Authors: Jaci Burton
Plus, Aidan’s sisters
were fun to be with. Kaitlyn knew no strangers, smiled at everyone and laughed
so loud people at the other table noticed. But she was also a man magnet,
attracting stares and invitations to dance by the droves. Some of the offers
she accepted, but typically only from men she already knew. With her dark skin
and sultry, sexy body, she could grace any fashion magazine’s cover.
Shannon, on the other
hand, was the epitome of calm, cool and sophisticated, and had, in her own
words, perfected haughty disdain to a near art form. With one glance any man
approaching was blown to bits by her cold, unapproachable look. Then she’d
laugh as soon as the dejected guy made an about face.
Neither of the women
took men seriously.
“Why don’t you dance?”
Shannon asked.
Melissa shrugged and
sucked up another sweet mouthful of loaded tea. “Not interested.”
“Eyes only for one
man?” she said, arching a brow.
Melissa laughed.
“Hardly.”
“Are you sure?” Kaitlyn
added.
“Is this an
inquisition?” Melissa asked, only half serious. She’d love to be able to talk
frankly about Aidan with another woman. But these women were his sisters, and
she was afraid they’d be biased on his side.
“Aidan is a complete
ass at times,” Shannon said.
Okay, maybe there was
no bias. She certainly couldn’t disagree with Shannon’s assessment of Aidan.
“Not really an ass,”
Kaitlyn corrected. “More like a man who wants something desperately, but
doesn’t realize yet what it is.”
Shannon waved her hand.
“You’re too nice. He’s an idiot. His destiny could be staring him straight in
the face and he’d be completely oblivious to all the signs.”
Melissa caught
Kaitlyn’s elbow nudging Shannon’s ribs.
“Hey,” Shannon
protested, then looked at Melissa and back over at her sister and nodded.
Wondering what that was
about, but too afraid to ask, Melissa said, “And what about the two of you? I
don’t see any guys hanging around.”
Kaitlyn shrugged. “It’s
not time yet for me. When it is, I’ll know.”
“Famous last words,”
Shannon said sullenly into her drink.
Lifting her chin,
Kaitlyn said, “Just because you got burned once doesn’t mean that’s the way it
always will be, Shannon. Besides, none of us saw that coming. Not even Mom.”
Melissa had no idea
what they were talking about and decided it was best not to ask. Pain etched
furrows at the corners of Shannon’s eyes, as if she’d just remembered something
she’d rather have forgotten.
Kaitlyn put her arm
around her sister’s shoulders. The room seemed to quiet around them, the air
conditioner toned down its frosty breeze, and the darkness seemed to lift as if
a glow surrounded their table.
Then just as quickly as
it changed, Melissa blinked and everything was as it was before.
She stared down into
her now empty drink and figured her next glass should be regular iced tea.
“What about you,
Melissa?” Shannon asked. “Ever had your heart broken?”
“Once. A few years ago.
I thought I had found this great guy, only it turned out he was more interested
in business than in me.”
Shannon snorted. “Been
there, done that, sister.” She lifted her glass and clinked it against
Melissa’s.
“You, too?”
“Yeah. Stupid of me,
really. I should have known better. What I thought was the man of my dreams
climbing all over me turned out to be my biggest nightmare using me as a
stepping stone to claw his way to the top of the hotel business.”
“Ouch.” Melissa felt
Shannon’s pain.
“You said it.”
A tall, dark-haired man
approached the table. Melissa had noticed him earlier. He couldn’t seem to take
his eyes off Kaitlyn.
“Katie?” he said, and
Kaitlyn looked up and smiled.
“Jimmy!” she said,
bounding out of her chair and throwing her arms around the man. “Where have you
been?”
“Chicago. Three months.”
“No wonder. Let’s dance
and catch up.”
Kaitlyn slipped her arm
through his and wandered onto the dance floor.
“They look nice
together,” Melissa commented.
Shannon shrugged.
“They’ve known each other forever. Kaitlyn has more guy friends than any woman
I know. And they all love her to death, but like a sister. I don’t understand
it.”
“Me either. She’s
gorgeous.”
“That she is. But she
doesn’t put out signals that guys see as invitation. She’s every man’s best
friend, but no man’s lover.”
“What’s she waiting
for?”
“She’s waiting
for
the one
,” Shannon explained with a roll of her eyes.
“The one?” Melissa
waved at the waitress and ordered an iced tea. This time without the Long
Island in it. She could already feel the dizzying effects of the alcohol-laden
cocktails she’d consumed.
Shannon waved her hand.
“Long story. Boring, actually. Let’s talk about you and Aidan instead.”
Melissa stared ahead at
Kaitlyn’s quickly disappearing form into the throng of dancing bodies
undulating on the square stage. “Nothing to discuss.”
“C’mon, Lissa. I know
better. You and Aidan have something.”
She turned to gaze at
Shannon, surprised she used the same nickname Aidan gave her. “What do you
know?”
A sly smile curved
Shannon’s lips. “Nothing, really. I have eyes. I see the way you two look at
each other.”
They looked at each
other a certain way? She had no idea. “Your brother’s an attractive man. Can’t
blame me for looking.”
Shannon wrinkled her
nose. “Well, ick on me thinking my brother is attractive, but he obviously thinks
you’re pretty special.”
“I think you’re off
base here. He avoids me like the plague.”
“Exactly my point. If
he didn’t care about you, he’d be trying to get your panties off in two seconds
flat. If he thinks you have the potential to hurt him, he’ll ignore you until
he can’t ignore you any longer, because he feels something.”
“Really?”
“Really.” Shannon
grinned. “Besides, we’re all pretty close. We know when something’s up with one
of us.”
Melissa nursed her
drink and pondered what Shannon said.
“So? What are you going
to do about it?” Shannon asked.
“Do about it? Nothing,
I suppose. I told you, he’s avoiding me.”
“Then I guess it’s up
to you, isn’t it?”
She swallowed, her
throat dry. Time to be honest. “I’ve tried, believe me. He’s not interested.”
“What have you tried?”
Explaining her
seduction techniques to Aidan’s sister was going to be more than a little
embarrassing. “Seduction. Dressing sexy, brushing against him, little
suggestive comments.”
Shannon’s brows lifted.
“Really? And he didn’t respond?”
“No.”
“He’s got it bad,
then,” Shannon replied, then laughed. “Oh yeah, he’s got it real bad for
you,
cher
. You’d better go over there and pounce on him before he
blows apart.”
Kaitlyn came back and
flounced into her chair, downing her drink in a few gulps. “That was fun!” She
fanned herself, sweat beading on her forehead. She looked at both Melissa and
Shannon, and asked, “What’s up? What did I miss?”
“Aidan has the hots big
time for Melissa,” Shannon announced.
Melissa wondered if
anyone would notice if she crawled under the table.
Kaitlyn’s dark eyes
widened and she grinned. “Really? How do we know this?”
“He’s avoiding her.”
“Avoiding her? Wow.
It’s even stronger than I felt…er, imagined.” Kaitlyn reached for Melissa’s
hand and squeezed. “That’s wonderful. So, what are you doing here with us when
you should be knocking some sense into our thick-headed brother?”
“You mean, go to his
house?”
Kaitlyn nodded. “Of
course.”
“I…I can’t. I wouldn’t
know what to do, where to start.” She couldn’t believe she was even considering
going to Aidan’s house and offering herself up like a sacrificial virgin.
“He won’t.” Shannon’s
confident air didn’t do much for Melissa’s self-doubt.
“Go on, Lissa. Tell
Aidan what you want,” Kaitlyn said, already grabbing Melissa’s purse and
pushing it toward her. “Trust us on this—he won’t turn you away.”
Her heart pounded
louder than the staccato beat of the top forty hit blasting out the speakers in
the club. Kaitlyn scribbled down Aidan’s address and shoved the paper into her
hand. Reluctantly, she stood and hugged Shannon and Kaitlyn, certain they had
no idea how Aidan really felt about her, certain she was headed to a man’s
house who would ultimately laugh in her face.
She hailed a taxi and
pondered the stormy clouds above. What was she afraid of? She was no coward. In
business she was fearless, always in control. Nothing frightened her.
But this did—the idea
of facing Aidan and telling him that she wanted him scared the bejeebers out of
her.
As the taxi took off
she tried some deep breaths to help her gain control over her shaky emotions.
For too long she’d held back, unable to grab what she wanted for fear some
other man would hurt her like before.
No more. It was time
for her to put everything out on the table and find out where things were
headed between them. At least after tonight she’d know for sure. She was either
going to have wild sex with Aidan, or she’d spend the remainder of the month in
prime frustration, releasing her pent up sexual tension with her own hand.
Not like she hadn’t
done that more times than she cared to count.
The taxi pulled up in
front of a complex of condominiums. Modern and garden like, tall birch trees
waved in the scattering winds across the threshold of the main gated entrance.
Melissa found Aidan’s
condo and stepped to the door, suddenly more nervous than she’d ever been
before.
This is what she
wanted, wasn’t it?
All she had to do was
reach up and knock.
And she would.
In a minute.
As soon as she found
her missing courage.
Aidan pulled the cork
from the bottle of wine and poured a hefty amount into his glass. On his way
into the living room he flipped the switch on the CD player. Mellow jazz sounds
filled the room, soft and…
Shit
. Soft and sexy and made him think of Melissa.
He stepped to the window and stared out at the cloud-covered skies, the
restlessness and power of the coming storm stirring him.
Taking a slow swallow
of wine, he closed his eyes, wondering where Melissa was right now. Seeing her
dressed as she was before she went out on the town with his sisters nearly
weakened the resolve he’d struggled to work up for the past several days.
She certainly hadn’t
made it any easier. For five days he’d acted more the uninterested party than
he ever had before. Never had it been so difficult to pretend he had no
interest in someone.
Especially someone like
Melissa, who he had some weird, magical connection to. Every time her thoughts
drifted toward him the magic would take over, sucking him into her world no
matter where he was, no matter how much he fought the connection.
And it was getting damn
hard to fight it. Actually,
he
was just getting damn hard. All
the time. So hard it was painful. He hadn’t even gotten himself off the past
couple days for fear he’d connect with her.
He threaded his hand
through his hair and blew out a frustrated sigh. Thunder rolled ominously in
the distance. Something was going to happen tonight. He could feel it in the
air—the tension of the coming storm, the fierce power amassing all around him.
Maintaining control over the magic would be paramount. He couldn’t afford to
lose it right now.
Maybe the wine and soft
strains of jazz would calm the ferocity of emotions swirling inside him.
A soft knock sounded at
the door. As he headed over he glanced at the clock. After ten. Who would come
over this time of night? He threw open the door and a gust of wind blew inside,
swirling around him and squeezing the magic to near bursting.
Melissa.
The shock rolled
through him and he found himself unable to speak.
“It’s windy out here.
Can I come in?”
He shook off the
mesmerizing sight of her and nodded. “Sorry.”
She stepped in and
smoothed her hair, then did something he’d never seen her do. She pulled the
clip holding it back in a ponytail and shook it free. His breath stopped as she
pulled her fingers through it.
Long and satiny,
falling over her shoulders and breasts, just as he’d imagined. He dug his
fingers into his palms to keep from reaching out and sliding his hands into the
silken mass and dragging her forward so he could capture her mouth.
The pain of resistance
was near unbearable. The semi-darkened room lit up with a lightning strike.
“It’s fierce out
there,” she said.
It was about to get
fierce in here. “Would you like a glass of wine?”
She nodded, attempting
a smile. “I’d love one. Thank you.”
He poured another for
himself and one for her, then directed her to the sofa in front of the window.
She sat and crossed her legs, giving Aidan a view of bare, sexy limbs. He
breathed hard to force down the erection already straining against his jeans.
“You have a beautiful
home, Aidan.”
He sat and surveyed the
living room. He’d always liked the earth tones. They calmed him, made him feel
connected to the elements. The soft leather sofa gave way easily under his
weight as he shifted.
“Thanks.”
“Did you decorate it
yourself?”
“Yes.” Why was she
here? Certainly not to view his decorating skills.
“You did a great job.”
She looked around the room. “I love the dark fireplace.”
Aidan followed her gaze
to the mahogany mantle he’d made himself. “Me too.”
“I usually don’t like
decorating that’s so dark. But yours is rich. I really like the—”
“Why did you come,
Lissa?” he interrupted.
He watched her slender
throat as she swallowed, aching to press his lips to her erratically beating
pulse.
“I wanted to talk to
you.”
Her nearness distracted
him so much he barely heard her response. Aidan inhaled her scent, the essence
of lavender that slipped inside his senses making coherence a near
impossibility. Already, visions of them naked and entwined on various pieces of
furniture in the house had entered his stream of consciousness.
She felt it too,
because damn if he wasn’t connecting with her. His eyes briefly closed, long
enough to merge with her wants and needs, to feel the storm that raged inside
her, its potency matching his.
Then he opened his eyes
and looked at her, watching as she licked her lips and studied him. The shot to
his groin was painful, yet filled with promise. “Talk to me? About what?”
Her eyes opened wide
and he drowned in a sea of green.
“About us.”
Thunder sounded,
growing ever closer.
“What about us, Lissa?”
He would not touch her. Wouldn’t go through the
ball-busting feeling of
rejection if she pushed him away again.
She stood and walked to
the window. He stood and followed, waiting patiently while she turned and met
his gaze.
“There’s…there’s
something I’ve been trying to tell you for the past few days.”
“Tell me? Tell me
what?”
Her lashes fluttered
down against her cheeks for a few seconds, then she tilted her head up again.
“Not really tell you. Show you is more like it.”
The flash of lightning
seared the room in a bright glow, followed by the low growl of thunder. It was
coming closer.
“Show me what?”
Her chest rose and fell
with her labored breaths, her nipples already puckering under the flimsy top
she wore. But still, he wouldn’t touch her.
“Aidan, I think you
know.”
“Maybe I do. Then
again, maybe I don’t. It’s up to you to tell me what you want, Lissa.”
She let out a shaky
sigh. “I don’t know if I can.”
At least there was
honesty in her statement. He felt the same way—both the intense need to possess
her and the reluctance to take that next step. “Try me.”
Hesitation crossed her
face before she squared her shoulders and said, “I want you, Aidan.”
The wind lashed tree
limbs against the window as he let the magic free. No longer able to control
his powers where Melissa was concerned, he took a step forward and pulled her
into his arms, his mouth descending on hers.
She tasted wild and
fierce like the elements outside. Like him. Raging passion spun out of control.
She wound her fingers into his hair, tugging his head down to hold him in
place.
As if he’d go anywhere.
She was his, this was meant to be, and no amount of denial on his part was
going to make it go away. Briefly his mind registered the destiny his mother
often spoke of, but he pushed it aside.
“Destiny be damned,” he
murmured against her lips.
“What?” she asked, her
voice breathless.
“Nothing. Give me your
mouth, Lissa. Open for me.”
She did, and it was heaven.
Hot, rolling fire seared his tongue as it met hers. He thirsted for her, needed
the sweet rain of her juices to quench the burning desire she’d stoked inside
him.
Nudging her legs apart
with his knee, he stepped between them and pressed his erection against her
mound, rewarded with her whimper.
“I need you Aidan.”
“I know,
cher
.
It’s long past time for us.” Recapturing her mouth, he lightly nipped at her
bottom lip, trying to hold back the forces of nature threatening to take over.
The lights flickered inside, then power went out completely.
He’d lit candles
earlier, instinctively knowing what was coming. They bathed the living room in
an amber glow, casting an ethereal light on Lissa’s face.
“You take my breath
away,” he said, tracing her cheekbones with his fingertips. “So beautiful, so
full of passion.”
“I’ve wanted this from
the moment I saw you,” she said, her fingertips lightly traveling down his neck
and over his shoulders. His body heated to boiling.
“You took too damn long
deciding to tell me this. Now I don’t think I can control it.”
Melissa sucked in a
gasp at the maelstrom of sensations, almost more than she could process at one
time. Aidan’s eyes darkened, their warm depths flaming with his desire. His
erection pressed roughly against her and she fought to breathe. “Control what?”
“This. Everything.
Never mind. This just won’t be…I can’t promise that I’ll—”
“What?” She reached for
him, shuddering when her palm brushed over the day’s worth of stubble on his
firm jaw. “Tell me.”
He grabbed her roughly,
his fingers biting into the tender flesh of her upper arms. She didn’t care.
She only wanted his touch. She’d craved it for so many days she thought she’d
die before feeling his hands sear her body.
“I can’t promise to be
gentle.” He ground out the words with what seemed like great effort.
Her heart stuttered at
the harshness of his tone. She looked at him this time…really looked at him.
His jaw jutted forward as he clenched his teeth, and furrowed lines appeared
above his brow. Aidan was concentrating on holding back, but what? Did he want
her so much he was afraid his passion would be too rough for her?
She swept aside the
lock of dark hair that had fallen across his forehead and moved into to him,
his heat emanating in invisible waves against her. “I’m not afraid of you,
Aidan,” she said. “Whatever you want to give me, I can take. Don’t hold
anything back.”
A strong gust of wind
blew a few of the candles out. Where had it come from? An open window, perhaps.
The flickering wicks cast Aidan’s face in an eerie light. His eyes burned a
midnight black as he reached for her, threaded his fingers in her hair, pulled
her forward so that their lips melded together.
Thunder crashed
outside, and Aidan growled into her mouth. She grabbed his arms, his muscles
rigid and straining against her hands. Her mind registered his barely leashed
control, and reveled in the knowledge that he could so easily lose it with her.
She willed him to take
her right now. Moisture pooled between her legs. She was primed for him, aching
for him, needing him to plunge his huge cock inside her until she screamed.
“Not yet,
cher
,”
he whispered as if he’d heard her thoughts. “There’s something I’ve wanted to
do since that first night.”
Aidan pulled her toward
the window and stood her no more than a couple feet away from it. Here, she
could watch the storm in all its intensity. The awesome power of the lightning
arced across the sky. Rumbling thunder shook the very foundation of the house,
and the wind and rain fought it out for mastery over the earth.
The back of the sofa
brushed her buttocks, and she assumed Aidan wanted to fuck her while she was
bent over the brown leather. It didn’t matter, she just wanted his thick cock
inside her, spreading her, filling her, becoming a part of her.
But he didn’t turn her
over as she’d expected. Instead, she watched in shock as he dropped to his
knees in front of her.
“Oh, my,” was all she
could manage, excitement bubbling up inside her.
Aidan smiled up at her.
“You’ve been wanting this, haven’t you?”
How could she speak
when she had no voice? The mental images of Aidan doing what she thought he was
going to do had her speechless. “Yes,” she managed.
“Me, too. I’ve been
dying to taste you,
cher
.”
Her body shuddered with
anticipation.
He grasped her ankles,
circling them with his fingers. “You have the most beautiful legs,” he said,
moving his hands up and over her calves, then higher still until they brushed
the hem of her short skirt.
Her pussy throbbed and
she fought the urge to reach down and massage the tightly held tension. But she
didn’t. She wanted Aidan’s touch, Aidan’s mouth on her.
“You wore this sexy
little skirt tonight for me, didn’t you?”
Melissa couldn’t tear
her eyes away from Aidan’s dark gaze. He offered her a wicked smile and reached
up under her skirt. She gasped and sucked in her lower lip to keep from crying
out. Not yet.
“You thought maybe
you’d run into me, and seeing you like this would get me hot.”
“Did it?” she asked.
He nodded and smiled.
“Oh yeah. Then again, I’ve been hot for you for over a week.”
She couldn’t believe
he’d admitted that to her. After all these days she thought he’d been avoiding
her, that he wasn’t interested. “I didn’t know that.”
He shook his head and
skimmed his fingers further inside her skirt, brushing the tops of her thighs.
“How could you not know how much I wanted you?”