by Milly Taiden
“Sharmila, my precious, I wanted to know if you had plans for dinner. Since there’s no one around to care for you, I feel obligated to make sure you eat.”
She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Thank you, really. But I’m fine. In fact, right now I’m—” Her doorbell rang again. Who the heck could it be now?
Sid’s brows lifted in curiosity when the doorbell pealed. She threw open the door. Her breath hitched and froze in her lungs.
Zahir, the giant wall of muscle, stood at her doorway. She blinked. Was she imagining him? Her husband. Her estranged husband. What the hell kind of day was this?
She took an involuntary step back. Zahir scanned her from the top of her ponytail down to her bare feet. His slid his gaze past her and locked on to the other man in the room.
She stood frozen for a moment. With her eyes narrowed and lips pursed, she slapped her hands on her hips. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Zahir’s eyes never wavered from Sid. He stepped fully into her apartment, but left the door wide open. “Is that any way for a wife to welcome her husband home?”
She seethed with untamed fury. Anger sparked and grew until her skin blazed in heat. Magic she thought long gone swirled around her, making her voice husky and deep. “You slimy piece of shit. How dare you show your face to me. Get the fuck out of here before I do something we’ll both regret.”
“Should I get rid of him, my precious?”
Her face jerked toward her neighbor. “Leave.”
“But Shar—”
“Now!” Her chin lifted and a burst of wind pushed Sid out of the apartment. The door shut inches from his shocked red face.
Zahir leaned on her wall with his arms crossed over his massive chest. He lifted a brow while he watched her.
“Shar, we need to talk.”
“Get out!”
“Shar—”
“You left before, leave again. Get. The. Fuck. Out!” A tornado of air whipped and twirled around her. She sent raw energy careening toward him. Nothing happened. She gaped at him in stunned surprise.
He shook his head and took a step toward her as if the force of her power was nothing but a slight wind. He should have been shoved out the door just like Sid.
“Stop. You’ll never get me out, and I don’t want you to hurt yourself trying.”
If her magic couldn’t get him out, then what the hell was he?
“I’m the same man you married five years ago.”
Had she said that out loud? No, she hadn’t. He wasn’t the same man she’d married—there was no way. Never had he done that before. Read her mind? Push off her magic?
Another step brought him closer to her. Astonished, she watched him wave a hand to dismiss the torrent of wind around them. A small tremor worked through her.
She felt alarmed being near him again. He’d hurt her and she shouldn’t have any reaction other than anger toward him, yet her body wasn’t listening. His fallen angel face was almost too beautiful to look at. His dark brown eyes were still piercing and so mysterious they gave her shivers. The short spikes of his black hair and the large muscled body looked even more mouth-wateringly sexy than they had in the past.
“Why are you here?” She glowered at him.
“Because you need me.” Goosebumps broke over her skin when his heated gaze roamed over her. She was ready to deny it, but he interrupted her. “You do need me. You may not know it, but your mother does, and that’s why I’m here.”
Shock tore through her, and she nibbled on her lip. “My mom called you?”
His gaze fastened on her mouth. “She wanted to hire services to protect you. I’m here to take care of that.”
She turned on her heel and made a dash for her phone. While she dialed, she heard her front door close and looked up to see Zahir take a seat on one of her sofas.
“Mom? What the hell is going on?” She tried to stay calm, but her voice came out a frantic whisper.
“What do you mean?”
“Zahir is here!”
“Oh. Well, I wasn’t expecting that.”
Sharmila frowned. Was this her mother’s attempt at getting her to have sex? “Why is he here, Mom?” Her heart thudded in her chest. She looked away from his piercing gaze.
A wicked smile curled his lip as he stared at her chest. It was hard to hide her body’s reaction to him. Her nipples were pebbled and she wasn’t wearing a bra.
“I’ve been meaning to tell you about this darkness I’ve been seeing coming your way. I knew you needed someone to watch over you, so I hired his company. I didn’t really expect him to show up to do the job, though. You haven’t felt it because your magic has waned, but trust me, it’s there and it’s getting worse, a lot worse. I’m worried for you. I’ve been pushing it away from you, but with my upcoming trip I wanted someone with you at all times. This was the right thing to do.”
Half-listening to her mom, she watched Zahir head into her kitchen. She frowned. A moment later he walked out with a plate filled with cookie rejects. She gaped and watched him munch on her dubious cookie results. He calmly ate the test subjects and never made a face. It had been one of the things she’d loved about him. He’d eat anything she made just so she wouldn’t feel bad.
“Mom—” The uncontrolled clatter of her heart almost made it impossible to hear her mother’s words.
“Don’t argue with me.” Her command travelled clear across the line. “You know I wouldn’t do this if it wasn’t necessary. Please, he’s there to do a job. This is much bigger than you can handle. I would never put you in this situation if I thought you’d be able to take care of yourself. Dark powers are coming your way, and there’s little you can do in your present condition. Whatever happened between you two is obviously over, so let it go. Focus on getting stronger and hopefully that will allow you to get rid of him faster. He stays, or I don’t go on the trip, it’s your choice.”
Her plan to visit Ireland, where she would reconnect with nature, was all her mother had spoken of for over a year. It was a sad decision to make, but her mother had to go, even if it meant Shar would spend some time with Zahir.
She turned her face away from Zahir and clenched her teeth. “You sure this isn’t your attempt at getting me to have sex?”
Her mother’s tinkling laugh filled her ear. “Sweetheart, I think I’ll leave that part to you. My main concern is to keep you safe. If you need me to find you suitable men to sleep with I will. Do you?”
“No!” She took a deep breath and lowered her voice. “I mean, I’m good. I can take care of that myself. I’ll let him stay on one condition: as soon as there’s no danger, he goes.”
“But of course, darling. Now, tell me, how is your magic today?”
Chapter Four
Zahir was more than angry. That man, the one Shar had called Sid, had very sexual thoughts about her. Although the man had some powerful shields in his head, Zahir had been able to probe enough to see he wanted her for himself. Every possessive bone in his body yelled for him to rip the guy to shreds for just breathing over her. He’d calmed some when she pushed the man out the door.
He heard her conversation with her mother so clearly they could’ve been standing in front of him chatting. It was one of the perks of being his kind. Interest perked when they mentioned her lack of sex. Jealousy roared to life inside him. A haze of red colored his vision, and the blare of sirens bawled in the street. He didn’t want to know what he’d done. Instead, he focused on calming the angry beast inside.
Shar shut off her phone and turned to him. Her face was scrunched in distaste and her eyes flared. “Fine. I will agree to your staying here. We just need to set some rules. First, you are not to touch me, ever.”
“How am I supposed to protect you if I can’t touch you?”
“Figure it out, Einstein. Second, the minute whatever it is that’s coming my way is over, you’re out of here.”
“Fine.” It would kill him, but he’d let her go again if it was
best for her. She’d loved him and had never asked for anything in return. He would ensure she was safe.
“And third, I don’t want any references to the past.” Pain shone in her eyes.
“You can’t hide from the past.”
“Yeah? Well you’re great at it, so I’m taking a page from your book. Those are my rules. Agree or get the hell out.”
He stared at her for a few long moments and sensed her internal battle.
“I will only do anything per your request.”
She frowned, but nodded. “Good. I have work I need to do, so do whatever you have to do quietly.”
He sensed the danger before he saw it and made his way to her in a few short strides. She was headed to the desk by the windows when the glass shattered. Large shards of glass turned into daggers and moved directly toward her.
In a quick move, he wrapped one arm around her waist and lifted his other hand to stop the glass in its tracks. The jagged pieces stopped in midair about a foot away from them. He flicked his hand in a circle and the glass shuffled into one pile in front of them, making their way to the floor as he lowered his hand.
He turned to look into her eyes. Their faces were inches apart. Her harsh breaths caressed his skin. Each time she took a breath, warm puffs of chocolate-scented air kissed the side of his face. She had looped her arms around his neck, and their bodies were plastered together. Lust coursed through him, and he thought of the taste of her lips.
He moved his mouth to latch on to her soft lips in a fervent kiss. Devouring the sweet depths of her mouth, he explored and feasted with his tongue. She whimpered and rubbed her tongue over his lips. The kiss turned ferocious and demanding. She sucked on his tongue, and he knew they had to stop before things got out of control.
Passion sparkled in her eyes, and the urge to kiss her again raged inside him. She might want him, but she didn’t trust him. He wanted her, but she wasn’t ready to open herself to him. There was too much mistrust in her heart. He let go of her and took a couple of steps back.
Arousal deepened his voice to a near growl. “This is why you need me.”
The heat in her eyes cooled. She looked so lost. His steely resolve to wait wavered. He wanted to kiss her worries away and tell her he’d take care of her, but he knew she’d rather take a bullet than ask him for help.
An angry rumble escaped him. Had he not been there, she would have been hurt.
“Thanks. Nothing like that has happened to me before. I’m not sure why it did now.” A small quiver sounded in her voice. “I’d like to get my hands on the asshole that did that.” A flush darkened her skin, and her golden eyes flashed.
“Don’t worry. We’ll find whoever is doing this soon.”
* * *
“So? Where is he?”
Shar looked up from the counter to gaze at her mother’s smiling face as she walked in the door. Her mother’s skin was flawless, not a single wrinkle in sight. Her blonde hair was cut in a short bob that graced her ears. Her hazel eyes twinkled with vitality.
Shar rolled her eyes and sighed. “I was able to talk him into leaving me alone because I told him you were coming to say goodbye before your trip. He said he’ll be back in an hour.”
He’d rarely left her alone in the past few days. And twice she’d been glad he was around. First, the issue with the windows—she had no idea who was set on bothering her, but it was turning into a nuisance. Then her car died in the middle of the road late one night. Of course, she’d tried to get the stupid thing to work, but it was as if something had frozen the entire electrical system, keeping it from moving.
“Are you sure things are OK? I know this isn’t the ideal situation, but is he keeping his hands to himself?”
“Yes. He’s kept his hands to himself.” And that was the damn problem. Every time she looked at him, her body craved his touch. He was at an arm’s reach, but just out of her range.
“This is bothering you?” Her mother gave her one of her curious stares.
“Yes! I’m so angry and confused.” The urge to scream profanities at fate was interrupted by a customer picking up an order.
Shar watched her mother make small talk with the recurring client while she retrieved the lotions and soaps. When the woman walked out the door, Shar wondered out loud if she should just tell Zahir to go. Nothing new had happened to endanger her.
“No. He stays. Now, not that it’s any of my business, but if you still want the man, why not go for it? It’s not like this time he could hurt you.”
“What do you mean?” Her entire life she’d been used to her mom’s quirks, but for her to suggest using Zahir just for sex was just way too weird.
“Well, if you purposely go into a purely sexual relationship with him, there’s no way you can end up hurt. He can’t break your heart if you don’t let your feelings into the equation.”
Shar stared at her desk and nibbled on her lip.
“Think about it, darling. If anything at all happens and you need me, you know how to reach me. I’m not leaving for another day, so you can call on me.” She hugged her tight, kissed her forehead, and then looked down into her eyes “Don’t pass up the opportunity to get some answers. Even if it hurts, it’s best to know the truth.”
After her mother left, Shar sat at her desk and stared into space. Why did Zahir leave her in the first place? She’d tried not to think of the question before, but it had begun to grow into an incessant nag in the back of her head. She would ask him the minute he walked in the door. She paced behind the register waiting for him to finally show his face.
When Zahir walked in the door, her resolve pushed her to ask the question. She opened her mouth and a lightning bolt hit the floor a foot away from her. A large wall of fire rose until she was surrounded by a circle of flames. Jumping back, she screamed. Zahir walked through the flames to reach her. No burns or injuries were visible on him.
Flames pushed their way toward her, but Zahir drove them back. He wrapped an arm around her, and she clung to the safety of his hold. She felt the heat of the flames, but nothing in the store caught fire. The sprinklers were not turning on, and the circle was closing in on them.
“What do we do?” She tried to keep the panic from her voice, but it was hard. What the hell was happening? Why was someone out to get her? She’d never done anything to anyone. OK, she was no angel, but she’d never hurt anyone purposely.
“Don’t worry. I have this under control.”
The flames lowered in a whoosh to the ground. The driving wind tossed her hair around her face. Zahir lowered one arm until the flames completely disappeared as if they’d never been there.
Lifting a trembling hand to move her hair away from her face, she peered around the store. “For crying out loud. What the fuck is going on? I’m putting an end to this.”
The phone rang just when she pulled it out of her pocket.
“Hello?”
“Sharmila. Your mother asked me to look into your decrease in magic.”
“Oh, Luthian. How are you?”
Tension radiated off Zahir’s rigid posture. He threw a fierce glare at her phone.
She half-listened to Luthian and stared at Zahir’s face. His eyes turned full-on black. Her nipples hardened when she remembered the last time his eyes had turned that dark. They’d been in the middle of having sex.
Moisture gathered in her cunt. Holding back a whimper, she squeezed her thighs together to relieve some of the pressure on her throbbing sex. The glare transformed into the look of a man ready to immerse himself in her passion.
“Sharmila?”
The voice in her ear jerked her back to reality.
“Oh, um, yes. What can I do for you?”
“I was going to suggest for you to try something. To see if it helps with your magic.”
Laughter came across from his side. Could he tell what was going on? It was very possible, considering he was a powerful warlock.
“OK, what do you suggest I do?”
“Have sex with Darkrath.”
“What?” Images of them making love flooded her brain and made her temperature rise until she was sure the fire was back, only this time, right on her skin.
Chapter Five
Zahir smiled at Shar’s response to his look. He craved her, and he intended to have her—tonight. No matter what she said, he knew the truth of her body’s desires. She wanted him. Maybe not with the desperation he wanted her, but it was close. He could feel it. If the hungry flare in her pupils was any indication, she wanted him right now. He heard the conversation, knew what Luthian was suggesting, and was in full agreement with the test.
“That, um, was Luthian. I’m sure you’ve heard of him. He was just calling to give me a suggestion. Nothing important.” She looked everywhere but at him.
Shar had never been shy before, and it bothered him that she was acting as though he’d reject her if he knew of her problem.
“What’s wrong with your magic?”
She snapped her gaze up to meet his. The sadness in her eyes made his heart clench.
“I don’t know. Nobody knows really. Luthian is trying to find out. Something seems to have created some kind of hole that’s made it slowly leak away. I’m at the point that I can’t even make the smallest of objects move. That day you showed up was the first time I had a burst of power. After that, it decreased again.” Her sadness gutted him. He had to fix this for her.
He stepped toward her, grabbed her by the forearms, and pulled her into him. Her eyes flared gold with arousal when his lips came crashing down on her. A burst of sweetness invaded his senses. Every time they kissed, her taste seeped through him until he was surrounded by it.
The light flutter of her magic caressed his restless darkness and soothed the loneliness inside. She moaned and lifted her hands to rake her nails on the back of his neck. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly to him. His erection throbbed, grew, and became painful in the tight confines of his jeans.
Hunger roared in his veins. With single-minded focus, he squeezed her ass and ground his stiff cock into her. His sole purpose became to thrust into the hot, slick confines of her wet cunt. He flicked a hand, and the door locked and the shades lowered. He became bolder and more aggressive in his touches, and she whimpered. Her soft kisses drove his desperation up several notches.
