by Lynn, Denise
Ariel tilted her head, giving him better access to the soft flesh beneath her ear. “Besides, I can’t let lust rule my mind, can I?”
Cam realized with a start that he was enjoying this conversation. For the life of him, he couldn’t pinpoint the moment his anger had changed to interest. When had the two forces battling inside him decided to unite?
Without breaking his attention to her neck, he shrugged. “I don’t know, can you?”
“No. It wouldn’t be wise.”
He nipped at her earlobe. “I can fix your first problem.”
Ariel twirled a lock of his hair before giving it a swift yank.
Cam chuckled at her retaliation, then told her, “You’re fired, Ms. Johnson.”
She slid her arms down and wrapped him in her embrace. “We signed a contract, Mr. Drake. I get a month to wrap up whatever project I’m working on and don’t forget that severance package.”
“You’re here under false pretenses, so I’m fairly certain that contract isn’t binding.”
She countered, “And you’ve already admitted you knew about the false pretenses before you offered me the contract.”
“I have more spendable money than you do. I could drag it out in court for years.”
“True.” Ariel ran her hands up his back. “But look at all the time you’d have to spend away from the Lair.”
She trailed her fingertips along his shoulder blades, brushing across the dragon mark. The light contact whipped through him like a storm.
“You might have me there.” He paused to take a steadying breath as she grazed his mark again. “How about we make a deal?”
“Depends.”
“You tell me why you’re here and I might let you keep your job.”
Ariel laughed softly. “Nice try.”
He lifted her in his arms. Heading for his bedroom, he said, “I guess I’ll just have to try harder.”
“You do that. But I’m not sleeping in your bed.”
Cam did a one-eighty and headed for the guest bedroom. “Not a problem.”
“There is one small, tiny problem.”
He paused at the bedroom door. “And that is?”
“I’m not on the pill.”
Cam froze. “You aren’t on the pill?”
“No. I’ve had no reason to be. Don’t tell me that you don’t have any condoms?”
“No.” He lowered her to her feet. “I’ve had no need for them.”
Ariel leaned against the door and sighed. “Well, I guess you’ll have to try harder some other time then, won’t you?”
She didn’t seem too upset by this predicament at all. Suspicious, he narrowed his eyes. “You saved this little bit of information until just the right minute on purpose, didn’t you?”
Ariel widened her eyes. “Me? A mere human female? You think I would try to outwit a…” She paused, frowning. “What exactly are you?”
Cam gritted his teeth. “I told you, a wizard.”
She opened the bedroom door. “Well, Mr. Wizard—” she stepped inside the room “—I think this round goes to the girl.”
He stared at the closed door a long minute before turning on his heel and leaving the apartment.
Ariel waited, with her ear pressed against the door, until she heard the entry door slam. Closing her eyes, she turned around with her back against the door, and slid to the floor before her trembling legs could buckle beneath her.
Of course she’d saved that information on purpose. He wasn’t dealing with a complete idiot. Since he hadn’t harmed her, she’d gambled that taking the chance of creating a child would be too much for him to risk.
It didn’t happen often, but thankfully, this time she’d been right.
What would she do next time? She was certain there would be a next time. Cameron Drake wasn’t going to give up this easily. And since it was nearly impossible not to respond to what his touch did to her, next time might turn out quite differently.
She needed to find that pendant and cube. Locating those cursed items and getting out of here was the only way she could save Carl and herself.
It wouldn’t be easy, but to save her brother she would do anything, would sacrifice anything—including her self-respect and her heart.
Determined to find the strength of spirit required to bolster her wavering bravado, she rose, then strolled into the dressing room. Cameron had been right, all of her things had been moved.
Ariel walked back out into the bedroom and froze under the archway between the two rooms.
Impossible.
When the floor beneath her feet stopped heaving and her heart slowed enough for her to think, her first impulse was to turn around and run as fast and as far from the Lair as she could. Unfortunately, that option wasn’t available.
She stepped hesitantly through the room, reminding herself to breathe as she approached the small writing desk.
Ariel stared down at the desk in disbelief. How did that book…that grimoire…get here? She reached out, then, remembering what Cam had said about the book giving his sister-in-law powers, pulled her arm back, fearing if she touched it something would happen to her, too.
The door to the apartment opened, then closed. She gasped and turned around quickly, hiding the book with her body. If Cameron saw it he would mistakenly assume she’d stolen it again.
Although how she would have gotten it out of a room-size block of concrete was beyond her comprehension. She would have had to use a jackhammer and that would have been a little loud for anyone to have missed. Not to mention the time involved in that process.
He opened the bedroom door, but stopped just outside the doorway. “Is everything here?”
Oh, yeah—everything and then some. “Yes.”
Cam winged a handful of flat square packets onto the bed. “You should have a few of these in your purse.”
She knew without looking that he hadn’t tossed packets of sugar on her bed. They were condoms. It was done as a warning—he wasn’t through with her yet.
Couldn’t he have found a more insulting way to tell her?
The man obviously had gotten his own way far too often. Ariel looked from the packets to Cam. Returning his hard stare, she opened her mouth to give him a piece of her mind. But before she could say a word, something bumped her from behind.
Without breaking her stare, she reached back only to have her fingers brush against the book. It had slid to the edge of the desk. She pushed it back, trying not to shriek when it closed on her hand.
Cam frowned. She stepped forward to distract him, saying in a rush, “Gee, thanks. I’ve never had a boss give me such a personal gift before.”
It was a lame response and had all the zing of a boiled noodle. But it drew his attention back to her and that’s what she wanted.
“You don’t sound very appreciative.”
“Ha, ha, Mr. Drake.” She waved toward the door. “If you don’t mind…?”
“Sure.” He came all the way into the room, closing the door behind him.
“That’s not what I meant.”
Cam was well aware she wanted him to leave. He wanted to know what she was trying so hard to hide behind her on the desk.
He sat on the bed. “I thought we might try…” Cam let his suggestion trail off and picked up a foil packet. He had to hand it to her, he’d gone out of his way to enrage her with the condoms, hoping she’d let something slip, but she’d yet to scream at him or resort to f
our-letter words.
“Get out of my room.”
“It’s my apartment.”
“And I wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t forced me.”
“That’s your own fault. I can’t have you running around the Lair casting spells and causing trouble, can I?”
“Spells?” She shook her head. “How many times do I have to tell you that I don’t know any magic?”
“Right. The grimoire just appeared in your apartment on its own.”
Her darting eyes and suddenly pale cheeks brought him to his feet. She backed up against the desk as he approached. “What are you hiding, Ariel?”
“Nothing. I just don’t want you any closer.” She pointed at the condoms. “Did you leave earlier to get those?”
“No.” He’d left to blow off some steam. He hadn’t thought about the packets until he’d returned to the apartment and realized she was still in the bedroom. He’d only materialized the condoms then.
Cam knew she was grasping at straws to distract him. Before she could stop him, he reached out, moved her aside and stared down at the empty desk.
“What were you hiding?”
Ariel stood beside him with her eyes closed.
“There’s nothing there.”
She opened her eyes and looked at the desk. “But—”
“But what?”
Ariel looked under the desk and through the drawers. “It was right there.”
Cam studied her closely. Either she was a better actress than he thought, or she believed that she’d seen something on the desk—something she needed to hide from him.
“What was there?”
She stumbled to the bed and sat down, mumbling to herself, “There has to be another way.”
“Another way for what?”
Ariel didn’t answer. Instead, she wrapped her arms around her chest and rocked on the bed.
Cam paused. Whatever reason she had for doing the Learneds’ bidding was obviously of great importance to her. If his earlier assumption was right—if the thief in the coma was her brother—that might be why he disappeared from the hospital.
And if he was being held by the Learneds, her fear of divulging any information was understandable. Not acceptable—he would discover what she was after one way or another—but he could understand her resistance.
Right now, in her current state, he wasn’t going to get anything out of her. Cam touched her shoulder. “Are you all right?”
After she nodded, he said, “Get some rest. I’ll wake you up later for dinner.”
When Ariel didn’t respond or move, Cam warned, “I’m not above using magic to force you. If you don’t stretch out and at least pretend to take a nap, I’ll take matters into my own hands.”
She kicked off her shoes and climbed onto the bed. A strangled sniffle stopped him with his hand on the doorknob.
Cam swallowed a groan. He needed to get out of this room. Another sniffle made his stomach twist.
Cursing softly, he kicked off his own shoes, then slid onto the bed behind her and pulled her into his arms.
Ariel stiffened against his chest. “What—”
“Don’t mistake this for surrender. It’s not. I just can’t stand to hear a woman cry.”
“I’m not—”
“Yeah, right.” He cut off her denial. “Go to sleep.”
Chapter 10
Ariel yanked the half-dead rosebush from the loosened ground. She tossed it onto the growing pile before grabbing the shovel to dig around another bush.
“What are you doing?”
The act of swallowing a groan—or curse—every time Danielle Drake showed up to criticize was getting tedious. For whatever reason, the woman despised her—she’d been cold and critical from the moment they’d met. Ariel jabbed the shovel into the ground before turning to face the woman. “Digging out these bushes.”
“Those are rosebushes.” Indignation dripped from Danielle’s voice.
No kidding? Roses? Who would have guessed? Unspoken sarcasm choked her. Ariel waved at the two young men helping her. “Why don’t you two break for lunch. We can finish up afterward.”
Once they were out of earshot, she explained as patiently as possible, “Mr. Drake told me to do whatever I wanted with the landscape. I’m replacing these hybrids with some old English and rugosa bushes.”
“I picked those out myself.”
The woman would have claimed she had even if she hadn’t. “I’m sorry, Ms. Drake,” Ariel marveled at the ease with which she lied of late. “I should have conferred with you first.” The older woman’s pursed lips softened. “I just thought the older-style roses would be a perfect fit for such a medieval-looking resort.”
Danielle nodded toward the herb beds. “What are you doing over there?”
Even though she knew it’d be a waste of time, Ariel tried to ease the woman’s concerns. “I talked to the chef and we won’t be touching his cooking herbs. I’m just going to add a few for looks and scent. Some lavender, lemon balm and maybe some different-colored yarrows.”
“What about mint?”
From reading the notes he’d left behind, she knew that the last gardener had refused to sow the invasive plant for fear it would cover the entire mountainside once it took root. “We’ll plant some in pots up by the kitchen.”
What exactly was Ms. Drake after? She hadn’t come out here to discuss plants.
“Have you given any thought to the maze?”
Ariel rubbed her temples. This constant questioning of everything she did would have her screaming if this were a permanent position. Cam’s aunt was a bear to work with.
She had already chased off a young woman who had been working with Sean on the computer system. A shame, really, considering the two made a cute couple and seemed to have hit it off.
“That’s none of your business.”
Ariel tensed at the realization that Danielle hadn’t moved her lips. “Not you, too.”
“Not me, too—what?” Ms. Drake’s feigned look of innocence was laughable.
“You just put those words into my head.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Cam already told me that he isn’t…normal. It’s fairly obvious that you aren’t, either, so there’s no need to hide it.”
Danielle squinted. “You should really wear a hat if you’re going to be out in the sun this long.”
It was apparent that Ms. Drake’s sole purpose for coming to the garden was to pick a fight. If that’s what the woman wanted, that’s what she would get. “Is that what happened to you?”
“Why, you—”
Danielle drew back her arm as if she was going to throw something overhand. Ariel ducked and put up her hands to ward off whatever the woman was about to throw at her.
“Stop. Now.” Cam glared at his aunt. “Don’t you have anything else to do?”
“Not really,” Danielle answered before she whipped what looked like a small ball of fire at Ariel.
She watched in shocked disbelief as the fiery ball bounced off an invisible shield, exploding into a shower of embers at her feet without hitting her.
Danielle Drake stomped past Cam, warning, “You can’t protect her all the time.”
Ariel lowered her arms. “Thank you.”
He didn’t move. Just asked, “For what?”
“For not letting me get burned alive, I suppose.”
“I didn’t
do that.”
“Your aunt certainly didn’t. And if you didn’t, who did?”
Cam surveyed the grounds. “There’s no one else here except you.”
Not again. He hadn’t accused her of possessing magic since the evening he’d held her while she’d slept. That had been six days ago. She thought they’d gotten past the accusations. “How many times do I have to tell you—”
He raised a hand. “Save it, Ariel.”
Before she could reply, he turned and left.
Once again she wanted to scream. Instead, she grabbed the shovel and attacked the rosebush with a vengeance.
Wasn’t it enough that she’d broken the law and was now putting her life in danger to save her brother?
On top of that, she had to have dreams not just of flying as a dragon, but of her and Cameron together? Not just dreams, but ones so real, so erotic and hot that she woke up every morning in desperate need. And cold showers were a myth. They didn’t help. Granted, the cold water cooled her skin, but it did nothing to cool the lust.
Now she had to deal with an insane woman who wanted to fry her to a crisp—and worse—one who could.
What really bothered her was that she wasn’t terrified. Ariel knew she should be. Any rational person would fear so much for their safety that they would go out of their way to avoid Danielle Drake.
Of course, any rational person would have lost their wits by now. Hearing voices in one’s head normally spelled trouble. And while it had terrified her at first, now it was merely irritating.
And this gut feeling that she could fly? If she was in the habit of taking pharmaceuticals maybe that would be a valid explanation. But the strongest med she swallowed was asprin.
This whole magic…wizard…thing wasn’t possible. Yet, she’d just seen a ball of fire shoot from Ms. Drake’s fingertips. And she’d seen a dragon turn into a man.
So, why wasn’t she babbling incoherently in a corner somewhere? What was keeping her from running away in disbelief and terror?
And she knew something was helping her. She could feel it—could sense that something was lending her strength.
