Damien instructed his class to lie in the sun on the beach and enjoy the warmth and peace for a while, then fell silent. He glanced around his students. With his portal open, he could see who was struggling with the meditation and who was working well. The men usually found it harder, and their reddish auras confirmed this, showing they weren’t in quite as relaxed a state as most of the women. Most of the women’s auras varied from light orange to blues and greens, showing them in varying states of relaxation. He loved doing these classes. He found such satisfaction in helping people meditate—it soothed him, helped him when he felt agitated or irritated.
Satisfied the class was continuing to relax, he turned his attention to the young woman who was claiming most of his thoughts recently. Kimi’s aura was a deep peacock blue, tinged with purple, showing her complete tranquillity. He wasn’t surprised. After her amazing effort with the channelling, he was beginning to understand what she was capable of.
Still, she hadn’t been able to reach a hundred percent. He’d pushed her hard, but until she reached that magic number, nothing was going to happen between them. They couldn’t afford for even the tiniest amount of energy to leak out when they were together. And until she’d mastered the channelling, he was going to have to keep his distance from her.
He glanced down at Storm, who was lying at her feet as usual, his nose on his paws. As Damien looked at him, the wolf lifted his head and sneezed, but he didn’t move. Damien smiled wryly. Why did his spirit guide find her irresistible too?
He studied her, sighing inwardly. Her dark hair hung around her face in a shiny black curtain, her long dark lashes lying on her cheeks. Her lips looked soft and kissable. He grimaced. He was supposed to be meditating, not getting aroused.
Glancing around the room, he saw everyone was now in a deep state of meditation, even the men, whose auras had changed from red to mauve and then light blue. He studied Kimi, noting the shape of her breasts beneath the white T-shirt that clung to her body with sweat. Desire spiralled within him. She’d worked hard that evening. It was time to have a bit of fun, and find out how relaxed she really was.
Storm lifted his head. He could have sworn the damned wolf was frowning at him. Glaring at it, he closed his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he forced his muscles to relax and sank into a meditative state.
Kimi lay on the beach, the hot sun on her face. The smell of saltwater filled her nostrils and the lap of the waves was loud in her ears. She quite liked this meditation lark. She’d imagined herself in a bikini and wondered briefly whether she would be getting strap lines on her tan.
A shadow passed across the sun and, in her semi-dream, she half-opened her eyes as someone lay on the sand on her right. She looked up in surprise to see Damien stretched out beside her, propped on an elbow, looking down at her. Typical—now she was conjuring him up in her meditation. She studied him, shading her eyes with a hand, seeing the way the sun lit up his blond hair almost like a halo, although she knew he was far from angelic, in spite of what he’d told her about being a ‘new soul’.
Still, it was her dream, her private fantasy. Why not indulge herself a little? Surely, Margaret couldn’t have anything to say about that? She smiled at him, reaching up to touch his face. He turned his head and kissed her hand, touching his lips to her palm. She shivered as he leaned over her. He looked deep into her eyes, his dark blue ones gentle and warm. Then he lowered his lips to hers.
Kimi accepted the kiss, sighing gently. She felt warm and relaxed, at ease in his embrace. He rested his hand on her bare leg, gently stroking her warm skin, the grains of sand rough beneath his fingers. She could taste salt on his lips.
He moved his hand slowly up her thigh, brushing her tongue with his. Her heart began to increase its rate. This wasn’t right—surely meditation wasn’t supposed to be arousing like this? But she couldn’t stop the images flooding her mind. His chest was bare, covered in a light scattering of dark blond hair, the muscles well defined, and she ran her hand up his ribcage, then down his upper arm, inhaling at the feel of his hot skin, the firmness of his muscles.
He slid his left arm beneath her head and drew her to him as he deepened the kiss, moving his right hand up her hips to her waist, then further up, skimming her ribcage to her breast. Cupping it gently, he brushed her nipple with his thumb. Desire shot through her, and she inhaled, but this time there were no warning sparks. He lifted his head to study her, and her breathing quickened at the passion in his dark blue eyes.
Moving his right hand behind her neck, he tugged at the ties of her bikini top. They unravelled, and Kimi’s mouth went dry as he began to peel the material down, exposing her to the heat of both the sun and his gaze. She wasn’t sure which was hotter. What was happening here? Was this really all in her imagination? Because it didn’t feel like a dream. It felt incredibly real.
He drew the material off her breasts and dropped his gaze. Kimi’s cheeks grew hot, and she opened her mouth to say something, possibly to protest. He moved his head down, however, and closed his mouth over her nipple, and any thought that had hovered in her mind flew straight off into the cloudless sky. She gasped as he sucked gently and stroked the sensitive skin with his tongue, and she slipped her hand into his hair, unsure whether to push his head away or pull him closer.
And now he was sliding his hand up her thigh again, as he continued to caress her breasts with his mouth. Reaching her hips, he stroked across the flat of her stomach, making her shiver. Then he slipped his fingers under the thin cloth of her bikini bottoms. She tightened her hands in his hair as he moved his fingers down, sliding into the warm, wet, swollen part of her. She swore, soundlessly, looking up at the brilliant blue sky, blinking furiously. Stroking her gently, he caressed her most sensitive spot, arousing her with an expert touch that left her gasping and arching her back, her breaths coming quickly as she moved her hips to meet the rhythm of his fingers.
Lifting his head, his lips met hers, and he kissed her deeply, his touch relentless. Her muscles started to tighten, and she realised she was going to come there and then, slap bang in the middle of her meditation, in the classroom, for all to see.
Her eyes flew open with shock, and a sharp intake of breath.
Chapter Seventeen
Damien’s eyes were shut, but he opened them as she broke the meditation. He looked straight at her, his gaze intense, and she knew immediately she hadn’t imagined his appearance, that somehow he’d injected himself into her dream.
Around them, the other students were beginning to get up, shaking themselves from their rest. She glared at him, her cheeks burning. He remained where he was, smiling as they thanked him for the session before they left the room.
Finally, they were alone.
“Thank God,” he said wryly. “I can get up now. That very nearly backfired on me.” He stood and gestured at his pants, and her eyes widened at his erection, obvious even through his jeans.
Embarrassed as hell, she also pushed herself to her feet. “Well, you only have yourself to blame,” she said hotly.
“I beg to differ.” He walked over to her, smiling.
She faced him, furious. “I thought it was all in my head. What happens in my own head is private. I didn’t have the luxury of knowing someone else had invaded my dreams.”
“I thought you could do with some relaxation,” he said innocently. “After all your hard work.”
“Stop it!” she yelled.
Damien stared at her, hands on hips. “What?” He tipped his head. “You seemed to be enjoying it.”
She was near to tears, shattered, embarrassed, and so turned on that she wanted to throw him to the floor and rip his clothes off. “Why did you do that tonight? I thought we were working well, keeping away from each other… You and me, Damien—it can never happen. You’re too important to the cause, and I don’t ever want to be responsible for you losing your powers. We’re never going to sleep together. Some things are never meant to be. So please, don’t ever do that again
!”
He fixed her with a steely gaze. She was breathing heavily, full of emotion, but at his direct stare she felt as if all the air in the room had suddenly been sucked out.
He started to walk toward her, and she backed away, aware that having him in close proximity turned her into mush. Unfortunately, only two feet of the room remained, and she met the wall with a bump, watching anxiously as he continued to advance.
He stopped when he was six inches away from her, pinned her there with his eyes, and placed his hands on the wall on either side of her, imprisoning her in the circle of his arms.
Kimi stared up at him, alarmed at the energy he was emanating. Usually his self-control was so tight she struggled to work out what he was feeling. Now, however, his sexual energy, his desire, radiated from him in hot waves. Her hands itched to reach up and touch him, so she tucked them behind her backside against the wall. Unfortunately, it only served to push her chest out, and she held her breath as he raked her with his stare, his eyes lingering on her nipples, which stood erect against the white, damp T-shirt. He’d never been so obvious with his desire for her before.
His gaze returned to her face, and she blinked at the heat in his eyes. His stare could have melted chocolate.
“Now you listen to me,” he said softly. “I know there’s an issue at the moment with your energy flow. I haven’t quite figured out how to get you to a hundred percent, but I’m a smart guy. It’s on my mind pretty much constantly, and I will get there in the end. We both know it’s only a matter of time before we get down and dirty.” His gaze rested on her lips. “And hot.” His voice was low and husky. “And sweaty.”
Kimi swallowed. Her knees started to shake. She hadn’t realised how much he’d kept himself in control up until then.
He moved another couple of inches closer, still not touching her. His breath was hot on her skin—his sizzling gaze made her tingle. He looked at her as if she were covered in honey, and he wanted to very slowly lick it all off. “I know it, you know it. We’re written in the stars, and the list of things I’m not going to do to you in bed—or on the couch, or on the kitchen table, or wherever we are when the moment takes us—could fit on a postage stamp.”
She was so lightheaded with breathless desire she nearly fainted.
He hadn’t finished with her yet though. “So do us both a favour and stop acting like an ordinary person, and stop pretending you don’t know it’s coming. Because believe you me, I will get to see you naked: under me, on top of me, and in any other position we fancy—many, many times. I swear on everything that’s holy.”
Kimi was, quite literally, speechless. Scarlet with embarrassment, shock, and longing, she could only stare up at him, eyes the size of dinner plates, quivering at his vehemence. She had no doubt he meant every word he said.
“Do you believe me?” he asked, eyes intense.
She could only nod lamely.
“Good.” He pushed himself off the wall. His look—arrogant, amused—let her know he was perfectly aware of what he’d done to her. Turning, he walked casually toward the door, hands in pockets, as if they’d just stood and discussed the weather.
He stopped in the doorway. Someone stood there. It was Ella. The older girl locked gazes with Damien. How much had she heard? Damien raised an eyebrow, and Ella moved aside, letting him leave the room.
She walked in, spotting Kimi still up against the wall, and came over to her. “Are you okay?”
Kimi’s legs wouldn’t hold her up a moment longer, and she slithered to the floor. She felt as if she had been ravished, and he hadn’t even touched her. “Oh my God…”
“What did he do?” Ella crouched beside her, concerned. “Did he hurt you?”
Kimi gave a harsh laugh. “No, he didn’t hurt me.” She put her arms around her knees and rested her head on them. “Oh Ella, what am I going to do?”
Then she burst into tears.
It was two o’clock in the morning, but Kimi couldn’t sleep. Ella had taken her up to their room and had tried to get out of her what the problem was, but Kimi didn’t want to talk about it, and eventually Ella managed to bully her into the shower before tucking her into bed. Kimi was tired, but when Ella returned to the room to inform her that Damien had gone out for the evening to visit friends, sleep had completely deserted Kimi.
For several hours, she lay there torturing herself with the thought that he may have gone into Exeter to meet up with a girl. He’d got himself all hot bothered over her, after all, and it could be a long time before she finally conquered her control over her energy. She could hardly expect him to remain celibate until she was ready.
The sensible part of her tried to insist he wouldn’t do that, especially after their previous conversation. He was all about honour, after all, and protective of his witches. He wasn’t the kind of guy to chat one girl up and be off the next second with another.
Still, she couldn’t rid herself of the thought of him kissing another woman. She’d seen the way other girls looked at him. If one of his female friends offered her services, would he really be able to say no? She couldn’t believe she was special enough to hold the attention of any man, let alone one as remarkable as Damien.
At two o’clock, she got up and went downstairs. The library was in darkness apart from the glow from the wood fire, so she went in and helped herself to a small shot of the malt she’d seen Damien drinking. She took a big gulp, grimacing at the peaty smell, but enjoying the heat as it blazed a trail to her stomach.
She curled up on the sofa with her glass, thoroughly miserable. She missed him so much it hurt. Had he truly meant what he said earlier—that he meant to have her? She was so full of longing and sexual desire it made her ache. She took another gulp of the whisky. Perhaps if she drank enough of it, she might be able to fall asleep, or at least zone out to a place where it didn’t hurt so much anymore.
Damien let himself into the house quietly. He slipped off his black coat and hung it on the rack by the door. He listened for a moment—the house was quiet and everyone was asleep. He sighed. He should get to bed, but his brain was still buzzing. A drink in front of the fire would be good before he crashed out, he thought, and he made his way to the library.
The room was quiet and dark, and he went straight to the drinks cabinet and retrieved a glass. Then he noticed the whisky bottle standing on the table. He stared at it, then turned, his eyes scanning the dark room.
He saw her then, curled in the corner of the sofa in the shadows, the tumbler in her hand, watching him. He stared at her, at her thoughtful eyes, unable to tell what she was thinking.
Turning, he poured himself a glass and surreptitiously opened his portal before walking over and standing in front of the fire, warming the back of his legs. He took a sip of the whisky, studying her. Her aura swirled a deep purple touched with red, a sure sign of sexual desire and, usually, jealousy. That puzzled him.
She’d showered and changed into a pair of satin blue pyjamas, short-sleeved, long-legged, although her feet were bare. The silky material shimmered in the moonlight that came in through the front window, and he could see the shape of her breasts. She probably wasn’t wearing any underwear. He gave himself a mental shake and studied her face, almost hidden in shadow. “You okay?” he asked.
“Yeah.” She sipped her drink, wincing as she swallowed. “You have a nice evening?”
“It was all right.”
She looked up at him. Her eyes caught the moonlight from the window, shining like stars. “Was she good?”
He stared at her, raising an eyebrow. “I beg your pardon?”
“You heard me. Was she good? The woman you were with tonight? Or was it women, plural?”
He studied her, a smile slowly curving his lips. “Plural?”
She shrugged. “I’m sure you’ve got more than one lady friend willing to help relieve your tension?”
“Lady friend?”
She glared at him. “Don’t be so pedantic. Lover, then.”
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“Well, I wouldn’t call my mother that…” Even in the darkness, he could see her surprise.
“Oh.”
He sipped his drink, enjoying her reaction.
She looked down at her glass. He could see her cursing herself. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I said that.” She sighed. “I shouldn’t have drunk anything.”
“Kimi, do you really think I would have said all that to you tonight if I was then going to go out and find myself another woman?”
“I know men have needs. I wasn’t sure…”
He walked over and sat beside her, amused now. “Needs?”
She massaged her brow. “Damien…”
“No, come on, I want to know more about these needs. Can you describe them to me?”
“Damien!”
He laughed. He sipped his drink, then reached out and ran the back of his hand up her arm, making her shiver. “Men aren’t the only ones with needs,” he said softly. “Do you have any I should know about?”
“Nothing I can’t deal with on my own,” she said, irritated. She glanced up in alarm as his eyes widened. “I mean…”
The thought of her touching herself for pleasure made his head spin. “Good grief, what are you trying to do to me?”
Cursing with exasperation, she got up. Laughing, he caught her hand, holding it tightly until she turned to face him.
She glared at him, red-cheeked. “Let go.”
“Come here,” he said gently, reaching over and putting his glass on the table, then taking her glass and doing the same. She resisted, trying to turn away. “Come here,” he repeated, more firmly. He caught her other hand and pulled her toward him slowly, directing her hands until she leaned on the back of the sofa over him. Then he placed his hands on the back of her thighs and pulled her forward so she straddled him. She perched lightly on his knees, breathing quickly, the rapid pulse in her throat.
Midnight Shaman, Fire Witch Page 15
