Authors: Aliyah Burke
“
That scares
you.”
She cut her eyes to him
and glared. “Ya think? I’m faced with shit I can’t even begin to
fathom. A thing whose face splits and he has tentacles which
hurt,
by the way. He can
choke me without laying a finger on me. Oh, then there’s the one
who is an eagle, or a man, calls himself Aren. Who can heal with a
touch. Let’s not forget you, tiger-man. So, yes…I’m
scared.”
He knew she was doing her best to remain
calm. Sending her a slight smile, he murmured, “Aren did come.”
“
Yes. He saved me. And
healed all of us. Oh, he said to tell you he thinks Dane is a good
name.”
Dane chuckled. “I’m glad he came. He is the
one you go to if anything ever happens to me, Aida.” Sobering, he
caressed her cheek. “I’m so sorry you were in danger.”
“
Stuff it. I don’t care
about that… Well, not much. I was petrified for you. I couldn’t
reach you. The tiger just lay there. I don’t like feeling helpless,
Dane. Not at all.”
“
Solnyshko
moyo
, I never—”
She covered his mouth. “I feel inadequate
here. I’m dealing with people who have an edge on me.”
“
You are
not
inadequate. Do
not
ever
let me
hear you say that.”
“
What the hell do you call
it? Tell me something, does this Lady Nahia have
powers?”
Dane could hear the stress in her voice.
“Yes. She’s an Elemental.”
“
I bet she’s beautiful,
too,” Aida murmured.
He shrugged. “I suppose.” Dane frowned when
she rolled away from him, and it deepened the moment she pulled the
blanket up over her head.
“
What are you doing,
Aida?” He touched her shoulder and scowled when she resisted him,
turning her back. She didn’t answer either.
Aida, you have to talk to me.
Still
nothing. Dane knew she could hear him, for the link was open, but
she didn’t respond. He physically rotated her so he could see her
face.
Prying the blanket away, he tried to get eye
contact. It didn’t happen. She sighed and pushed back, getting out
of bed. Dane stood and walked to her, dressing himself along the
way. Standing behind her, he pressed a kiss to her smooth bare
shoulder.
“
Stop it, Dane,” she said
in a disheartened voice.
“
Aida, look at
me.”
She turned her head, sighed and faced him
completely. “What?”
“
I don’t understand. Why
are you upset?” He ignored her lush naked body. Not easy, but he
did.
“
Never mind. I need to
shower.” She ducked by him and walked out without a look
back.
Dane wavered between going after her and
leaving her alone. Shaking his head, he sat on the bed. After he
heard the water start, he stood and made the bed before going to
the kitchen to reheat the meal they had yet to get around to. While
he waited for her, Dane sent a heartfelt thank you message to Aren
for him protecting his woman.
Aida stood under the spray and let it work
out the soreness in her muscles. Who knew making love could be such
an experience. Never in her life had she come close to encountering
what she had with Dane. Her belly tightened at the memory of
feeling his thickness filling her beyond anyone ever had before.
Shaking away the thought, she cleared her mind. Aida hung her head
and let the water rinse off the soap.
Are you almost finished?
Or would you like some help?
Dane’s
seductive tone teased her mind.
With a sigh, Aida turned off the water and
got out. She stared at her reflection in the foggy mirror. Another
wave of doubt and uncertainty swamped her.
Other women he deals with
are more than you. Beautiful and can handle themselves,
her mind said.
What can I offer a man like him?
Good point. Why don’t you tell him to
leave?
Aida turned her back on
the mirror and dressed. Buttoning her pants, she risked another
look at herself.
Nothing spectacular
there.
The door seemed to materialize into Dane.
And he looked furious. His eyes snapped tawny fire. “Enough, Aida,”
he rumbled, his tone low and fierce.
“
I’m sorry?” Aida faced
the mirror.
She reached behind her and gathered her hair
to put it up. Dane moved faster than a blink. Granted her bathroom
may not be that big…but still. His large hands covered hers, and he
put them by her side.
“
Leave it down.” It wasn’t
anything other than a command.
Aida’s hands clenched briefly before she
relaxed. “And you are in here, why?”
“
Because I’m tired of you
doubting yourself and your importance to me.”
Meeting his gaze in the mirror, she bit off,
“Then, stay out of my head!”
“
No.”
She spun around to stare directly at him.
“No?!”
“
No.” Dane’s expression
softened.
Grinding her jaw, she rubbed a temple. “Why
not?”
“
I like feeling you with
me every moment.”
“
Privacy mean
anything
to
you?”
“
What do you need to keep
private from your mate?” Dane cocked his head and regarded her
thoughtfully. The man seriously seemed completely
befuddled.
“
You don’t tell your
family everything,” she pointed out. “And you said we weren’t
mated.”
Dane crossed his muscled arms over his
rippled chest frowning at her. “Of course I don’t. I may not have
claimed you yet, but you damn well better believe we are mates. The
mating bond is alive and well between us.”
So alpha, so determined.
So fucking hot!
Sweet goddess, that man
could seriously get it again. I can barely keep my mind off
sex.
“So why them but not me?”
One hand reached for her
face and Aida shivered at the light touch. “Because,
solnyshko moyo
, you are
my mate.”
Frustration raced up
within her. “Which means shit to me. I get you needed me to get
some balance back but why do I have to give everything up? I
like
my privacy. I get
it, you needed me. Fine. Can you leave me alone now? Like you said,
we may be mates but you’ve not claimed me yet, so you can leave.”
She slid to the side and began to leave.
Aida was backed against the wall in the
space of a heartbeat.
“
No, Aida,” he whispered,
his voice low and potent. “You are not a means to an end. You are
everything to me. And I’m not leaving you. I don’t know how to
explain this well. Think of a butterfly.”
A butterfly?
Yes,
solnyshko moyo
, a butterfly. Work
with me here.
She bit back a
smile.
Continue.
“
It needs both sets of
wings in order to fly. Without you, Aida, I’m missing a set. I was
limping through existence. With you, I can soar through
life.”
Aida smiled slightly. “That’s very sweet,
Dane. But I still like my privacy. Aren’t there some things you
prefer to keep to yourself?”
“
Yes, but not from you. I
have no secrets from you.”
He held her gaze while he spoke and she was
at a loss for words. “But you have the right to have your own
thoughts.”
Dane skimmed her cheekbone with the pad of
his thumb and sighed. “If I don’t read your thoughts without
permission, can we leave the link open?”
“
Yes.”
“
Then, I will respect your
desire for privacy. But, Aida, no more doubting what you mean to
me. You
are
the
only one for me. No other woman can compare to your beauty to me,
no other but you can make me think of shredding clothes and taking
you against the nearest thing. I only want you.”
Her insides melted. “I think I’m finally
getting the picture.”
His eyes became molten. “I hope so. I love
you, Aida Kumani Roberts.”
Wrapping her arms around
his neck, she kissed him.
Stop trying to
make me cry.
Dane lifted her off the
ground and carried her out of the bathroom.
You need food,
solnyshko
moyo
, so stop that purring.
Aida nipped his tongue and broke the kiss.
“Fine.”
“
You are trying to provoke
me,
solnyshko moyo
.” He set her down in the kitchen.
Reaching for two plates, Aida didn’t even
try to hide her smile. “Perhaps. What are you calling me? Is it
Russian?”
“
Yes, it’s
Russian.”
Glancing over her shoulder at him, she
arched a brow. Dane just stood there watching her. She stuck her
tongue out at him.
“
There are much better
uses for your mouth than that, Aida.”
Lust slammed into her when she got his very
vivid, erotic image in her mind. She was kneeling before him, his
hands fisted in her hair and his cock thrusting in her mouth. Her
pussy creamed, and Aida dropped her eyes to his crotch, staring at
the obvious ridge.
“
I agree,” she murmured
seductively. “Too bad you said I needed food, because I’d
love
to be doing that.”
The tip of her tongue snuck out to wet her lips, and she released a
deep throated moan.
Aida!
Dane rubbed his cock, and she turned her back on him, forcing
down her desire.
“
Get some drinks,
Dane.”
His rumble of displeasure filled the room,
but he did as she’d said, and before long, they were eating. All
through the dinner, Dane stared at her, like she was his next
meal.
“
Aida,” he
said.
“
Yes?” Whatever he’d been
about to say was drowned out by the sound of an approaching
vehicle. With a slight frown, Aida wiped her mouth and headed for
the door. “Ahh, hell,” she grumbled when she opened it.
Lord Devon Smythe was getting out of his
white Mercedes. He adjusted his hat and walked toward her, cane in
hand.
Aida leaned against the doorframe. “What do
you want?”
“
Why do you insist on
being unpleasant, Aida? I want us to get along.” He pulled off his
gloves, tugging on a finger at a time. “The two of us, we could do
such things together, Aida.”
You haven’t begun to see
unpleasant.
“Like what?” she questioned
when he stopped beneath the awning.
“
Yes. Like what?” Dane’s
voice, angry and hard, broke in.
Aida could feel his body
pressing intimately against hers. And it was rigid with
fury.
Calm down, Dane.
Why is he here?
The question more of a primal snarl than
anything.
“
What are you doing here?”
Devon snapped, glaring at Dane.
Aida rolled her eyes. Men.
“
We
were eating,” Dane bit off in return. He stepped around her,
putting himself in front of her.
Hellfire and damnation.
He’d removed his shirt.
Would you get
back? I don’t need you to protect me from him.
This man wants you, Aida. I will kill him if
he touches you.
Somehow, she didn’t doubt that. “What do you
want, Smythe?” she asked, stepping alongside Dane.
“
I need a word with you.”
He looked in Dane’s direction and sniffed. “Alone.”
“
Fine.”
No!
Back off, tiger-mine. Let
me deal with him.
Aida took another step
toward Devon Smythe. “Let’s go. I’ll walk with you out to your car,
so talk fast.”
Aida.
Privacy, Dane. We just
talked about it.
She could feel his
displeasure but she ignored it. “Well, what did you want,
Smythe?”
“
Why is he here? And in
that state of dress?”
“
Oohhkay, this
conversation is over. You have no right trying to get in my
business.”
“
I’m worried about you,
Aida.”
Opening the door for him, Aida scoffed.
“Bullshit. We both know what you’re after. Trust me when I say
you’re not getting my land or me, Lord Devon Smythe. That I
vow.”
He sat on the leather
seat, and an ugly sneer filled his expression. “I
always
get what I
want.”
“
Not in this
case.”
“
Aida, don’t
be—”
She slammed the door on his sentence and
walked back to the house. Dane remained by the door, a scowl on his
face. “Don’t start with me, Dane.” He stretched an arm across the
doorway, halting her. Inhaling sharply, Aida stared at him.
“What?”
“
Why are you so
stubborn?”
“
Look. Devon is my problem
and will be even after you leave. I can fight my own
battles.”
“
My job,
mate
, is to protect
you,” he rumbled in her ear.
She shivered at the decadent sensuality his
voice contained. Ducking beneath his arm, she went back to the
table and sat, willing iron back into her limbs. She looked up when
Dane strode into the room. His presence near overwhelming.
Masculine predatory power rolled off him in waves.