Authors: Jaci Burton
He heard her quiet
footsteps as she slipped behind him, then curled her arms around his waist and
hugged his back. “I know.”
“I thought you might.”
“That didn’t hurt a
bit, did it?”
It hurt like hell and
scared the shit out of him. “No.”
“What frightens you?”
Angelina moved to his side and took his hands in hers, forcing him to meet her
probing gaze.
“That she might not
love me back.”
“A common fear for all
of us. It’s hard to admit love for someone, to open your heart. There’s always
a risk that love won’t be returned.”
His biggest fear, what
had kept him from committing to a woman before. He wasn’t exactly the easiest
man in the world to live with. Sometimes he was a bit too playful when he
should concentrate on business, and yet he’d always managed to get the job
done. Then there was the magic, and not just any woman could live with a man
who wielded the power of the elements.
“Lissa is stronger than
you give her credit for,” his mother said in answer to his silent musings. “And
she hasn’t run away from you yet. She’s still here. And I think she returns
your feelings.”
“I wish I could be sure
of that.”
“Well, she has to love
you of her own free will, Aidan. You can’t manipulate or coerce her into
feeling the way you want her to. And you can’t use your powers on her. It’s
wrong.”
He knew that, and the
thought had never occurred to him to use magic in any way to coerce Lissa into
loving him. She either did or she didn’t. And he had to tell her, he had to
find out one way or the other.
“What will you do if
she says no?” Angelina asked.
He shrugged. “Go on
with my life as it was before I met her, I guess.” Although the thought stabbed
him in the gut. What if he laid his heart out and she said she didn’t feel the
same way?
Even scarier, what if
she said she loved him, too?
* * * * *
Melissa gripped the
edges of the tiny sink in the bathroom, trying to quell her body’s tremors.
She shouldn’t have
eavesdropped on Aidan and his mother, shouldn’t have listened in. But she had,
and what she heard chilled her.
Granted, they had been
whispering, but she’d managed to pick up at least part of their conversation,
and it had been about her. Aidan and his mother were talking about his feelings
toward her. First, her heart soared, hoping Aidan would tell his mother he had
deep feelings for her. But then she heard the words that sent dread plummeting
her heart into her stomach.
Free will.
Manipulation. Feelings. Powers.
She shivered as the
goosebumps rose on her skin. Surely Aidan wouldn’t do that to her, wouldn’t use
his magic to make her feel things she ordinarily wouldn’t feel.
How could she trust her
emotions now? Was she really in love with Aidan, did she really have the kind
of passion they’d experienced, or was it all some kind of dream? Had he used
his magic to make her feel these things for him?
Damn him for doing this
to her, just when she’d thought she had it all figured out. She was in love
with him, he was everything she’d ever dreamed of—virile, passionate, fun
loving, intelligent, professional—or was he? Was he all those things she wanted
in a man, or had Aidan somehow picked the perfect man out of her mind and
transformed himself?
Ridiculous. This was
reality, not fantasy and he couldn’t make her feel anything she didn’t want to
feel, right?
She stepped out of the
bathroom and plopped onto the bed, cradling her head in her hands. Tears burned
her eyes, but she refused to give in to them. Right now she needed logic and
common sense, not an emotional tantrum.
Grabbing for her
clothes, she quickly dressed and ran a comb through her hair, binding it back
with a clip. She searched out her shoes. She had to get out of there and sort
out what happened. But how would she get past Aidan?
There was no way she
could handle a confrontation with him right now. Not until she could get her
feelings under control. After last night’s lovemaking, her heart soaring with
emotion for him, she’d thought this morning would be easy. She was going to
tell him she loved him, put her heart on the line, and see where it led.
But now? Now she
couldn’t even speak to him. What would she say? How would she ask the questions
she needed to ask? And more importantly, would she even be able to believe his
answers?
She tiptoed up the
stairs quietly and peeked out the porthole in the door, spotting Aidan and his
mother on the dock. Angelina gestured to something in the wooded area, and the
two of them set off away from the house.
Now was her chance to
make an escape before he came back. She swallowed the guilt pounding her heart
and flew through the doorway, climbing off the boat and streaking toward the
front of the house. Thankfully she’d found her purse on board and dug for her
car keys, slipping as quietly as possible into the front seat.
She would talk to him,
she thought as she drove off the Storm property. They had to get things settled
between them. But not now, not when her every thought was screaming that he’d
lied to her, used her, manipulated her.
Right now she needed to
be alone—it was time to think.
* * * * *
Three days later and
she still had no answers. Three days later and she still couldn’t talk to
Aidan, afraid of what he’d say, and more afraid of what he wouldn’t.
What if he put thoughts
in her head she didn’t want there? What if he let her believe he loved her,
that he wanted her to stay? What if she wanted to believe him so badly she’d
let him?
She twisted and turned
under the covers, completely exhausted. Throwing the soft sheets aside, she
rose and padded over to the window, looking out on yet another gray, cloud
covered day. The weather had been this way since that day she’d awakened on the
boat and heard Aidan talking to his mother.
He’d tried to call her,
to see her, but she wouldn’t let him in, and quickly hung up whenever he
called. She’d conducted business via email, since their project was nearly
completed anyway. The brochures and plan had been designed and decided upon and
the wheels were already in motion. She was flying back to Boston tomorrow.
She crossed her arms to
ward off the chill in the room. Inside, she felt empty, as if all the
passionate emotion she’d carried around for nearly a month had fled the moment
she realized Aidan had put those feelings there.
Now she was convinced
of it. And somehow he knew that she knew. Not that he’d told her, because she
couldn’t face him—didn’t want to look at his beautiful face when he lied to
her.
A knock on the door had
her grabbing for a robe. She glanced at the clock and knew it had to be room
service because she’d sent in her breakfast order last night for delivery now.
She threw open the door
and her heart plummeted to the ground.
“Aidan,” she whispered.
Without asking, he
walked past her and into the room. Irritated, she stood there with the door
open, but knew she wasn’t going to be able to throw him out.
Besides, she wasn’t a
coward. Never had been before, but she’d sure been one lately. It was time she
faced him and told him what she really thought about him. She shut the door and
stepped into the living room, ignoring how fine he looked this morning. Other
than the shadow of dark circles under his eyes, he looked gorgeous. Tanned,
dressed in a simple white polo shirt and jeans that fit snug against his rear.
Visions of digging her
heels into that fine ass as he thrust his cock inside her moistened her
instantly. She shook the images aside and asked, “What are you doing here?”
“Looking for answers.”
He faced her head on,
his dark gaze holding her. Was he using magic on her at this moment? He had to
be, because her heart ached at the very sight of him, and she could almost
believe the pain she saw on his face.
Almost.
“I don’t have any
answers for you.” She swept past him, but he grabbed her arm.
“Oh, I think you do.”
She wouldn’t let him do
this to her. Wrenching her arm away, she said, “We have nothing to discuss. I
heard you and your mother talking on the boat the other day.”
He arched a brow. “So?”
Typical of him to think
nothing was untoward. “So, I heard you two.”
“And?”
Fury blazed a heated
trail through her veins. “How could you manipulate me like that, Aidan?”
He frowned. “What the
hell are you talking about?”
She didn’t believe his
look of confusion. “You know exactly what I’m talking about, so don’t play
innocent with me. My feelings for you, my emotions, everything that’s happened
between us this month has all been your doing.”
“My doing? Lissa, you
don’t make sense. Explain.”
“Why should I?” She
turned her back on him, not wanting to see the pain on his face, knowing it was
all a lie. “You already know everything. And now, so do I. We’re finished,
Aidan. You’ve had your fun with me and now it’s over. Our business is through,
and we are, too.”
“I don’t get it.”
She whirled around,
unable to believe he’d still hold on to the lie. “Your magic. You used it make
me feel things for you, to make me—” She’d almost said
love you
.
But she didn’t love him, wouldn’t love him, not like this. When she fell in
love it would be by her own choice, and without any magic.
“I would never do that
to you, Lissa. Hell, I
can’t
do that. Our magic doesn’t
manipulate emotions, only the weather.”
“Please leave, Aidan.
I’ve emailed you the final changes on the marketing plan and I’m going back to
Boston tomorrow. Don’t make this any more painful for the both of us than it
already is.”
He hesitated, jammed
his fingers through his hair and paced the room for a few seconds. Then he
turned back to her. “I’d never do anything to hurt you, Lissa. I love you.”
Her heart stopped at
his quietly spoken words. Words that had sounded so sincere they pierced her
soul. This was the ultimate torture, like he’d just stabbed her dead center
where it would hurt the most. “Don’t say that,” she whispered.
“It’s true. I love you
and I don’t want to lose you. Stay with me.”
She refused to believe
his words were true. He couldn’t love her. He just didn’t want to lose because
her leaving wasn’t his idea. Maybe in his sick and twisted mind he wanted to be
the one to end the game.
And that’s all she was
to him—a game.
“You’re doing this to
protect yourself,” he said, his jaw clenched tight.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me. You’re
so afraid to love that you’ve concocted this whole magic as manipulation thing
to make it easier for you to leave.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
How dare he turn this around so it was her fault?
“Do you believe I love
you?”
“No.” She couldn’t,
wouldn’t, give in to the emotion sucking her under. Aidan’s charms were
powerful, but she had her own inner strength. She would not fall for his pull.
“I do love you, you
know.” He reached for her, but she stepped back, knowing if he touched her
she’d be lost. As it was, she felt herself weakening, aching to throw her arms
around him and kiss him until she couldn’t think anymore.
He dropped his hand to
his side and sucked in a quick breath. “You really don’t believe I’m telling
you the truth.”
“No, I don’t.”
“Then I don’t have
anything else to say. I’m sorry you don’t know me as well as I thought you did.
Or my family. Or the magic.”
“I don’t want to know
the magic any more than I do now.”
“You’ve made that
clear.” He lifted his chin and walked to the door, then turned back to her and
said, “You’re making a mistake, Lissa. You’re walking out on us, on what we
could have together, and someday you’ll be sorry you did.”
The door slammed with a
finality she should have welcomed, but didn’t. She glanced out the window to
see the clouds opening up and pelting the city below in a fierce rainstorm.
Thunder boomed all around her, and lightning arced across the skies.
Collapsing into a
nearby chair, she hugged herself to calm the tremors wracking her body, then
finally let the tears fall as hard as the rain outside.
Aidan threw his fishing
line over the dock, the lure hitting with a plop in the water before sinking.
Sinking. Man, he knew
that feeling. The blistering skies overhead shined brightly, the glint off the
water nearly blinding. Of course, he’d left his sunglasses at his house.
“You’ll get wrinkles if
you keep squinting like that.”
He turned at the sound
of his mother’s voice and smiled. “So I’ve heard.”
She slipped down next
to him and dangled her tennis-shoed feet over the side of the dock. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
Angling her head to the
side, she asked again. “Tell me what happened with Lissa.”
“She’s gone.”
Her eyes widened.
“What? What do you mean, she’s gone?”
“Just what I said. It
wouldn’t have worked anyway.” He stared out at the line. Nothing. No bite, no
action. The lake was dead this morning. He felt the same way inside.
“You want to tell me
what happened?”
“Not really.”
“Did you tell her how
you felt?”
“Yep.”
“And she’s still
leaving?”
He nearly laughed at
the shock in his mother’s voice. “She’s still leaving.”
“Why?”
“Because she thinks her
feelings were manipulated by my powers.”
“What?”
He glanced over and
smiled at his mother’s shocked look. “She overheard us that morning on the
boat, or at least a portion of it, and misconstrued everything. She thinks we
were talking about how I manipulated her into feeling something for me. That
our powers extend to controlling people’s emotions.”
“Well, that’s
ridiculous. We don’t have that kind of magic. Did you explain to her?”
He shrugged, not wanting
to remember the slice of pain that cut away at him when she’d accused him of
masterminding some kind of seduction plot at her expense. “I tried. She wasn’t
into listening.”
“You didn’t do anything
to her with your magic, did you?”
“No! Well, maybe.”
“Aidan…”
“Just a couple little
things to heat her up a bit and that was only the first couple days she was
here. But you know as well as I do that I can’t control her emotions.”
She sighed. “Yes, I
know.” She hugged him to her. “Melissa’s confused right now.”
“That’s an
understatement.” He pulled his line out of the water, resigned to the fact that
the fish weren’t biting today.
“You need to convince
her.”
“No way. I’m finished
with Melissa Cross.”
“No, you’re not. Do you
love her?”
“I thought I did. But
how could I love someone who has so little trust in me?”
She held out her hand
and he hauled her to her feet. “Aidan, not everyone adjusts to our magic
easily. You need to give her time to work it out in her own mind. But letting
her run away from you isn’t the answer.”
“I can’t force her to
stay, Mom. She’ll just think I’m using my powers on her.”
“Then make her realize
you’re not. Deep down she already knows this, but she’s afraid. Go, tell her
again that you love her.”
“It may be too late
already.” He couldn’t believe he was actually considering it. After everything
she’d said to him. Even now the adrenaline rush of anger seared through him.
But his mother’s gentle
chuckle calmed him. “It’s never too late. Go find her, and keep telling her you
love her until she realizes it’s the truth.”
His mother pushed him
in the general direction of his car until he decided she was right. He had to
give it another try, had to find her.
He pulled out of the
driveway and grabbed his cell phone, dialing the hotel. She’d already checked
out. Probably already flown out. Problem was, he had no idea where she was
right now. On the way to the airport, at the airport, or already airborne?
But, he could find her.
He pulled over to the side of the road and shut off the engine, then closed his
eyes, imagining her. The light behind his eyes darkened as the clouds gathered.
The ground shook from the force of the thunder. Closer, he was getting closer
to her. Rain pelted the windshield, the drops hard and furious as the clouds
burst forth their fury. It swirled around him, the force and the power mixing
at his command. He held his eyes tightly closed as lightning seared his body in
a white heat.
Then, just as quickly
as it started, it was over. He slowly opened his eyes, saw it and smiled.
The rainbow.
He started the car and
followed it, knowing it would lead to Melissa.
* * * * *
Melissa paced the
luggage check-in area of the airport, watching the skies darken to black,
listening to the roaring thunder that sounded like the jet engines taking off
and landing nearby. Then it rained. Fast, hard and furious, lightning
brightening the sky with its raw electrical power.
She felt it surging
through her and the force nearly knocked her to her knees. She watched it, felt
it, and could do nothing to stop it.
It was Aidan. She knew
it without hesitation. He was angry, or hurt, or some indefinable emotion that
made him unleash his powers like this. Then it hit her and her breath stopped.
Anguish so intense it brought tears to her eyes.
It would always be like
this. From today on. Every time a drop of rain fell, every time a gust of
summer wind blew, every strike of lightning or rumble of thunder would remind
her of Aidan.
Because he was a part
of the storms that surrounded her, he was the heat that drenched her, the
cooling mist of summer rain that relieved her, the awesome power of thunder and
lightning that shook her to the core. All of these and more was Aidan.
And he had no more
control over her emotions than the person sitting next to her.
Idiot. Stupid,
moronic imbecile.
It wasn’t until the
older woman next to her stared in shock that she realized she’d said it out
loud.
“Sorry,” she said. “I’m
having a duh moment.”
The woman cracked a
well-worn smile. “We all have those, dear.”
“I’ve made a serious
mistake with the man I love.” Why she was telling the old woman this she had no
idea, but it was better than talking to herself.
“And what are you going
to do about it?”
“Do about it? Nothing,
probably.” Because she’d burned her bridges with Aidan, accused him of
unspeakable things, and stomped all over the heart he’d bared for her when he
told her he loved her.
“Why not?”
“Because what I did to
him was unforgivable.”
The woman laid her hand
on Melissa’s arm. She looked down at the wrinkled knuckles and nearly
see-through skin. Then she met the woman’s warm eyes. “We all make mistakes,
dear. What we do to atone for them is what counts. If you love this man, then
tell him, and keep telling him until he believes you.”
She was right, of
course, but Melissa didn’t know how she’d ever convince Aidan how sorry she
was. How could she think he’d manipulate her like that? He’d never harmed her
in any way, never led her on, never led her to believe he was anything other
than what and who he was on the surface.
And when he finally
took the step and admitted he loved her, she’d thrown it in his face.
“I hurt him,” she
murmured.
“Then work hard at
taking away that hurt. Don’t let him go, because you may not get another chance
at love like that.”
Melissa smiled at the
woman. “How did you get to be so wise?”
The woman laughed
heartily. “Years of mistakes, dear. Years of mistakes. Now go see if you can
undo the one
you’ve
made, before you lose something that I
believe you think is worth holding on to.”
Her heart swelling with
hope, she kissed the old woman on the cheek, grabbed her bags and all but ran
down the aisles to the front door, intent on grabbing a taxi and going back to
talk to Aidan.
She stepped outside,
immediately hit by the humid blast of August air and sucked in a breath.
Hefting her bags into her arms she started to hail a taxi.
“Melissa!”
The familiar voice
nagged at her, and she shook her head, knowing she’d imagined it.
“Lissa!”
But there it was again,
louder and closer. She stopped and turned, searching the crowds milling about,
until she saw him.
Aidan. Running toward
her, his hand over his head waving.
She dropped her bags,
unable to believe he was actually there. But why? And more importantly, why
would he even be interested in finding her after the things she’d said to him?
Girding her courage,
she held fast and watched his approach, knowing this was the time to swallow
her pride and beg for his forgiveness. It was a start, anyway. She didn’t
expect him to absolve her quickly. But given enough time, if she was lucky, he
might let her back into his life.
She should have known
nothing was predictable about Aidan. He met her and pulled her into his arms,
covering her lips in a passionate kiss that took her breath away. His tongue
swept inside and heatedly searched the recesses of her mouth. She grabbed onto
his shirt and clung to him, grateful beyond words at his greeting, unable to
fathom how he could be so incredibly forgiving.
“I love you,” she
managed between panting breaths.
“I know. I love you,
too.” Then he kissed her again and her heart swelled, nearly bursting from her
chest. He rained kisses over her cheeks, her eyes, her neck, all the while
pulling at her clothes, yanking her harder against him, making a public display
of affection that had people stopping dead in their tracks.
She loved it. Pulling
away, she searched his face and found only tenderness. And passion. “I love
you, Aidan. I’m so sorry I hurt you.”
“It’s okay.” His dark
eyes burned into her soul, but she found no recriminations in his loving
glance.
“It’s not okay.” She
had to blurt it out before embarrassment took over and she couldn’t get the
words out. “I don’t know what I was thinking. I think I was afraid to believe
you could love me, and in my mind I concocted this ridiculous excuse that you’d
manipulated my feelings when they were my feelings all along. I thought—”
Her next words were cut
off by his descending mouth, and all thoughts of apologies were filed away for
later. Much later. Right now all she could manage was feeling, sensing,
reveling in the way his body played hers, the joy of wanting someone so badly
she could fuck his brains out right here in front of the airport.
“It’s a nice idea,” he
murmured against her lips. “But I’ve got a better one.”
He grabbed her luggage
and threw it in his car, then put her inside and roared away from the curb. As
they drove, he touched her face, her neck, his fingers sliding down over her
collarbone. She gasped when he lightly palmed her breast, her nipples rising against
the thin cotton tank top, aching for his touch.
She was squirming by
the time his hand moved down over her belly and rested on her thigh. “Aidan, I
need you.”
He looked over and
captured her gaze in his heated eyes. “I know. I need you too,
cher
.”
With an abrupt twist of
the steering wheel they flew off the freeway exit and down the ramp at
breakneck speed. Before she knew it they’d arrived at the park where they’d had
their very first interlude.
“Aidan, I want you,
honey, but really, it’s the middle of the day and the sun is shining.” Granted,
the park was nearly deserted but a handful of adults and children sat at the
nearby tables.
He exited the car and
came around to her side, grinning as he opened the door. “I’ll take care of
that.”
In an instant the dark
clouds returned, casting out the light. Parents eyed the skies nervously and
began to gather up their children. In less than a minute a few drops began to
fall, and then the families scattered to their cars and drove off, just as the
skies opened in a deluge of water.
She and Aidan remained
dry, cocooned in a light cloud. “Well, this is interesting.”
One corner of his mouth
lifted. “Thought you might like it.”
He spread a blanket
over the picnic table and picked her up in his arms, his kisses heating her
blood. Gently, he laid her down on the table, her legs dangling over the edge.
He wrapped her in his arms and held her close, his tongue thrusting inside her
eager mouth. She couldn’t get enough of him, wanted him more than she ever had
before.
He ground his erection
against her inflamed mound and she whimpered as sparks of fiery desire
splintered inside her. With hands that burned like a flame he touched her upper
thighs, sliding his fingers underneath her skirt.
She lifted her hips so
he could pull her panties off. Before she could settle in he had his thick cock
exposed and plunged it inside her. She groaned her pleasure into his mouth,
capturing his bottom lip between her teeth and tugging hard.