Bound by Duty (Bound Series Book 1) (19 page)

Throughout that time, Aidan was my safe harbor. Being in close proximity to him was the only time my power seemed to take a backseat, stopping our constant clashing of wills. The fact that I couldn’t stop staring at his lips and wanting him to kiss me probably had something to do with it, but I couldn’t think about attacks or power surges, or anything really, when his breath would tickle my cheek as he murmured one of our growing inside jokes in my ear.

I was actually sad to see that my words at the gym had resonated. After that conversation — barring the last light kiss at the gym — he’d kept it all PG-13. We went to a movie and he even made sure to put the armrest down, sitting stoically next to me while holding my hand. I could feel the sexual tension buzzing between us, his aura a constant battle of passion against his desire to make me happy. It was my only saving grace, knowing that it wasn’t just me being tortured. It took all of my own willpower to not jump him in the darkness of that theater. I allowed my mind to wander and it took me to places far past kissing. I wondered what he knew that I didn’t. What experiences he’d had. He was the only boy I’d kissed and I was still fumbling, at best, to be flirtatious. It was uncomfortable, but made me want to go further, faster.

I kept sneaking looks at him for the entire two hours. I fantasized about what his five o’clock shadow would feel like against my cheek, his coarse hair threaded through my fingers. I played back the few kisses we’d shared in my mind, determined to make him do it again. I watched his profile as he laughed out loud at the actors on screen, the smile shining through his eyes. He laughed with utter abandonment and I loved it.

My knee bounced up and down as I tapped my foot, nervous energy filling me. It had been two weeks since our last kiss in the gym and he had remained annoyingly platonic. He was still playful and cocky, sweet and tender, but only with his words. My last conversation with Rynna echoed in my head, telling me my heart was mine to give. To choose my path.

So I did. I was done waiting and being the saint. I was learning to control my power, so I wasn’t afraid of hurting Aidan again. We hadn’t seen or heard anything from our random attackers, even with both Micah and Cole doing some discreet digging, and I just couldn’t take it anymore. I spent the rest of the movie plotting my move.

It was always lurking in the back of my mind, the fact that things would likely have to change, that Aidan couldn’t always be mine, but no matter how much I tried, I couldn’t keep myself from him. I spent long nights having conversations with myself around all the reasons I shouldn’t allow this to happen, but all it took was one look from him to root me right back to his side. The bottom line was that I was eighteen, I rationalized to myself. And, I was Immortal. I had years and years of life in front of me. Why did I owe anything to all of these people who had never tried to help me? After everything I’d been through, I owed this to myself. I’d earned this time with Aidan.

We hadn’t talked a lot about his past and the stories he told me that day on the cliffs, but from everything I knew, his fears of abandonment ran deep. His commitment to me was just as hard for him, in his own way. So, as we left the movie theater that night, I made a decision that I was all in. That whatever this was, I was meant to be here, living it. It was the first time in my life I’d made a decision that completely went against everything I’d been raised to be, a decision that was for no one else’s good but my own. It was exhilarating. The fleeting thought that someday I could actually tell him who and what I was lit me up from the inside out. I was so buzzed with excitement that I was talking a mile a minute and yanking Aidan along with me as I bobbed and weaved through the crowd toward the front of the movie theater.

As I pushed through the double doors out into the parking lot, Aidan wrapped an arm around me, slowing my steps and interrupting my internal cheering squad. “What’s gotten into you, doll? You’ve either got something exciting up in that brain of yours or you were sneaking Red Bull during the movie.” He laughed as he tugged me into his chest and pressed a kiss to my temple. I looked up at him, returning his kiss with one just below his ear. “Let’s go walk on the beach. I’m not ready to go home yet.”

I had used my most suggestive tone and was praying it didn’t come across as cheesy as it felt. I was still getting used to this seductive flirtation thing, but I could feel Aidan’s emotions spike and his eyes went from smoke to liquid silver. I had hit the mark.

“It’s your show, baby,” he said with a low rumble to his voice. A voice I hadn’t heard since our last real kiss. I closed my eyes and smiled to myself as I looped my arm around him, walking as one out to the beach.

It was a full moon and it gave us the perfect amount of light to walk on the beach away from the boardwalk. There were other couples walking as well, but it was clear that each of us were in our own worlds. Aidan and I kept ourselves intertwined as we walked. I loved how I fit just under his chin, the top of my head level with his shoulders. How I could feel his fingertips making swirling patterns on the small strip of exposed skin on my back between my jeans and my top as we walked silently, both just enjoying the quiet. I tugged him even closer to me and tried to decide where to start. Was I really ready to verbally commit to this? Could I look him in the eyes and tell him out loud that I didn’t want to go slow, that I didn’t want anyone else?

Aidan stopped and tilted my chin up, “You’re brooding again. I swear, I can feel it when you start to get lost in your own head. What’s up?” He looked down at me through hooded, questioning eyes. Looking up at him, his dark hair shining in the moonlight, strength and passion radiating from him, I was suddenly sure.

“Aidan, I want this. Whatever this is that we have, I want it.” He cocked his head and as his smile spread, his adorable dimple appeared. “Well, that’s probably good, since I want it, too.”

I stepped back a little, trying to give myself some room to breathe, to stop him from intoxicating me into sounding like an idiot.

I pushed at the sand with my toe, suddenly feeling inexperienced and shy. “I don’t really know what we’re doing. I’ve never really had a boyfriend, so this is all new, and amazing, and scary. There are still parts of me that I can’t share with you, but I hope to. Someday.”

It was so hard to be honest without really being honest, but it was true. I hoped that someday I could actually explain it all to him. Right now, though, I hoped that he could see and hear how much I meant every word. I looked up and the grin was back. I could see him holding himself back, waiting for me to make the next move. The reality that I could make him feel that way had me soaring.

Aidan tried to speak but I held up my hand, asking for him to wait.

“I…uh…Aidan, I don’t want you to be so nice. To go so slow.” His eyes widened another fraction, his pupils dilating. “The truth is, the only thing I can think about is you kissing me. About you doing more than kissing me. It’s all I can think about.” I was shaking from the inside out, just wanting to be close to him. But, I stood still, digging my nails into my palms.

In two steps, he had me up and off the sand. I locked my legs around his waist as one of his hands came up my back and into my hair.

“Amelia,” he breathed out in a whisper. “It’s all I’ve been thinking about since that day. You have no idea how much I want this.”

Then, all I could feel was Aidan. That stubble was just as rough and amazing and I thought it would be. He kissed me with all the passion I’d ever imagined. His tongue diving into my mouth, claiming it as his. There was nothing sweet or gentle about that kiss and it was exactly what I wanted. I wanted to be marked. I wanted to feel alive. I just wanted Aidan.

With my legs locked around his hips and his hands roaming all over me, I was breathless. He supported me, gripping my hips and then sliding under my butt. Aidan moved one hand up my back and around to cup my face as he continued to kiss me. Slipping it back and tangling it in my hair, he gently tugged at the long strands and I dropped my head back to allow him access to my throat. With a groan, he laid a trail of kisses from the base up to my ear lobe, nipping at the sensitive flesh and giving me goose bumps. His mouth left fire in its wake, igniting feelings in me I hadn’t known existed. I had no idea it could be this intoxicating to simply have someone’s hands on your body. I couldn’t think and could only react to each new sensation Aidan brought out in me. We had gone from zero to sixty and I suddenly felt panicked by a myriad of emotions and feelings I didn’t know what to do with. So, while no part of me wanted to, I told myself to slow down. To not go too far, too fast. We had time.

It took a few minutes to slow the pace as Aidan took his cues from me. Our kisses became more leisurely until he finally pulled back and kissed the tip of my nose as he set me back on the sand.

“Well, that was unexpected,” he said with a cheeky grin. I couldn’t help but beam back up at him. My lips felt swollen and my skin tender from all of his attention. I was shocked to realize it was the first time we hadn’t had a magical flare during such a close interaction. I could only feel a content, gloating sigh coming from my sated power as it sat back and soaked in what had just happened. For once, we were on the same page.

I grabbed his hand, yanking on it a little to get us walking again, even though I could have skipped my way down the beach at this point. “Let’s keep going, just a little farther,” I said.

We walked the beach for another half an hour or so. When we realized it was close to midnight, we started back toward the car. Just as we were getting close to the parking lot of the theater, I felt it.

Each individual hair on the back of my neck shot to attention and every internal alarm I had was screaming.

She’s here. I know she’s here. We saw her walk off with that human.

I shook my head, shocked to hear someone’s voice there. I’d only heard other people when I was intentionally trying to listen. No one had ever just shown up before. I quickly realized I had to get Aidan out of here.

Trying not to alert him, I started casually looking around as I sped up my pace.

They were just out on the beach. It’s just her and the boy. This is the perfect time since she’s away from the other Mage.

I looked around, realizing there was nowhere to hide. As we approached the theater, I grabbed Aidan and pulled him into the shadow of the building.

He grinned. “Didn’t get your fill, huh? I’d be happy to oblige.”

As Aidan brought his lips back to mine, I did my best to kiss him while I searched out the power of the people around us, trying to get a read on exactly where they were. Micah had me playing magical hide and seek with Cole a few different times last week so I had a good idea of how to follow their trail. It took a moment before I could source them, but as I reached out, I could feel their pulsing black auras not far away. I followed the first person’s aura, but couldn’t get anywhere. Their minds were locked up tight. The only thing that came through loud and clear was that they had been sent to find me and they couldn’t fail.

It wasn’t until I sighed at my lack of skill that I realized Aidan wasn’t kissing me anymore. He was standing in front of me, arms crossed, looking rather perturbed.

“Okay, Amelia, really? What the hell is going on?” The hard edges of his jaw were set, his eyes dark and narrowed. How was I possibly going to explain this?

“I, uh, well…I think the popcorn isn’t sitting well,” I said, weakly.

His eyebrow arched. “Really? How many times do you think I’m going to let this stuff go, Amelia?”

“Stuff? What stuff?” I asked, my voice a little too high and shaking. I didn’t have a clue what he actually thought was happening.

“Oh, I don’t know, like your random migraines or your disappearing acts? Or your ‘training’ with Micah that I know for a fact you don’t need because Cole has told me all about your MMA instruction. Or how you completely zone out sometimes and have no idea what’s happening around you? Something is going on with you and I need to know what it is.” He spat out the words with such intensity that I took a step back.

I had no response. I stood there, staring at him, willing myself to come up with some plausible excuse, but I had nothing. Aidan’s wariness rolled off of him. I could feel the words he wouldn’t say. The ones that questioned the truth of everything I’d just laid bare to him on the beach. I couldn’t lie to him anymore, but what choice did I have?

At that moment, I didn’t have to make a choice because a crackling blue bolt came shooting toward Aidan and the only thing I could do was scream as I shoved him aside. We both fell into a heap on the ground. He was instantly up and in a crouch. I had much less grace and began scrambling to get to my feet. We were both looking in all directions when the next bolt came flying at us. We dove apart and a chunk of the red brick theater wall ruptured into dust around us.

“What is going on? What the hell was that?” Aidan yelled. I was thinking as fast as I could.

“Do you trust me?” I asked, a plan forming.

My jeans were torn in a few places and my new sheer pink top was shredded along one arm where I had skidded into a heap on the concrete. My braid was half undone and I was crouched down behind a bush next to the theater like a fugitive. Aidan gaped at me from a few feet away, his yellow polo dirty and his cargo shorts also ripped. He was undecided and I hated that I had made him that way. Another bolt came flying at us, only missing by a few feet.

“Aidan! Do you trust me?” I smacked the concrete and was shocked to feel a little tremor shake the ground between us. Aidan’s eyes widened and he nodded slowly.

“Okay, then. On three, we run. You parked around the back and we have to get to your car. I’ll…I’ll try to explain all of this eventually, but for now, we have to get away.” I had made the decision that honesty was no longer a choice. He would know. I would tell him everything.

I was amazed that he didn’t question me. The bolts of blue were getting larger and spraying dirt everywhere around us, which could only mean our attackers were getting closer. I tossed my head in the direction of the back of the building and gave a finger count. On three, we both leapt up and took off for the car. I forced Aidan to lead, hoping he would think he was protecting me while I was actually throwing down cover.