by Michelle Fox
“You have to leave? Already?” Marion asked, suddenly nervous about being alone with Aidan.
“Yep. I have a date. And I’d better get dressed. He’ll be here soon to pick me up.” With that, Raven disappeared into her room, leaving Aidan and Marion alone.
“Well, I guess I’d better put these in water.” Marion took off for the kitchen as fast as her heels would let her. Perhaps a restaurant would’ve been more neutral, but then that would’ve taken her outside of the protection of the apartment. No, better to stay put where she didn’t have to worry about running into Eric. Looking at Aidan and recalling their kiss, Marion wondered if she had exchanged one danger for another.
“I’ll come with you.” Aidan reached to take the flowers from her.
Marion paused, holding the bouquet tight. She wasn’t ready to let Aidan close to her again. “Thanks, but I think I’ve got it.”
He swayed back from her as if sensing she needed space, but then persisted with, “I’ll pour the wine then.”
There wasn’t really anything she could say to that without being rude, so Aidan followed her into the kitchen. Taking the corkscrew Raven had left out, he worked on opening the wine while Marion cut the stems on the roses and arranged them in a vase.
“So how are the love potions going?”
“They’re not. I haven’t made any since before we met at the club.”
“Oh really?”
“It’s been pointed out that maybe I need to take another approach to the love potion.”
“How so?” Aidan asked with an encouraging nod.
Marion was saved from having to explain how Aidan himself was part of a calculated strategy to pass her Potions class when a thorn bit into her thumb. She jumped with a sharp intake of breath and immediately sucked on the cut as blood welled up.
“Here, let me look.” Aidan held out a hand and drew her thumb from her mouth. “Looks like the thorn is still in there. I guess the roses must be jealous.” With gentle accuracy, Aidan pressed on her skin until the thorn reared its ugly head. With a deft movement, he plucked it out and threw it into the sink. “There. All you need is a bandage.”
“Thanks,” Marion said. He smiled at her and then planted a soft kiss over her wound. Reluctantly taking her hand from his she said, “I’ll go get a Band-Aid.”
In the bathroom, she leaned over the sink and took deep breaths trying to calm her racing pulse. Aidan got to her, and that worried her. They were, after all, virtual strangers and here they were all hot and heavy ten minutes into their first date and...and...she liked it. Goddess save her. She felt alive and there were tingles humming under her skin.
Still, it could all be a lie. One that might cause her a lot of pain. His eyes might be kind, his touch gentle, but she and Eric had started the same way. She had to get a grip, be more wary for her own good.
But that wasn’t right either, because if she didn’t let her guard down enough to fall in love, she would never be safe.
Frowning at the conflict, she opened the medicine cabinet and located the first-aid kit. Somehow she was going to have to find a happy balance. Or else she would never be safe.
With a bandage on her throbbing finger, Marion made her way back down the hall to the living room and kitchen. While she’d been gone, Raven had finished dressing and her date had arrived. The couple stood in the living room talking to Aidan.
Raven’s date, a muscular werewolf she'd met at the club the other night, caught sight of her first. His gaze traveled over her, the hunger in his eyes making her want to take cover. Maybe the dress had been a mistake. This wasn't the kind of attention she wanted.
"You must be Marion, the roommate.” At her nod, he whistled, but stopped when Raven gave him a playful smack on the shoulder.
“Down, boy.” She wagged a finger at him in admonishment. To Aidan and Marion, she said, “Don’t wait up for us. Wolf and I are going to try and do an all night club crawl on the strip. If you need me, I’ve got my cell on.”
“Thanks for all your help,” Marion said.
Raven gave her a quick hug. “Just have a good time.” In a lower voice she added, “Put the past behind you, okay?”
She nodded and waved as Raven and her werewolf went out the door.
“Well, I guess it’s just the two of us now.” Aidan handed her a glass of wine.
Marion took the glass and drained it in one gulp.
“Whoa, easy there.” Aidan went to get the bottle and refilled her glass. “Why do I get the feeling you’re afraid of me?”
“It’s not you.”
“Then who?” His gaze held hers.
Marion blinked and stared into her wine glass. “It’s a long story.”
“We’ve got all night.”
Worrying her lower lip, she debated how much she wanted to share, but then the oven timer buzzed a last-minute reprieve. She rushed into the kitchen and took the roast chicken from the oven, transferring it to a serving plate. The vegetables and mashed potatoes were already in their serving bowls. Aidan followed her into the kitchen and grabbed both side dishes, carrying them to the small dining table in the living room where, to her relief, he changed the subject.
“This smells delicious,” he said, carving the chicken.
“Yeah, reminds me of Sunday dinner back home.”
“And where was that?”
“Small town Ohio.” She held out her plate and he set some white meat on it to which she added a heaping spoonful of potatoes and veggies. “The only witch for fifty miles.”
“The only?” He raised his eyebrows. “I thought witches were more common than that.”
“In the cities maybe. But not out in farm country. They take the Bible literally there.”
“Yes, I’ve read it. ‘Suffer not a witch to live,’ right?”
Marion nodded. “Exactly.” Just because magic was real didn’t mean everyone liked it.
“Did you have a hard time growing up?”
“Not really. It wasn’t so bad. We all just pretended I didn’t exist.” Magic wasn't a secret, but talking about it openly wasn't encouraged. Ignoring it made the people without magic feel safer. "That's one of the reasons I came to Vegas, though. There's more magic here than anywhere else."
“It doesn’t sound like Ohio was much fun.” Aidan sipped his wine and gave her a sympathetic look.
Marion ducked her head and focused on her plate, uncomfortable with his pity. “I got used to it. How about you?”
“Me, what?”
“Where did you grow up?”
“In the Lowlands of Fairy.” At her puzzled look, he elaborated. “Fairy is divided into three regions: The Lowlands where most of us live, the Wastelands where there are tricks of time and space, and the Borderlands where the barriers between our world and yours are thin.”
“What’s it like growing up with magic all around you?” Marion didn’t know much about Fairy, but if the stories were to be believed, magic ran wild there, ripe for the taking. Being human, she had to sweat for every ounce of magic and study for years. In Fairy, it came with a snap of the fingers. Or so she'd heard.
“I never noticed it. It was just normal. My father grew flowers for the Queen. Even with magic, we did a lot of weeding.”
“You didn’t grow up in Court then?”
“No. There’s more to Fairy than the Queen’s Court.”
“Have you met the Queen?”
“Yes, I have. Many times. She recruited me for her guard when I was full-grown.”
Marion gaped at Aidan, eyes wide. “You’re one of the Queen’s own?” Rumors abounded about the Queen’s guards. They were fierce, loyal and handsome, almost like superheroes. Suddenly she felt much better about letting Aidan get so close.
“I am.” He laughed. “Don’t be so impressed. It’s a job.”
“But not just anyone can be in the Queen’s guard, right?” Marion asked, reaching for the wine bottle to top off their glasses.
“Maybe not, but trust me
I barely squeaked by. My first Ball, instead of guarding the Queen, I almost took her down myself. I tripped over her train and she almost fell off the dais.”
Marion couldn’t hide a chuckle at the idea of him falling and taking the queen with him. “How did she take it?”
“Not well,” Aidan said, a red flush creeping up his cheeks.
“What’s it like working for her?” she asked, wondering what ‘not well’ entailed.
A shadow crossed his face.”She’s demanding and sometimes unforgiving.”
“Doesn’t sound like you enjoy it.”
He shrugged and focused on his plate. “But she does, and I do as she commands.”
“So why aren’t you with her now?”
“Well, that would be where the unforgiving part comes in.”
“She’s upset with you?”
He nodded. “I’m lying low for the moment. Taking a vacation, if you will.”
Marion smiled in commiseration. Maybe their reasons for hiding were different, but still similar enough she could identify. Leaning back in her chair, she sighed and pushed her plate away. “I don’t think I can eat any more. At least not without exploding.”
“So it’s not just the potions that explode?” he asked with a mischievous smile.
She laughed. “Well, no, but I’m not sure I want to test my limits. Besides, there’s dessert.”
“Dessert?”
“Yes. Gooey chocolate brownies, ice cream, and hot fudge. Or so I’ve been led to believe.” She began to stack the dishes, preparing to take them into the kitchen.
“Sounds delicious.” He finished his last bite and stood, plate in hand, reaching for hers. “Here, let me help you. I’ll wash, you dry.”
“No, that’s okay. I’ll do them later,” she said.
“I insist. My mother’s side has a touch of Brownie blood, which means I do dishes and I like it.” He smiled and Marion laughed. “Besides, the sooner we finish cleaning up, the sooner we can eat that dessert.”
“If we skip the clean-up we can have dessert now,” she said with a sly grin as they made their way into the kitchen.
He shook his head and put his dishes in the sink. “Sorry, goes against the Brownie code.”
“Are you a neat freak?” she asked, setting her dishes on the counter.
He paused, hand on the water faucet. “Is there a right answer to that question?”
Enjoying the worried look on his face, she didn’t answer right away. “Well, how do you feel about socks on the floor?” Now it was her turn to worry. She held her breath, hoping that Aidan wasn’t one of those people who had to line up shoes and iron jeans. If so, their relationship was doomed before it started.
Oh Goddess. She'd just thought about the R word. Eep! What was happening to her?
“So long as they’re not the only thing on the floor,” he said, his gaze scorching.
“Oh.” Her cheeks went hot.
Aidan chuckled and pulled her into his arms for a kiss. One she felt down to her toes and in other...more interesting places. Marion gave herself up to the thrill of his arms around her.
As he kissed her, he ran his hands through her hair and down her back to cup her ass. His lips moved lower to her neck, and Marion couldn’t hold back a moan as he nuzzled the skin behind her ear that seemed to be connected to her nipples, which peaked into sensitive nubs.
Pressed close against him, she realized her nipples weren’t the only things that were hard. The length of his erection pressed against her and she pictured what it would be like to have him driving between her legs, stroking her from the inside out. As much as the thought enticed her libido, she wasn’t quite ready to go that far, so when Aidan slipped his hand up her skirt, she pulled back.
“What about the dishes?” she asked with a nervous laugh.
He stopped kissing her and relocated his hand to her hip. “Somehow, I’m not so worried about the dishes anymore. Why? Are you okay?”
Marion nodded. “This is just a little fast for me.” The heat between her legs protested that things weren’t moving fast enough, but she ignored it.
“How about a brownie break?”
She gave him a grateful look. “Yes, that sounds good. I'll get a movie for us to watch, too.”
“Okay. I’ll work on the dishes. You get dessert and figure out the movie.” Aidan released her and went back to the sink.
Marion put together the brownie sundaes, replaying their necking session and wondering why they had stopped. Because, she told herself crossly, she barely knew the guy. Surely, she couldn’t be expected to fall in love or in bed with a guy on the first date. ‘But, some people do,’ a contrary voice said in her head. ‘Shut up,’ she told it.
Shoving the ice cream back into the freezer and grabbing some spoons from the silverware drawer, Marion took a bowl in each hand and went back to the living room. Setting their desserts on the coffee table, she picked up the remote and looked for a movie. Selecting a random action flick, she pushed play.
Aidan joined her a moment later, settling onto the couch, openly watching as she bent over the remote. She flushed at the weight of his gaze on her backside, and became hyper-aware of the sway of her hips thanks to the heels she wore.
“Here’s dessert.” She turned to pick up a bowl and leaned over the coffee table to hand it to him. A little too late she realized she’d taken attention off her ass and put it on her boobs, which were enticingly displayed by her now gaping neckline. Mortified, she stood up so fast, she almost dropped the bowl.
Aidan caught the bowl in his hands and said, “Amazing.” His frank gaze made it clear he wasn’t talking about dessert.
Marion dove for the couch, sitting as far away from Aidan as possible, relieved as the sexual tension between them dissipated, even though it left her cold. What she wouldn’t give for a nice pair of sweatpants right about now.
***
Aidan watched Marion out of the corner of his eye, unsure of his next move. Clearly he had crossed a line somewhere. He was one of the lady’s own, a supposed expert in seduction, but that didn't mean his mouth ever said anything intelligent. He suspected a drunk troll could do better. With a sigh, he shifted on the sofa trying to calm the erection threatening to push through his pants.
The woman was driving him mad. A coquettish mix of ingénue and sex kitten, she was enough to boil any man’s blood. Being with her was beginning to be more about satisfying his own needs than fulfilling the terms of the curse.
Silence stretched between them and they both stared with fixed gazes at the movie; watching but not seeing. All he caught were some cars going really fast over a cliff. He could identify.
Finally Aidan said, “ I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
Marion poked at her dessert with a spoon. “It’s okay.”
“It’s not. You won’t even look at me.” He set his bowl on the coffee table and did the same with Marion’s. Then, taking her hands in his he pulled her around to face him. “Is it bad that I think you’re beautiful?”
Eyes downcast, she said, “No, of course not.”
“Then it’s okay if I do this.” He leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. Not wanting to scare her again, he kept his touch gentle and let her set the pace. He waited, half expecting her to pull back, but then she moved her mouth against his and her body collapsed into his arms.
Aidan deepened the kiss and cupped her ribcage in his hand, his thumb caressing a breast through her dress. She gasped and he stopped, afraid he had crossed the line again, but when she moaned, undulating her hips against him, he realized she was as full of need as he was.
Pulling her back on top of him, Aidan moved so that they lay on the couch, a position that allowed both his hands to roam freely. Still kissing her, he moved both hands to cup her ass and then ran his fingers under her dress, lightly stroking the skin on the back of her thighs. Marion buried her head in his shoulder, kissing him feverishly as he went higher and slipped a finger under
her panties, finding the wet spot between her legs.
She arched against him, her breath coming in short pants that fanned his neck. He cupped her face in his free hand and looked deep into her eyes, studying the arousal that swirled in them before kissing her again, tongue invading her mouth. She moaned and her body melted into his as she gave in to his touch.
Marion’s obvious passion made him bold and he unfastened the clasp behind her neck that held her dress up.
A phone rang just as her glorious breasts were about to spill free.
Her eyes snapped open. Like a hypnotist victim who'd heard a bell, she sat up, pulling the dress back up over her breasts. “I’d better get that. It might be Raven,” she said as she stood and walked to where her cell phone sat on the kitchen counter.
Aidan took deep breaths as she did so, working to calm himself. ‘Let her set the pace. Follow her lead.’ Pushing Marion would just drive her away. Besides, after this, he would be sure to put her phone on mute.
And that was when he heard something crash to the floor followed by a wail. Instantly, he was up and in the kitchen, moving so fast, he didn’t even feel his feet hit the floor.
Marion stood in the kitchen, hands over her mouth, tears streaming down her cheeks, the phone at her feet.
Aidan picked it up and put it to his ear. “Hello? Who is this?”
“Who the hell is this? You’d better not be touching my Marion,” snarled a deep voice. “She’s mine. That bitch owes me.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but you stay away from her.” Aidan didn’t like the nasty tone of the other man’s voice.
“Says who?”
“Aidan Fyrebard.”
“We’ll see about that, Aidan Fyrebard.”
Before Aidan could respond, the man hung up on him. He set down the phone and turned to Marion. “Are you all right?”
She just stared at him, unseeing. Aidan folded her into his arms, holding her close and rocking back and forth. “Do you want to talk about it?”
Marion sniffed. “Yes...no.”
He continued to rock, giving her the time and comfort she needed.
Soon the details began to spill out in between sobs.
