“I know you don’t really care.” The defeated note in her voice couldn’t be helped. All she wanted was to be left alone, and he wouldn’t even grant her that. “So why even bother? Just go back to your dinner party. It’s not like I’m going anywhere. You can even take my phone if it makes you feel better. I’ll be fine.”
The latter was a lie. She would never be fine, at least not inside. Outside she could pretend. She mastered the art of concealing emotions at a young age. That would come in handy now.
“I know you’re not going to run, Astasiya. That’s not why I’m standing here.”
Wrapping her arms around herself, she sighed. “Then what do you want from me?” What would it take to get him to leave her alone?
He started to lift his hand but dropped it. Those beautiful eyes almost looked troubled. An act, no doubt. She didn’t understand it, couldn’t determine the purpose.
“You never handle anything the way I expect you to,” he murmured. “It’s amazing.”
Wow. Okay. “Happy to amuse you. Can you kindly fuck off now?” It came out as a question rather than a demand.
His eyes widened. “You’re furious with me.”
How good of him to notice, she thought, arching a brow.
“Because I told you the truth about Jonathan?”
She just stared at him. He couldn’t be serious. “Why are you still pretending to care? Do you get some sort of sick pleasure from it? Trying to see how long you can toy with your little pawn before it finally breaks?”
“Astasiya—”
“No. This charade thing is done. You made yourself very clear. Your feigned interest piqued Doctor Fitzgerald’s curiosity. Given that he nearly killed me with that Nizari crap, I’d say you did a fine job. What I don’t understand is why you’re still standing in front of me, acting like you give a shit when we both know you don’t.”
Silence.
A fire lit his blue irises, making her stomach flip. She wasn’t sure if he wanted to kiss her or kill her. The intensity pushed her back a step, the back of her knees hitting the nightstand.
“While true that my interest in you also intrigued Jonathan, there is nothing feigned about it. If I could touch you right now, I would demonstrate thoroughly.” He uttered each word slowly and precisely, his gaze smoldering.
I… I don’t know how to reply to that.
“Do you understand why Lucian is here?” he continued, not giving her a chance to speak. “The danger you were in last night, well, let’s just say I haven’t felt that way in a very long time. That’s why I called Lucian. He’s here to help you become a Hydraian and to help keep you alive.”
She bit the inside of her cheek. That’s what he meant about her packing a few things, but he phrased it as a choice. Like she might decide to leave. “But what about your revenge?” That was the whole point of their association.
He palmed the back of his neck. “It seems my desire for you to live trumps my need to avenge my sister’s murder.”
He opened the drawer of the dresser beside them and pulled out a pair of swim trunks. She frowned at it. Storing swimwear in the pool house made sense, but there were other clothes beside it.
Issac took several steps toward the door before pausing, not meeting her gaze. “I’m going for a swim. Let me know if I need to find somewhere else to sleep tonight. I’ll understand if you need space.”
He closed the door behind him, disappearing from view.
His parting words had her studying the room around her. Dark, masculine tones, an oversized bathroom with a Jacuzzi tub, and beyond it a walk-in closet filled with suits.
Her lips parted, the obvious clues having been missed due to her emotional state.
This is Issac’s room.
21
Making Waves
Okay, I may have overreacted.
Stas stared at the vaulted ceiling from Issac’s bed, her lips twisted to the side. The shock had slowly melted into mortification at how she’d behaved. Because yeah, she’d definitely taken out her frustration on Issac. Which he sort of deserved, but not really.
It may have started as a charade, but the attraction between them wasn’t a lie. He’d proven that several times. And he’d again confirmed he cared about her by following her to his room, where she found her suitcase and purse.
Still, he should have told her about Jonathan from the beginning. That would have saved them a lot of confusion and heartache.
Would you have believed him?
Ugh, she hated that voice. Such doubt. Such irritation.
And so right.
Because she wouldn’t have believed him at all. She wasn’t even sure she did now. All the evidence backed up his claims, but her heart longed to reject the truth. Once she gave in, she’d have to admit that Doctor Fitzgerald was a monster, and she wasn’t ready for that.
She dug her palms into her eyes, the temptation to scream hitting her hard.
Why did this have to be so difficult? Why her? Why was all this happening?
Because I’m a fledgling.
My blood will be toxic to Ichorians, like Issac.
The same man who had seemingly chosen her over his need to avenge his sister, a woman he clearly loved.
“I’m an idiot,” she muttered to herself. She’d accused him of not caring when he clearly did. And now he’d left her in his room.
She needed to find him. To talk to him. To apologize.
Right.
No time like the present.
She rolled off the oversized mattress, the tile cool beneath her feet. The window above the kitchen sink showcased the beach, and the moon shining brightly over the water, causing her to pause and admire the view. She wondered if the curtains along the back of his room revealed the same view or if those covered windows overlooked the trees.
Hmm. Stas would investigate later.
Her musings shifted as she found Issac in the pool, swimming laps. He seemed to cut through the water, his strokes measured and sure, surprising her. She knew he enjoyed the sport after the towel incident from the other day but had no idea he excelled at it.
But of course he did.
The man exemplified perfection in every way.
She tested the water with her toes and found the temperature to be pleasant enough. Sitting on the edge, she allowed her legs to dangle over the side, her focus on the sexy swimmer gliding across the pool.
He completed another lap before stopping in front of her. The water hit him mid-torso as he stood, making the depth around five feet or so. He pulled off his goggles and tossed them onto the deck beside her, his expression wary.
“I may have overreacted,” she admitted. “I’m sorry.”
His shoulders visibly relaxed. “You don’t need to apologize, love. It’s a lot to take in.”
“Which is why you preferred the slow approach,” she said, understanding that now. “I just wish you’d have told me your suspicions about Jonathan sooner.”
“Would you have believed me?”
A question she’d asked herself more than once in the last hour. “Probably not,” she admitted, drawing a circle in the water with her finger. “A part of me still doesn’t, even now.”
“Do you require more proof?”
She shook her head. “No, I think what I need is more time.” She twisted her lips to the side, unsure if that would really help or not. “There’s something I don’t get.” Well, there were a lot of things she didn’t comprehend yet. But on this topic, something really stuck out to her. “Osiris is all about rules, right? Why would he let Doctor Fitzgerald create an elite immortal-killing unit in the heart of Ichorian territory?”
“Ah, a question we’ve been contemplating for nearly three decades. He’s clearly worked out some sort of arrangement with Jonathan, though we’re not sure what.” He pushed onto his back, his hands sculling beneath the water to keep himself afloat as his legs came up.
She tried not to admire the rippled abdomen on display.
<
br /> And she failed miserably.
The man’s body was a moving distraction.
“Aidan believes Osiris has hired Jonathan’s team to target specific immortals, and in return, he allows the Sentinel unit to exist.”
“So Jonathan is an immortal,” she said, having already guessed as much.
“An Ichorian, yes.”
“And Tom?” He looked too much like his father to be adopted.
“A fledgling, just like you,” Issac confirmed. “Which is why we’re certain Jonathan has an arrangement with Osiris—because he’s allowed Thomas to exist.”
“So…” She paused, swallowing. “Tom knew what he was doing when he…?”
“Sent you to the Arcadia?” Issac finished for her. “Yes. Although, I don’t think he knew about the Conclave. But he definitely knew the activities and behavior common in the club.”
She expected as much given everything she now knew. “So he wanted me to find you with another woman.” Not necessarily in the throes of passion, but to catch him feeding.
Issac lifted a shoulder, still treading water. “That, or more likely, he wanted you to see the world I belong to. I rarely feed at the Arcadia, if ever. And I certainly didn’t last night. Not until you arrived.”
Her heart skipped a beat at the memory of his bite. She hadn’t understood it at first. Then, by the time she realized what he was doing, she could hardly think.
It’d been so intense.
Addictive.
Crippling her mind and thoughts, stealing her from reality, and sending her to a place she’d never been.
A place she would happily visit again.
“Does…?” Heat crept up her neck. “Does it always, uh, feel like that?”
“It can, yes.” Sin danced across his features, curling his lips. “Care for another bite, love?”
Such a loaded proposition, one that warmed her in a way it probably shouldn’t. “Maybe,” she managed, her throat dry.
He stood again, a dark emotion flaring in his midnight irises, one that sent off a flurry of butterflies in her lower abdomen. That was the kind of look a man gave a woman before he devoured her.
She started to scramble backward, but he caught her by the ankle and yanked her into the water.
Shit!
Completely submerged.
Hair and all.
She pushed up from the bottom of the pool. Fucking demon.
Spitting out a mouthful of water, she glowered at the laughing male beside her. “What the hell was that for?”
“Payback for earlier.”
She snorted and splashed him, the move automatic and far more playful than she intended.
He slowly wiped the droplets from beneath his eyes, then narrowed his gaze in her direction. “All right, Aya.”
He lunged for her.
With a shriek, she kicked onto her back to escape him, unsure of what he intended to do. But he was much faster, grabbing her hip with one hand and fisting her wet hair with the other. He tugged her to him, his body hot and hard in all the right places.
“Issac…” She put her hands on his shoulders, winded from her poor attempt at outswimming him. “Let’s talk about this.”
“Talk?” He arched a brow. “All right, then. For the record, I do not appreciate edicts of any kind, especially ones that forbid me from touching you.”
Okay, not what she expected him to say. “I, uh, I’m s—”
His mouth took hers in a punishing kiss that seemed to vibrate through her, stroking her very soul. Holy wow.
He’d kissed her several times over the last few days, but this one threatened to blow her mind. So much frustration and heat and pent-up need. His grip tightened, holding her exactly where he wanted her, ravaging her mouth, destroying her, claiming her.
She trembled against him, lost to his will, silently begging him for more.
But he pulled away, his forehead touching hers, their exhales mingling. “Not being allowed to touch you was physically painful. Please don’t do that to me again, Astasiya.”
If this was the expected result? “No promises,” she breathed. She’d take a dunk in the water any day if it meant ending up in his arms.
“Mmm, then I better take advantage of touching you while I can.” He led her backward beneath the waterfall, effectively hiding them from view of anyone outside. Her back met the wall, his body caging hers. “You’re decidedly overdressed, Astasiya. How about we fix that?”
His hands fell to her tank top, giving it a tug.
“Yes,” she managed, her voice husky.
Devious intent darkened his features as he guided the fabric over her head, casually tossing it aside without a glance. His thumb stroked the button of her jean shorts next, flicking it open and pulling down the zipper without faltering.
Her heart was in her throat, a thundering cacophony of beats in her ears.
He tugged the material from her hips, sliding it downward with the ease of a man used to undressing a woman, the water providing minimal resistance as he went.
Flames erupted inside her, igniting her veins and sending a tremor down her spine. By the time he finished his task, she could hardly stand, her knees threatening to buckle.
“I truly adore your penchant for lace, Astasiya,” he murmured, his focus on her blue bra, his palm on her ass. He lifted her one-handed, forcing her to wrap her legs around his waist. “You questioned my desire earlier. Are you questioning it now?” He punctuated the words by grinding his hips into hers, his erection hot and hard against her.
Fuck.
She arched into him, wanting to feel more, to put this intense passion between them to the ultimate test. Her lips parted, but all that escaped her was a moan that sounded a lot like his name. Issac captured her mouth once more, his lips bruising against hers, his tongue fucking her mouth the way she wanted him to take her body.
Oh, he’d held back before.
Now? He gave her everything.
She felt branded.
Owned.
Possessed.
Every touch stoked the need inside her, enflaming her with a passion no one had ever come close to sparking.
“Issac,” she breathed, needing more.
They still wore too many layers.
Her nipples chafed against the bra, causing her to whimper. Not enough friction. Not enough Issac.
Desire controlled her every move. One hand went to his hair, the other to his back, enjoying the feel of him. All hard, hot male pressed up against her, just begging her palms to explore every muscular inch.
His hands returned the favor in kind, sliding up to palm her breasts. She arched into him on a groan, meeting the delicious hardness settled at the apex of her thighs. He rotated his hips, hitting her most sensitive spot and shooting sparks through her system.
“Do you feel how badly I want you?” he asked, his lips whispering over hers.
“Yes,” she hissed. If he’d just remove the rest of their clothes, he’d feel how much she wanted him, too. Damn, she needed to free him, to feel him. Her fingers traced the ridges of his abdomen to the happy trail leading to the edge of his swimsuit.
“No.” He grabbed both wrists and held them over her head in one hand, the devil smoldering in his gaze.
Her complaint came out as a gasp as he pressed into her, his arousal nudging the place she desired him most. Too many fucking clothes.
“How does it feel to not be able to touch something you want, Aya? Does it burn you the way it burned me?”
She shivered at the possessive hold and nipped his bottom lip in protest. “I could command you to let me go,” she said, her voice drowsy with lust.
“But that requires you to have a voice.” His mouth covered hers, taking her slowly, making his point clear. His free hand returned to her breast before drifting down toward the sweet spot between her thighs. He found her clit through the fabric, pressing it with his thumb.
She cried out against his lips, evoking a grin from him.
“Try commanding me now, little fledgling.” His teasing tone made her want to do just that, but he distracted her by rolling the pad of his thumb in a sensuous circle, her hips bucking in response.
A growl caught in her throat as he pressed harder, energy humming up and down her spine, her abdomen overheating. “Fuck.”
“Another demand, love?” He removed his thumb, eliciting a curse from her very soul. “Is this what you want?” he asked, sliding his fingers beneath her panties to part her slick folds.
“Oh…” Her hands fisted, her head falling back against the wall on a groan.
He was killing her in the most delicious way, his fingers teasing her into oblivion while only barely brushing where she desired him most.
She bit her tongue to keep from screaming, her need overwhelming all of her senses.
So close.
Just right.
Not enough.
“Issac.” It came out as a plea as she writhed against him, her body on fire. “Please.”
He bent to nibble one of her aching nipples through the lace, intensifying the sensations and worsening them. It almost hurt, but it felt so, so good.
His thumb found her clit again, pressing down hard and bringing her to the precipice, only to disappear just before she could fall over the cliff into oblivion. His teeth sank into her nipple, evoking a scream from her throat.
“Issac!” she cried out, trembling with need, tears glistening in her eyes. “Fuck! What do you want?” she asked, begging now. “An apology? For me to promise never to compel you again?” It fucking hurt to be brought to the point of no return only to be denied.
“No, darling.” He kissed her hard and ripped the lace from her body, leaving her naked and gasping against him. “Keep your hands there.” He pressed her wrists into the wall beside her hips.
God, this man was going to wreck her. Inside and out. Heart, body, and mind. It terrified her, floored her, excited her.
He slowly removed his swimsuit, inch by inch, revealing his gorgeous form to her gaze.
And damn, every part of him was perfect. Long. Lean. Strong.
Vote Then Read: Volume I Page 145
