Authors: Tina Folsom
Leila’s heart was still beating out of control when Aiden pulled the car to a stop. His words rang in her ears
.
The determination in his voice had shocked her to the core. Even if there were things she couldn’t quite believe yet, she recognized the truth in those words.
Eliminate
he’d said, when she knew he meant
kill
. Such a clinical, cold way of saying it, as if a life meant nothing to him. Maybe it didn’t.
After everything he’d told her about the demons, she understood how dangerous they were, and that it was up to her to fight them should they ever find her. Knowing what a coward she was and that she would lose any fight with the demons in two seconds flat, one thing became more important than anything: they could never be allowed to find her. If that meant that she had to remain invisible until this threat had passed and they lost interest in her, then she would do exactly that. Even if it meant tethering herself to a Cloak Warrior who she couldn’t trust either. However, he was the lesser of two evils.
“We’re here,” Aiden announced and pulled out his cell phone to punch something into it.
A loud humming sound made her snap her eyes to the area ahead of them. Light started to emerge as a garage door lifted in front of them. The car edged forward and slid into one of the spots lining the far wall.
“Let’s go,” he ordered and jumped from the car, severing their contact.
Odd, she’d still had her hand on his thigh, and it had felt almost like a natural extension of her own body. It had calmed her at the same time as it had excited her.
Quickly, she alighted from the car and went around it to Aiden’s side. But he was already walking toward the open garage door. She caught up with him and grabbed his arm.
He whirled his head to her, glancing at her hand that held onto his forearm. His eyes blazed at her, making her stumble over her own feet. When he caught her, both his hands dug into her biceps. The heat in his eyes made her feel flushed despite the cool night air that touched her skin.
“What is it?”
“I ... I,” she stammered, then swallowed away her fear. She wasn’t too proud to beg. Anything to be safe. “Please, you have to keep me invisible.”
Slowly his features softened and the grip on her arms loosened. His hands stroked down her arms, his movements deliberate and steady. A shiver ran down her spine. She knew what he did was only to calm her, but that didn’t stop her from perceiving his touch as sensual, as caressing.
She closed her eyes, unable to withstand his intense gaze any longer. It only intensified his scent that wrapped around her like a protective cocoon. Or maybe it was simply what it felt like to be invisible: hot, protected, aware of everything around her. Earlier, when they’d been at Inter Pharma, she’d been in shock and unable to understand what was happening to her. Even in the car when she’d put her hand on his thigh to remain cloaked, she had concentrated more on his words than on the effect his body had on her.
But now ... now all distractions were gone, pushed into the distance, and all she felt was his presence. The power that danced on his skin, the strength that oozed from his muscles, and the heat that radiated outward.
With a sigh, she lifted her lids, her gaze colliding with his.
His face was only inches from hers, his lips parted, his breath bouncing against hers. Nervously, she licked her lower lip and noticed his eyes hone in on her action. Oh, God, if he tried to kiss her now, she wouldn’t be able to fend him off. On the contrary, she would press her body against him shamelessly, begging him to take her.
“We have to go inside,” he suddenly said and stepped back, taking her hand into his at the same time.
In a daze, she followed him out of the garage, which he closed behind them. As they rounded the corner, she looked down the street. Yellow, orange, and red neon signs flickered on nearly each building. Her eyes adjusted, reading the signs.
Her feet froze. “This is the red light district.” Sign after sign advertised personal services:
girls
they read, or
massage
; she even saw one that advertised
nude girls
.
Aiden shrugged and pulled her along. “I’m aware of that.”
As they walked past a slutty looking woman—clearly a hooker—Leila instinctively made a wide berth around her. The woman gave her a lascivious smile, looking her up and down.
“How about a date?”
Leila gave her a shocked stare, surprised at being propositioned.
The whore grinned as if she enjoyed her discomfort. “A threesome then, honey? Fifty bucks and I’ll eat your pussy while your man fucks me from behind.”
Leila’s chin dropped at the open taunt. She’d never been so speechless in her entire life.
“Maybe some other time,” Aiden answered and pulled her away.
Leila found her voice again. “Oh, my God! I can’t believe you said that.” Was he really considering such an outrageous act?
“That’s what you get for staring,” he hissed at her side.
Was he suggesting she had provoked the hooker’s offer? “I didn’t—”
“Yes, you did. And that’s exactly why that prostitute teased you. So, unless you want more hookers to try and get a rise out of you, stop staring.” He paused and gave her a sideways glance. “Or I might get the idea that you’re willing to try something. If that’s the case, I’m happy to spend the fifty bucks.”
She gasped at his lewd suggestion. “No!”
“Then let’s go before—”
“Oh, no!” How could they even see her? A shot of adrenaline bolted through her body, making her heart beat into her throat. “Why am I not invisible?”
“Relax. You’re still invisible to the demons. But I chose to let us be seen by humans.”
“You can do that?” Her pulse steadied a little.
“Yes.”
“But why? Wouldn’t it be safer if nobody saw us?”
“It takes a lot of energy to cloak us both from humans and demons. I prefer to conserve mine when there’s no absolute need.”
Well, it appeared even an Immortal had his limitations. “But what will the demons see then?”
He shrugged. “Simply a hooker talking to herself.”
“Oh.”
A moment later, they came to a stop in front of a three-story building. Leila looked at the neon sign in the window.
Thai Massage
it advertised.
“What are we doing here?”
“It’s our safe house.”
He had to be kidding.
“We’re saying here for the night.”
The door opened and a woman who looked like she was in her sixties appeared. No, Leila corrected herself, a
madam
appeared. Wasn’t that what the owners of these kind of establishments called themselves? Because for sure, this woman was past her prime. Maybe fifteen years ago she’d still worked as a hooker, but who would want her now? Leila chastised herself for her bitchy thoughts, writing them off to her own weariness. She needed to sleep, to rest, and to forget what had happened tonight.
“Come,” the woman simply said, and ushered them into the house.
Inside, it was surprisingly clean and ... homey. Leila let her eyes wander as the woman led them up to the second floor past a long row of doors with numbers on them. She shuddered at the thought of what was going on behind those doors. There was no shame in admitting to herself that she’d led a somewhat sheltered life, far away from the filth and vice of human excesses.
She’d never been inside a brothel, hell, she’d never been in this part of town before, and she hoped that after tonight, she would never have to come back to this place. Her only consolation was that here the chances of meeting anybody she knew were nil. At least, she would never have to explain this to anybody.
The corridor wound around several times as if they were entering a maze, the changing Asian artwork on the walls the only indication that they weren’t walking in circles. Beneath her feet, lush rugs cushioned her steps. The scent of essential oils permeated the air, almost as if she were in a spa. Clearly, the owner was taking the label of
Thai Massage
a little too literally, as if she could fool anybody about what was really going on in this establishment.
A door to her right opened, a young woman dressed in a colorful kimono-like robe slipping out. She inclined her head in greeting and smiled. Leila slowed her steps, turning her head to watch the girl as she walked in the other direction. She didn’t look anything like the slutty hooker she’d seen on the street. The girl was pretty, her features clean and pleasant. Had she met her on the street, she would have never guessed what she did for a living.
A pull on her hand made her jerk forward. Aiden gave her a reprimanding look.
“Didn’t I ask you not to stare?”
“I wasn’t ...” She didn’t finish her sentence when she noticed a smirk playing around his lips. Was he actually finding her uneasiness in this place funny? She huffed and clamped her jaw shut.
Around the next corner, the woman finally stopped in front of a door. She unlocked it, then gave Aiden the key.
“Thank you, Coralee,” he acknowledged.
The old woman simply nodded and shuffled past them. As the
madam
brushed her, her gaze travelled up Leila’s body, then rested on her face. Was she sizing her up like fresh meat for her brothel?
Then she tossed a glance back at Aiden. “Pretty,” she said to him before she disappeared down the hallway.
Once inside, he locked the door behind them. She was alone with him again.
The room was more comfortable than she’d expected. There was a sitting area, a closet and a chest of drawers with a mirror over it, and a bed. Only one. Large, but that didn’t change the fact that it was only one. She eyed the sofa.
“You need to sleep,” he said. “There are clothes in the bathroom that will fit you.”
She looked down at their joined hands. “Will I be all right for a couple of minutes without being cloaked?”
He nodded. “It will take them more than a couple of minutes to lock onto your presence even if they are somewhere in the vicinity. Unless they have a visual on you. Then it’s instant recognition. But we’re inside, and the shades are drawn.”
She swallowed away her fear and opened the door to the en-suite bathroom. “I’ll only be a minute.”
SEVENTEEN
Aiden watched the bathroom door close behind her. He’d just missed a perfect opportunity to tell her the truth. Why hadn’t he come clean? Was it because for tonight it wouldn’t matter anyway since she had no choice but to allow him to touch her while they both slept? Because during sleep, only his touch could cloak a human. But explaining that to Leila would have invited too many questions in her inquisitive mind. And he was too tired to play twenty questions right now. And not ready to face her wrath for his earlier deception. He’d explain everything to her tomorrow.
When he heard the bathroom door open, his head snapped in its direction. Leila stepped out gingerly, her eyes downcast, half her face hidden by her long hair. But his eyes weren’t focusing on that. They were already traveling up and down her body, or what he could see of it.
Did she really have to dress in the most shapeless PJs she could find in that closet? He was sure Coralee kept a good selection of nightgowns and negligees in there. Yet Leila had decided on oversized flannel pajamas that hid all her curves. The thick material didn’t even hint at the sensual woman underneath.
If she was trying to send him a signal, then she’d succeeded. It was pretty clear what she meant to tell him: that his advances would be unwelcome. Feeling frustration boil up in him, he brushed past her and headed for the bathroom. He let the door snap in behind him.
The urge to touch her had never been stronger than now. Knowing that in a few minutes she would be sleeping in his arms, made his desire for her spike. He knew he shouldn’t want this, because it was wrong: she was his charge, not his lover. Besides, Leila didn’t want him—her flannel pajamas were indication enough.
He let his last conversation with her replay in his mind. Maybe he’d said things she didn’t want to hear. Finding out that he would eliminate her should she be seduced to the demons’ side probably didn’t exactly endear him to her. Maybe he should have refused to answer that question or told her a lie instead.
As he got ready for bed and undressed, he felt the events of the last few hours take their toll. Exhaustion overwhelmed him, even though nights like these were the norm. He shouldn’t feel tired, not the way he did right now. Maybe it was better this way: perhaps his sexual drive would be wiped out by his tiredness and stop him from doing something stupid.
Dressed only in his boxer briefs, his cock semi-erect, he walked back into the bedroom, finding only the nightlight next to the door illuminated. He dropped his clothes on one of the chairs to have them close in an emergency.
Under the covers, Leila’s shape was visible, the sheets covering her up to her neck. She’d turned toward the opposite wall, and he could only assume that she was already asleep.
Aiden glanced at the clock on the bedside table. In less than an hour the sun would rise. It was best to get a few hours of sleep before deciding on the next course of action. On bare feet, he walked to the bed and lifted the covers, sliding under them silently.
He felt the warmth of her body and moved closer when he noticed her holding her breath. She wasn’t asleep as he’d assumed.
With slow movements, he reached for her. “Just so you’re cloaked,” he whispered.
“Yes.” Her husky voice was barely audible.
Snaking an arm around her waist, he drew her into the curve of his body. When her sweet backside connected with his groin, he clenched his jaw shut to prevent himself from moaning out loud.
Fuck!
He’d never survive this night.
In three heartbeats, his body pumped more blood into his cock, making him as hard as he’d ever been.
Leila’s breath hitched. She’d noticed it and tried to move away from him.
“No,” he breathed into her ear, tempted to suck her soft earlobe into his mouth. “I won’t do anything you don’t want me to do.”