His hips ground down, his thick erection hot and enticing. Her entire body went molten and eager. The connection between them hummed, vibrated, solidified into a chain of iron will, Sean’s will—a surprisingly gentle but stubborn sense of determination. Panting, he rolled off her and fell beside her on the floor.
I’m sorry.
It hit her then. He’d betrayed her. Took her without her permission. He’d claimed her as his talent partner. Partners weren’t always a romantic couple, could be platonic—in effect like siblings—but the way they’d glommed on each other, they’d be in each other’s beds. They’d be a full couple until one of them died. He’d basically just married her.
She sensed his reasons. That he’d pushed into her mind to keep her from killing Griffin. But once there, they’d snapped together like magnets. He’d forced his way into her mind and taken her.
Without her permission. She didn’t want a man in her life. Even Sean. Especially Sean. She couldn’t keep her desires in check. She’d hurt him. Badly. His pain would cripple her and she’d fall into her emotions, hurting them both all over again.
Pain swept through her, debilitating. Her stomach cramped, but she pushed it aside until she was blank. Completely empty.
Sean held all the cards. All the power in this little match-up. He could push at her mind and make her do his will. They were a talent couple. How did that happen? She’d only just met him in the flesh. Were they even balanced, or would he drain her dry? Of course he would.
She had nothing. Would always have nothing.
That’s not true, Daze.
Her body still afire from their connection, she brushed at the tears on her face, kept her traitorous mouth shut and scrambled toward the door.
Without a backward glance, she helped the dark-haired, grim-faced Griffin to his feet and pulled him up the stairs. She had to get out of here. And she was never coming back.
Chapter Four
Sean’s foot tapped on the floor and his entire body vibrated in his seat.
“So you finally did it,” Ray signed. Along with everything else they’d done, his two best friends, Ray and Griffin, had learned American Sign Language so they could talk with him, and he’d always be grateful.
But Ray’s smug expression begged for a punch in the face. He forced himself to open his fist and sign back. “I shouldn’t have. She doesn’t want it.”
“About time my best friend got his girl.”
“How about you?” He pointed at Ray’s chest. His friend’s smile vanished, but it brought him no satisfaction. Sean dropped it and got back to what was more pressing. He signed, “She can’t do this alone. You shouldn’t have sent her in.”
In the conference room, they sat near the speakerphone only Ray could hear. “Griffin says he’s none the worse for the near catastrophe. He dropped off Daisy a small hike from the trailhead. The coast was clear. All quiet. You might not have wanted to do it this way, but it’s the right thing for both of you. And be honest, you gave her what she needed for this mission. Your protection. With the two of you paired, even if they have a telepath, he won’t be able to touch her.”
“No, but my mental claim on her won’t stop a knife or a gun.” The thought of anything happening to her ripped at his gut.
“It won’t come to that. It never does, but she’s got her own defense if she’s in danger. Of all of us, she has more a shot of walking into a crowd of unfriendlies and walking away.”
Sure, she had the same defense she’d used in anger with Griffin. She could’ve killed him—could’ve burst him from the inside out if Sean hadn’t leaped on her. When he pushed into her mind to stop her from hurting Griffin, he’d been unable to resist. He couldn’t stop himself from claiming her. When their talents touched, he’d melded them into hers, combined them into a stronger pair. Even if he’d been in control of himself, he didn’t know if he could’ve stopped it once their talents touched.
Surrounded by their merging talents, the eroticism making him nearly desperate, he’d still sensed the truth beneath it all. They balanced as a couple, but she didn’t know. He’d felt her fear. Without the time to come to grips with their new partnership, she’d left without a backward glance and he’d been too stunned to follow her. Who was he kidding? He’d been so hard he could barely stand, but he should’ve gotten his ass up and followed her.
The CTF had policed rogues before, but it all been small-time. This current gathering of rogues wasn’t small-time, and here he sat, stuck at home, while Daisy headed into danger.
A stream of cool air washed into the room. The door had opened.
Ray straightened in his seat and his face went carefully blank. Sean hid his knowing smile. A certain someone had clearly entered the conference room. He forced out the greeting he couldn’t hear. “Hello, Clarissa.”
He turned to watch her lips—an ability he’d perfected in recent years—and read her response. “How do you do that? I know you’re telepathic, but even you can’t read minds when we’re shielding.”
He’d known because of Ray’s unique reaction to her and her alone. After Ray’s smug attitude a few moments ago, he couldn’t wait to see the man fall. Hard. And he would, it was only a matter of time. And as mages, they had a lot of time ahead of them.
“Never mind.” The tall, lean and beautiful Clarissa kept her face turned to Sean so he could read her lips. “I brought the pillow from Stan’s bed. He slept on it for a few days, so I thought you might get a reading.”
Sean nodded and reached for the plain white cotton bundle she held gingerly by one side. The only time he got clear pictures from clothing and fabric was from Daisy, another indication she was his partner. Otherwise, he got faint impressions, usually from something like this, a pillow where the person lay for hours in their most vulnerable and open state. Still, he doubted he’d get much.
He closed his eyes and skimmed the pillow.
A vision gripped him, hard and full of emotion. Full of relief. The man had been tense, uncomfortable, but now it would be over.
The man clutched a phone to his ear.
“They’ll send the banshee. We’re ready for her. Go back to base.”
Sean’s heart squeezed, and he clutched the stuffing so hard his arms ached. Nothing. No more. He couldn’t get another damn impression. He needed more.
He dropped the useless bedding and signed to a frowning Ray.
“I have to go.” Sean couldn’t let her walk into the lion’s den.
Intent on getting out of there, he heaved to his feet, but Ray gripped his shoulder to stop him before he signed, “I can’t let you do that.”
Not bothering to answer, Sean surged out of the room. He’d go after her. He was the only one who could reach her without getting in jeopardy. He couldn’t let the Cinders go after her, not after all they’d done for him—taking him and providing for him—and all they did for the people who needed them.
This was his partner. His woman. His responsibility.
Duffel packed quickly, he headed to the garage. He didn’t really like to drive. Who was he kidding? He didn’t like to leave the grounds at all, much less get behind the wheel, but he’d learned how. For practice, he made sure to occasionally drive to the post office when the need arose. He put the printed directions on the seat next to him and resisted the urge to say goodbye to Ray, who would’ve locked him in his room rather than let him go. Even though Ray trusted that Sean could be effective in the field, despite the hearing impairment, Sean had never trained for it.
He gripped the wheel and started the Jeep. No more time to waste. He was already two hours behind. The Jeep fishtailed as he accelerated out of the drive.
The road flashed by, boring, and he couldn’t keep from rehashing that kiss. Not even his fear of the trap could keep him from reliving the taste of Daisy. God, how he wanted her. The interstate blurred. He shouldn’t have created the bond with her. Not that way.
A big mental push washed over him and black dotted his vision.
Daisy. She’d dropped the wall she’d put up to keep him out.
She’d never broadcast to him on a level so devastating and thorough before. With a swerve, he pulled to the breakdown lane, unable to see as he let his mind fall into hers.
* * * * *
With her banshee powers in full control, she sauntered into the camp. A few dozen cottages arranged around a small pond. Idyllic, if she liked that sort of thing.
Several men grouped around a campfire, one with his arm around a woman. They stopped talking and stared when she entered the clearing.
“What do we have here?” A skinny man in flannel and jeans stood and walked to her. His look boldly appraised her. With the heat of Sean’s hands still on her skin, she didn’t have the usual wave of lust to take this fairly attractive man back to his cottage and molest him. This was a new experience. She’d never, ever denied an opportunity to ravish a man in bed, or against the wall or in the bed of his truck.
Damn Sean’s fine ass anyway. If she couldn’t at least lead this man on, play with him a bit, then her investigative powers would lose a powerful weapon in the arsenal. But being bound to a man she’d been slowly falling in love with for the past decade apparently sucked all attraction to other men completely away.
In love? Was she?
The blood washed from her face and left her cold.
“Honey. Are you lost?” The lone woman approached and put an arm around Daisy.
Yes
, she nearly answered, but bit it back. She shrank from the stranger’s touch. “No. I just wanted to come check out the place. Plan on camping hereabouts in couple weeks.”
“Well, we’re checking out today.” Despite Flannel Boy’s innocent enough comment, something about his tone brought up a snarling suspicion she ruthlessly throttled back. Wouldn’t do to play the banshee card too soon.
She tried to sound as pitiable as possible as she ground her teeth and let the woman hug her again. She needed more time and a reason to look around so she forced a tremble into her mumble. “Do you have some water?”
“You look tuckered out, honey. Come with me. You can have some water and rest a bit. Maybe you should have something to eat too. I’ll rustle something up for you.”
She
was
tired. So very tired. She hadn’t gotten much sleep in the past day, and the connection with Sean had leeched her energy. He had the upper hand in this partnership and probably already drained from her. She’d kick his ass when she saw him again, if she could raise her fists.
Her shoulders slumped, her leaden feet trudged next to the woman past curious faces watching her every heavy step. She let herself be led, trying to memorize what she saw, the layout, the numbers, but everything blurred. Directed to a small cottage, no bigger than a utility shed, she ducked inside.
“Get some rest. I’ll be back in a few minutes with some water.” The woman gave an angelic smile.
She shut the door and Daisy let out a breath.
The distinct sound of a deadbolt sliding and a lock clicking in place halted the air in her lungs.
She was trapped.
Her limbs weighed her down like she’d trudged up and down this mountain trail a dozen times instead of the one easy hike into this camp. She didn’t fall to her instinct and open her mouth to express her rage. She didn’t bring the house down around her. She’d never hesitated to use it before. On the lone piece of furniture in the room, a small cot, she gripped the edge of the surprisingly thick mattress.
The last time she’d used her banshee wail, she’d nearly killed Griffin. She could kill everyone within hearing distance in this camp. But could she say any of these people had done wrong, other than lock her in this shed? And would they consider it wrong, if they thought she, a stranger, endangered them? Did she have the right to hurt them? The questions inundated her.
Sean. This was all his fault. He’d sneaked his way into her entire being already. Rather than go with her emotions, she made herself think. Question. For the first time since she’d come into her talent, she hesitated, considered. Her head pounded.
He’d done this to her. Made her deliberate. Made her weak, pulling from her powers.
She’d never had trouble taking down the small-time culprits who used their talents to rob, coerce and abuse. Still, she had to admit she usually only faced one rogue at a time and her anger never got past her admittedly thinning control. Her modulated voice forced the rogue to pass out rather than turning his brains to mush. Her banshee’s wail in full splendor was a shriek so loud it could kill every man within hearing range. That had only happened once before.
The memory of the past disaster flickered away as her eyes burned.
Her shudder vibrated through the cot. Once was enough. She didn’t know what these people were up to. She had to keep herself under control long enough to find out.
Ray would never believe it, but she choked back her rising blood pressure and clamped her mouth shut tight. The bed creaked beneath her as her muscles corded. If she let go, she was afraid she’d open her mouth and wreak destruction.
Instead, she opened her mind to Sean, gathered her vision and blasted it.
* * * * *
Sean gasped. He gulped down air and threw his head back against the bucket seat. The vision faded and he swallowed hard past his scratchy throat.
The clear fall day kept the cab of the Jeep cool, but he pushed sweaty hair out of his face as he struggled to get control of his shaking. He rolled down the window for more fresh air and to clear his thinking.
When chill bumps rose on his arms, he closed the window and tried to reason with himself.
He’d rushed up here, but had no plan. No idea what to do, how to avoid the trap. No conception of how to get to Daisy without getting locked up with her. Though maybe that wasn’t a bad idea, to be stuck together in a small room empty except for the bed and the two of them.
The spicy taste of her had branded him, and he hungered for more.
Hmmm. I like the way you taste too, lover.
She purred in his mind.
His cheeks heated fast enough to take away his shivers. He shot up straight.
You’ve never read me before.
Sure I have. We talk all the time on mission.
Her genuine puzzlement came through their connection.
We talk. Yes. You’ve had intuition about me that’s spot on, but you haven’t read my thoughts unless I sent them to you
.
You didn’t send that? I thought you were torturing me
.
I’ll be more careful
. He pictured a door in his mind and gently shut it.
Wow.
He actually felt her jerk back.
That was cold
.
Sorry
. He’d been saying that a lot to her in the past day.
He caught a fleeting thought from her,
Miss the damn man already
. She hadn’t meant for him to read the longing, but he had. He missed her too.
She slammed a mental brick wall in his face. He flinched in his seat. He pushed a little, but the brick wall held. He wasn’t getting in there without a full-scale assault on her mind, which was a terribly bad idea.