarMyst again. My father thinks of me as nothing more than a broodmare. Just like Edwin chose the best stallions for his mares and only booked Jazz to the best stock, my father wants the best sorcerer to claim me. Barefoot and pregnant doesn’t begin to explain his views on women. I saw what happened the night your brother attacked you and Jacy. I know you don’t want that for anyone. Not even me.”
She drew a shuddering breath, determined not to cry. “I’m nothing more than a way for him to get more sorcerers for Brazos Conclave. And if I have baby girls, heaven help—” Her voice broke as memories of her mother filled her mind. When her oldest child, a male, died at birth, she’d had miscarriage after miscarriage. Until Laura. And though he never said it, her father made it clear a woman who produced only daughters wasn’t fit to be his leader. Rumor had it she had several half brothers from her father’s many mistresses. Laura’s birth had nearly killed her mother. Her father’s brutal tyranny had finished the job.
“Your father wouldn’t…” Reid started to speak then stopped as he saw the horror she couldn’t keep from her face.
“He would. Not directly. My father’s too smart for that, but indirectly, he could. I don’t think StarMyst could stand up to Brazos. But if you don’t try then you might as well kill me now.”
“No!” Reid recoiled from her words.
“Then we have to do something. I can’t go back.” Her resolve broke in a flood of tears. Too many for today, so many her cheeks felt raw and her nose stung. Burying her face in her hands, she cared little for her makeup. Most likely it was gone by now anyway. “I can’t go back,” she repeated. “I really can’t.”
“And if what you said is true, I can’t let you go back,” he admitted.
“What?” Laura couldn’t hide the surprise in her voice. She expected…well, she didn’t know what to expect, except that she doubted Reid would take her in.
“You’re right. I wouldn’t let Jacy be treated that way, and I can’t let that happen to you either.”
Lifting her chin, she looked at him and managed to smile through her tears. “Thank you.”
~* * *~
Reid didn’t know what possessed him to make the offer. There was no way in hell StarMyst could stand up to a Conclave as powerful as Brazos. Even when Edward had been alive and healthy, they’d struggled to keep their position as an independent Conclave. All of Edwin’s foster children had lost parents because of the Sorcerer Wars. The last thing Reid wanted was to start round two.
He had no other choice. Even if he hadn’t had feelings toward Laura, she’d been too good of a friend to the Conclave for him to send her back. Not with the way Laura described it. A part of him wondered if she might not have embellished what her father would do in an attempt to sway him to her cause. Yet, she’d been fearfully honest with Edwin’s condition. She never once minced words. It made no sense she’d do so now.
Her soft words of gratitude tore through his heart. “Don’t cry, honey,” he said.
Laura sniffed. “I can’t help it.” She dashed away tears, only to have more run down her cheeks.
“We’re all hurting,” Reid admitted as he slid off his chair. He knelt before her, pulling her into his arms. She went willingly, burying her head against his chest. Even now, with both of them reeling from Edwin’s death and the news she’d dropped on him, he noted how well she fit against his frame. Her slender body nestled against him almost as if she were made for him and him alone.
He let her cry. Releasing her long enough to shrug from his suit jacket, he cupped her cheek and pressed her against the crisp, cotton of his white dress shirt. Her hair, all honey gold, had started to come undone from its clasp to spill across his chest. Another image, of her astride him, her hair brushing his chest with each thrust filled his mind.
His cock hardened as the lussor pulled, an insistent demand with the knowledge that if he were to fight the Brazos Conclave he’d need all the power he could get. Fed by sexual energy, the lussor allowed them to access their sorcerer powers. It was their curse. It was their salvation. If Laura felt it too, and surely she must for she was a sorcerer just like he, she gave no notice.
Reid drew deep breaths to try and steady his emotions. Edwin had taught all of them the exercises to keep the lussor from ruling them. He knew what uncontrolled lussor did. He’d experienced the energy flaring from Te when he’d returned to StarMyst. In fact, Reid suspected it was that power surge that sent Kade over the edge. Not that Reid blamed Te. Not at all, for after hearing what had happened, Reid finally understood that the new leader of the StarMyst had his own demons with which he had to deal.
Laura wriggled deeper into his arms, which traitorously tightened their hold on her. The depth of his need failed to surprise him. Eyes closed, he nestled his chin against the top of her head while she sobbed quietly against him. Each cry broke his heart. She placed him in an awkward position. The bottom line was he had to forgive her. Maybe not tonight, maybe not tomorrow, but someday he’d have to put their past behind them and move on. Preferably sooner rather than later, especially if they were to present a united front to the Brazos Conclave.
Reid wanted to curse but instead, he focused only on how damn good she felt in his arms. He longed to tilt her head back and slide his lips across her cheeks. He could drink her tears away, lingering over her pouty lips until she moaned and thought of only how good he’d feel inside her. The lussor flared wi
th tempting encouragement.
Her small, competent hands fisted in the back of his shirt. The proximity of her lithe, warm body was driving him crazy. Pressing his lips to her hair, he inhaled her unique scent. Holding her, he felt as if it pulled him under like a riptide. His hand moved against her back. The gentle sweep grew more insistent, the clasp of her bra tormenting him.
Her sobs quieted.
Reid hated the relief surging through his veins. Gingerly, he released his hold enough to tilt her head back and look at her face. Even with running mascara, her nose red from crying, her eyes puffy, she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. He brushed a tear from her chin. “You going to be okay?” he asked.
She nodded, pulling her plump, lower lip between her teeth. “I think so,” she whispered. She pressed her fingers against a dark stain on his shirt. “I got make up on you. I’m sorry.”
He looked down and saw it not as a stain but as a mark of courage. His courage in taking her in and protecting her from her family. “It’s just a shirt. It’ll be all right.” He looked at her for a moment knowing the longer he stayed this close to her the more likely it was he’d give into temptation. He started to inch away.
Her fingers closed around his arm. “What do we do now?” she asked.
Give into the lussor. Have sex all night until I get this need for you out of my system. Now wasn’t an appropriate time for any of those responses. They’d just come from a funeral. She’d cried her eyes out against his chest. “Well we’re going to need to tell Te and I’ll need to know exactly what to expect. I suppose we’re going to have to take you home.”
Her eyes grew wide. “Take me home? Back to Texas?” She inched away. “I thought you were going to protect me from Brazos.”
Reid followed her, noting that she spoke of her home Conclave like they were a bunch of strangers. They scooted across the floor. Not the most dignified position, but Reid was determined to keep up with her. He didn’t want her to get away. They had to finish this discussion first. “Eventually, yeah, you’ll have to go back to Texas. If you don’t face your father, you’ll never get out from beneath his shadow.”
Laura barked mocking laughter. “You realize, don’t you, that once my father has me in his grasp he’s not going to let me go.”
“So what do you want me to do, Laura? If you don’t face your father, you’ll never be free of him.” Reid knew he repeated himself, but she had to see the truth.
“Would it be wrong if I said I want you to forgive me and pretend all of this never happened?” She swallowed hard, gamely holding back her tears. A quick shake of her head, a few blinks of those lush lashes, and she looked as if she’d never started to cry. “You’re a very sweet man, Reid. You shouldn’t have to put up with my problems. So why do you?”
“Maybe to take my mind off of my own?” He countered with a half-laugh.
Laura joined in. She reached for him, her slender fingers curving around his arm. “Would it be so wrong if I said I just want you to hold me right now?” Without waiting for his response, she moved into his arms.
It was awkward with both of them on the floor, but Laura managed to snuggle against him. Reid stretched out his leg, pulling her against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her. The lussor rose like a tide inside him. Reid battled it down. Lowering his head, he nuzzled her hair. The sweet fragrance of her shampoo surrounded him, made him think of removing the clip and spreading out her hair so he could run his fingers through the strands. Reid swallowed hard.
“So what do you propose?” Laura asked after long moments.
“Well we need to get Te’s official approval for our actions. It’s just a formality. I know after all you’ve done for Edwin that he’ll grant you StarMyst’s protection. Then, we’ll have to face your father. But, I have a question for you first. When was the last time you fed the lussor, and I mean really feed it? We both know ways of dealing with it. I’m not talking about that.” Reid asked the question, needing to know, other than his brother, how many men she’d been with since coming here. Maybe it was to torture himself and maybe it was just to prove there indeed was something between them. Either way he felt her lussor reach for his, an underpinning of power like the low thrum of a bass guitar vibrating through his body. He figured any sorcerer within five miles probably felt it and wondered if her father’s goons lingered nearby.
“You mean had sex.” Her matter-of-fact statement jolted him. He cupped her chin, tilting her head back so he could stare into her brown eyes. She was a medical doctor. No doubt the quasi-clinical terms didn’t bother her in the slightest.
“Yeah,” Reid admitted, his voice husky, the images racing through his mind far from clinical.
“No one since that night with your brother. I’ve been, as you so gentlemanly said, dealing with the lussor on my own since then.” Her cheeks colored.
“I see.” And he did. He imagined her lying in bed, her legs spread, fingers working along her creamy slit. Did she have a vibrator? Something large, or was it a slim dildo? Did she prefer the touch of her own fingers, and why, oh why, hadn’t she called him to take care of things for her? He knew the answer. Because he’d made it clear that he didn’t want her, even when he did.
“We’re going to have to remedy that you know. Not tonight, maybe in a few days when things aren’t so raw. But I think, before we face anyone, we’ll both need to be at our best, and feeding the lussor will help.” He tried to sound detached, as if he were the doctor and she the patient.
“Is it really bad if I don’t want to wait?” Laura whispered.
Reid groaned. “Don’t tempt me.” His fingers slid from her chin to stroke along the line of her jaw. He reached behind her and removed the clip from her hair. It tumbled down, falling over his hands, and he couldn’t resist sliding his fingers through it.
“You can make me forget,” she said. “Don’t make me beg, Reid. It’s been too long, for both of us.” Rising up, she pressed her lips to his.
The lussor flared. At one time he’d accused Te of having no control, but as her warm breath caressed his lips, it was he who lacked control. Curling his fingers against the back of her head, he held her in place. As soon as they touched, his mouth opened. His tongue caressed her lower lip, coaxing her to open against him. With a tiny, needy moan she surrendered.
He leaned back against the edge of the chair, pulling her across his chest. Stretching out his legs, he nestled her against him. His cock pounded. Surely she felt the ridge through his dress pants.
Laura wriggled against him. Her fingers curled around the collar of his shirt, and she slipped a button free. Her fingers darted into the opening to caress him.
Her touch fired the lussor into a fever pitch. With one hand tangled in her hair, he slid the other down the slope of her back. He cupped her rear, her buttocks a perfect handful. He squeezed.
Laura rocked against him.
His cock jerked, so hard he ached. A button pinged off his shirt, drawing him back to himself. “Laura, wait,” he managed to gasp. Releasing her, he caught her wrists. “Laura, stop!”
She stared at him with wide eyes. “Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve fed the lussor?” she asked. He saw the war in her gaze, the need and the grief battling together to create a maelstrom of emotions.
“Yeah, I do. And that’s why I have to leave now.” Releasing her, Reid slowly extracted himself from the tangle of limbs on the floor. No matter how much the lussor drove him now wasn’t the time. They’d both lost someone dear to them today. One of them had to walk away. Otherwise, both of them would have regrets. Rising to his feet, he looked down at her. “This isn’t finished, not by a long shot.” He stared at her for a moment longer and then walked out the door.
Chapter Three
Stepping into the night air did little to cool the heat in his blood. Tipping his head back, Reid closed his eyes and let the moonlight bathe his face. He still felt her inside the house, the lussor a pounding need in his vein
s. It taunted him like a desert mirage. Just a little further and then he’d find refreshment the likes of which he hadn’t known. Swallowing hard, Reid forced himself to open his eyes and stride toward his car. He had to get back to StarMyst and tell Te what was going on.
Two shadows stepped from the darkness. Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum. Reid stopped and crossed his arms over his chest. His dick ached. His heart hurt. He really wasn’t in the mood to deal with this right now.
“You sure there’s nothing going on between you and the doctor?” the blond man said. “With lussor like that I’m surprised we haven’t felt it back at Brazos.”
Reid remained silent.
“She doesn’t belong to you. You haven’t claimed her. We’re not going to play these games. If StarMyst isn’t strong enough to hold onto her that isn’t our problem. Laura is going back to Texas tonight.” The blond stepped forward.
Reid closed his fingers around the man’s arm, stopping him. “You’re not taking Laura anywhere.” His fingers tightened.
The blond stared down at Reid’s hand. He motioned for his partner to remain where he was. “The way I see it you have two choices. You can either let Laura return to Brazos where she belongs. Or, you can claim her and then see if StarMyst is strong enough to keep her. Either way, I’m sure you’re going to lose.” The man smiled a cruel parody of a smile.
“If Laura had wanted to return home, she would have done it by now.” Reid glanced over his shoulder to see if Laura noticed them. So far, the curtains remained drawn. “Look, let’s not have this discussion in front of her house. I’m returning to StarMyst. Why don’t you follow me?” He didn’t want to toss this into Te’s lap right now, but he had little choice.
“We don’t need to see StarMyst. We were just letting you know as a courtesy anyway. Laura belongs to us. We’re taking her home.” The blond strode forward, pushing past Reid.