TheHealers

by Lynsie Buchanan

  It started as a drizzle and then it poured.

  We walked until I forgot what it meant to be dry. It turned out there were certain times when lack of underwear was a good thing, and this was one of them. I stopped in front of my building to turn and say goodbye and I saw the hungry look in his eyes and his sudden intake of breath.

  I laughed.

  Not intentionally. It was one of those things that happened when I got nervous. Seeing him all hard and manly and ready to devour me got me a little jumpy.

  He grabbed my arm and pulled me to his face. Water ran everywhere as I squinted my eyes, but there was no mistake when I looked at him.

  “Is something funny?”

  “Yes. It’s funny that I’m scared of you. You, the one person that I was supposed to be able to trust!” Anger rose to my shoulders and I embraced it. Mad was good.

  “I thought I could trust you.” Quiet words. His gaze raked over my outfit again, but this time with disgust clearly written on his face.

  I dropped my shoes and put both hands on his chest. Touch anchored me in the wrong direction. Anger, not guilt. I needed to get away from him. I shoved as hard as I could, but I was not a match for this well trained Guard. Wriggling and twisting, I hoped to loosen his grip in the rain. The wetness of my skin was the only thing that would give me any headway. A little twist and I slipped right out of his grasp…into a muddy puddle.

  I looked up at him and yelled. “Don’t you dare look at me like that! And don’t you fucking accuse me of not being trustworthy!”

  Alexander leaned over to put his hands on my hips to prop me back upright on my feet. His scent was on me. I could smell him and it was melting my resolve. No! I didn’t dare try to step away again for fear of landing on my ass.

  “Do you have any idea how fucking insane it made me to know that they kidnapped you? All I did was plan how to get you back, and then when I got there, I saw you having a great time. You can imagine my shock.” He let me go at that point and stepped back.

  “You can imagine my shock to wake up in Leo’s house after being knocked unconscious while under your protection! How long did you know he was a Hunter? He told me you two struck a deal for me. You let him take me for some stupid rod!” This would tell me everything. Had he given me away? I ached for him to wrap his arms around me and promise to never hurt me again. Why couldn’t I say it? Too proud. I couldn’t admit I needed him and it fucking made me angrier.

  “What?”

  Confusion. It was clear. I felt it down to my bones. Leo had lied to me.

  I could feel Alexander’s honesty coming through our connection. I felt it stronger than before. Had I just now let him in? That bond everyone seemed in awe of, it felt surreal. It rocked through every boundary I had in place for him. Knocked them all down and there I sat, open and wanting. I wanted him. But I didn’t want to hurt. Would being with him be worth it? Love would always be painful no matter the circumstances. The logical part of my brain argued this, but my heart just hurt. It wanted some kind of guarantee. There were no guarantees, only good intentions. I felt his intent and it touched my soul.

  My point was getting blurry in my head and in the rain. Grasping for something, I started to yell again.

  “You left me!” There. I knew that he couldn’t always save me. My mind understood that it wasn’t on purpose, but it still hurt. And I wanted to be mad. I didn’t want to let him in.

  Why?

  “Layna. What did he say about me? You know what—it doesn’t matter. You believed him and you lost faith in me. How many times do I have to show you I’m not leaving?”

  But he was wrong, everyone leaves. It’s just a matter of time. Nothing lasts forever.

  “You left me, then.” Childish words.

  His big hands wiped the water from my face and pushed back the slick strands of hair and then came close until he could reach me with his lips.

  “I love you.” He didn’t move away, but he didn’t move any closer. His eyes just waited for me to respond.

  “Convenient. Now that I’m mad and screaming at you, you love me! What the hell kind of love confession is that?”

  “Do you love me?” Searching, he was looking for me to soothe his wounds. I could still see the hurt that had crossed his face when he saw me with Leo, the pain that was still streaking across his face right now.

  “I’m sorry, Layna. I’m so sorry for what happened. I never wanted you with him. Never. You have to know this. I did not know about the ambush. How long are you going to make me stand in the rain and beg?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  He cupped my ass and scooped me up around him. “Wrap your legs tight, you wouldn’t want to fall again.”

  No, I didn’t. I can’t believe how easy it was to give in to this man. He knew he had me. It just took him awhile to convince me.

  Instead of going inside the building, Alexander headed further off into another direction.

  “Where are we going?”

  “To our house. I decided we should have a house together while you were gone. I figured it would be easier to convince you if I had already moved all your stuff in.”

  Brilliant. He really did understand me. My arms wrapped tighter around his neck and I tucked my nose into his chest. Ahh…that smell brought everything into harmony.

  We came to another section of the Conservatory that was further away from all the traffic. It was shielded with trees and I thought it was just some woods. When we stepped past the first section of trees, I saw our house. The rain still pelted down on everything, but I could see that it was beautiful. The earth toned colors of the brick and wood blended right into the forest around us.

  Alexander stopped at the front porch to slip off his wet shoes. Then he slid open the door and carried me in. I couldn’t see much through the tears that were silently streaming down my face. He brought me through our bedroom to the master bathroom and set me on the counter while he started the shower. Eagerly, I stared at the massive bathtub.

  “Don’t worry. We’ll get to abuse the tub soon enough. Right now, it’s all I can stand to shower you down before I taste you.”

  And then he stripped. My entire being went crazy. It hadn’t been that long had it? I physically hurt from wanting.

  He started on me. Slowly, he pulled the black dress above my head. Just when I thought he was going to take me there, he thrust me in the shower.

  Urgency and seriousness cut across his features.

  “Where did he touch you?”

  Trembles started to take over.

  “I’m washing him off of you. You’re mine. Don’t forget again.” With a washcloth, he cleaned every inch of my body and washed my hair.

  I didn’t speak again until Alexander sprawled me out on our bed. He stood above staring at me with a face that no one could mistake for sane.

  “I think I would like you to beg.” A smile barely crossed my lips.

  “On my knees, right?” He pulled me up to standing next to the bed, and he went down on his knees on the floor.

  With his tongue in just the right place, I lost my mind and started begging him.

  Much later into the night, or rather the next day, I lay with my body tucked into his so intricately that you couldn’t see where one started and the other ended.

  “I love you, too.” Just a whisper, but I felt his body surge with warmth as he heard me.

  Fiercely his words came back to me, “I will protect you, Psihi mou.” His hand started to caress my breast and he pulled a tight nipple into his mouth.

  “Tell me what it means.” The words came roughly and then I wasn’t sure if I wanted him to answer or keep on with the tongue assault. He did have a great tongue.

  “My soul, you are my soul, Layna. Leo cannot live for what he did. I will find him and end this.” He rolled to his back and clutched my bottom to spin me on top of him.

  “What is he after? Did Iostus find anything yet?”

  “He called when you were unco
nscious.” I swatted him with a pillow.

  “There’s no shame in being knocked out from good sex.” I could feel him literally rising to the occasion again.

  “So?”

  “Leo is one of the worst. He and Tabitha have been planning this for a long time. They knew you could track the Hunters, but not the magic users. That’s why they targeted their defense with the magic users, knowing you wouldn’t sense it. Do you know what Leo does for a living?”

  His hands reached in between my legs now. Teasing.

  “Um…He’s an environmental scientist, right? He cleans up oil spills and pipeline leaks.”

  “He cleans up after he causes the damage. The people near those areas suffer from a tremendous amount of cancers and other life threatening illnesses. I don’t think he’s really even cleaning up the spills. I think he just finds ways to further infect the people in those areas so more cures can be sold.” His voice had gone full on husky now. He was just as aroused as me. Just by touching me.

  Hunting the Hunter would have to wait for another day. Right now I had to tame my Guard.

  Author Acknowledgements

  Thank you so much to Tina Haveman for wanting this manuscript and helping me turn it into something more.

  To my Mom…for being my everything and always encouraging my craziness.

  To my Dad, thanks for the laptop, without which I don’t know how I would have ever finished writing this book.

  To Halle and Carter, for always keeping me in line and asking “How many pages did you write today?” I love you both to pieces!

  Rachel Harris, girl, you have totally guided me on this journey and helped me every step of the way. Thank you is not enough…but I am forever thankful for knowing you!

  The awesome members of the West Houston RWA! You ladies have given me so many resources and answered all my “newbie” questions. Thank you!

  Therese and Stephanie, the rock star girls from The Boyfriend Bookmark, thank you for all of your help and enthusiasm in getting the word out I’m always smiling when I get your e-mails!

  Thank you to Scott Carpenter for the beautiful cover! I loved it instantly.

  Barb, Bri, and Jay, my editors, thank you for making this book shiny and pretty for all to see!

  Liz , one of the coolest ladies I know, thanks for dropping everything at a moment’s notice and giving me feedback. You made everything better!

  To all my friends, family and readers that have supported me by purchasing this book…my heart swells with love from your support.

  About the Author

  Cheers! I’m a red-headed Texan gal that writes adult romance novels. After spending way too much money on education degrees—bachelors, masters, no ph. D yet, I realized that I loved teaching, but I needed to write. Somehow, I have struck a chaotic balance. Teacher by day, steamy romance writer by night….I daydream a lot, drink wine, gossip about juicy plots with my friends and obsessively read.