“I don’t thank people who manipulate me,” I said in a monotone voice, my words grinding through my teeth like metal through a shredder.
“And it wasn’t magic… just simple chivalry that got you home,” he added with a shrug.
“There is no way in hell you could’ve stepped foot on my property without me asking you to, and since I was mysteriously unconscious, there’s no way I approved of your presence there. So explain.” My mind was going a mile a minute with all the demands I had for him. He’d seriously better fess up before I lost my shit.
“You mean those sorry excuses for wards?” Branton laughed as if he’d just told a joke.
I wasn’t laughing.
He finally saw the murderous look on my face and stopped, clearing his throat to continue. “Don’t you get it? Those wards only keep out unwanted beings,” he said, stating the obvious.
I just stood there, giving him a duh look.
He rolled his eyes. “Kirsi, you wanted me there. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to drive through the gate.”
I gasped, shaking my head in defiance. “I thought I had to invite someone if I wanted them to come onto the property.”
“Your boyfriend should’ve been clearer about this.”
“He’s not my—” I tried to say, but was cut off by his hand being held out in a let me finish sort of way.
“That’s not the way protection wards work,” he explained as he straightened up and sauntered toward me. With his eyes glued to mine, he brought his hand up to my face, lightly touched the makeup covered bruise on my cheek, and brushed a strand of my hair to the side. “It’s all up in here,” he added, tapping his fingers lightly against my temple, just above the arm of my glasses, his other hand snaking around my waist.
I felt lost in him, in his scent. The strength in his hold on me was more than just physical, yet I couldn’t explain what drew me to him even if I tried. Even though I despised the man, his dominance and arrogance infuriating, I couldn’t deny that I wanted him.
Wanted this.
For a single moment in my life, I stopped fighting. The resistance just left my bones with one swift brush of his fingers against my cheek, his large hand cupping my face with tenderness I’d longed to feel for so many years.
For once, I allowed someone else to take full control of me. And I was sure, as his lips inched closer to mine, he had no idea what an accomplishment this was.
The glasses still perched protectively on my face, I allowed my eyes to flutter shut so I could simply feel. The warmth of his breath coating my face was both foreign and glorious.
But without an invitation, my mind brought back the memories of the first time I’d kissed a boy. I gasped, pulling back with a jerk of my head and ripping myself from his grasp. No way in hell would I make that mistake again. It took a lot of spells for Dean to simply kiss me so many years ago without his insides turning into a popsicle. I’d never risk someone’s life again over something as petty as a kiss.
He advanced toward me some more, but I backed away, matching him step for step to keep the distance between us. Shaking my head, I held my hand out to stop him, needing him to stay away. I feared my control would break if he dared get that close again.
“What are you so afraid of, Kirsi?” Branton asked, his tone angry that he was rejected.
“You were right,” I said, my eyes unable to meet his as I spoke. “I don’t have control over my powers. At least, not enough to have any sort of contact with someone.”
“And you won’t let me determine that?” he said, dipping his head down to grab my attention, forcing me to look at him once again.
“I don’t think you get how bad it can be, how dangerous I am.” I stared at him, glancing back and forth from eye to eye, desperate for him to understand how serious I was.
Without another word, I walked around him and reached the door in only a few steps.
I clearly couldn’t be trusted in a room alone with Branton.
It was odd how calm I was in that moment. I went in that storage room ready to bite his head off, yet he managed to placate me so easily. The only agitation I felt now was with myself—the fact I could never have a normal relationship pecked at my insides day after day.
Shaking my head to rid the thoughts of self-loathing from my mind, I plastered a smile on my face and got my ass back behind the bar, ready to serve the next patron to come up. And, of course, the next was Branton.
“I’d still like to get a drink, if that’s okay,” he said in a sweet voice while trying to hold back a smile.
I nodded, trying so hard not to let my emotions get the best of me and force him to leave. “Your usual?”
“That’ll be perfect.”
As I went ahead and fixed a rather strong Red Stag and Coke for the man, I glanced around and noticed we were pretty much alone. It was dusk out, so the pub hadn’t gotten busy in the bar area yet, but the tables were almost full with those here for dinner.
Sade was usually the cook, but Tuuli would sometimes take her spot when she happened to have a rare night off, like tonight.
I figured I was in the clear to at least speak to the man like any civil bartender would a simple customer.
“So, tell me, Branton,” I said, propping my elbows on the bar top and resting my chin in my hands. “How did you know where I lived in the first place?”
His eyes sparked with interest, probably because I was talking to him without accusatory yelling. Or maybe because I said his name, which I had to admit, felt great to say.
“Your license,” he said like it was no big deal he’d basically felt me up in order to obtain such an item. “And before you get pissed off, you took your wallet out of your back pocket and threw it up on my dash right after you fell asleep.”
I couldn’t argue with him. It was something I was known to do if I was uncomfortable and needed to reposition. It wasn’t like the wallet was big—just one of those small credit card sleeves I kept a few things in so I didn’t have to carry a silly purse.
Instead of getting pissed at him for going through my wallet, I decided to change the subject slightly. Well, not change, but more of a detour.
“You do know I didn’t simply fall asleep, right? It almost felt like I was drugged, like I had no choice but to pass out for nearly fourteen hours straight,” I explained, my voice staying calm as if I were having the simplest of conversations. We might’ve been the only ones at the bar, but we weren’t the only ones in the entire pub. There was no telling who could hear.
“I kinda figured since I was able to carry you into your house and up your stairs without a fight from you, but I just assumed you were spent from using your powers so much that night,” he said with a shrug.
“I’ve never felt power drunk before. I’ve heard of it happening to other sancti, but never experienced it myself,” I admitted. “And wait, you carried me? Jesus, I must’ve been out of it. I’m no princess. No way would I have let anyone carry me. I can’t even figure out how the hell you lifted me all the way up the stairs.”
He chuckled and took another swig of his drink. “Not like you’re all that heavy.”
I eyed the drink, realizing he was still drinking my favorite. “Tell me something else. Why have you stuck with drinking Red Stag even though we both know you pulled that from my mind the first time we met? Don’t you have a favorite of your own?”
“I’m a bit… eclectic… when it comes to alcohol,” he said while taking another sip. “Jack, Jim, Red, Captain, Crown… doesn’t matter to me really as long as it’s not vodka.” Leaning in, he crooked his finger and gestured for me to get closer. “Here’s a little secret—I didn’t pull your mind yet when I asked for the drink.”
“So it was just coincidence you named the exact drink I was thinking I wished I had in my hand at the time?” I asked with one brow raised in suspicion. I wasn’t a dummy. I could tell when a man was blowing sunshine up my skirt.
He nodded. “I was blown away b
y it too once I did start reading you and realized you were thinking that very thing,” he said, pushing his glass my way.
It was still half full, so I looked at him with curiosity, wondering what he wanted.
“What? You don’t drink while on the job?” he asked, his fingers pushing the glass even closer to me.
He was offering me his drink.
While the action was… sweet… I guess… didn’t he realize I could’ve made my own a long time ago if I’d wanted to?
“I have before, but I honestly don’t make a habit out of it. Keeping my wits about me is important in this job, and Red Stag is like fucking candy to me,” I said, smiling at his reaction to my words.
He leaned even closer, so our faces were mere inches from each other. My heart picked up, and I knew then and there this man was going to be trouble for me.
“But I bet it tastes amazing on your lips,” he whispered.
10
It didn’t take long for the place to get busy, yet Branton kept his spot at the bar and watched me work the whole night. I had to wonder if the man had a life. Surely he had better things to do than sit there all night long. Almost all sancti I knew had regular jobs in order to pay the bills, very few of them well off enough to just sit at a bar looking pretty all the time.
And boy, did he look pretty. Then again, that was not new news to me. I’d noticed how attractive he was the first time I saw him.
Tonight, he wore a white, button-up shirt, the collar loose and his sleeves rolled up to about mid-forearm. His jeans hung on his hips like a second skin. And the black converse put the perfect touch on the whole ensemble, giving him a youthful, yet sophisticated look only a few men could pull off. His hair matched his eyes, which I noticed more clearly when he looked in my direction, catching me staring.
To save face, I walked over to him to check his drink. Seeing it was almost completely full, I sparked a conversation instead.
“So, what do you do?” I asked, knowing it was a safe question around the public lingering at the bar on either side of him.
“I’m the head of astronomical research at Relic University. Interesting, huh?” He laughed uncomfortably, like his job was something to be ashamed of.
“That’s actually pretty amazing. Much more interesting than serving drinks for a living.”
“Maybe I should take you out on the water one night where the light pollution isn’t so intense and show you a few things,” he offered, causing me to blush at the fact he was finally asking me on a date. Of course, I knew I had to decline. It wasn’t like it could ever go anywhere.
My parents were living and dead proof of that very fact.
“You’re wasting your breath, pretty boy,” a hoarse, dwarf voice said a few seats down. I couldn’t help but glare at the eavesdropper. Titan was a regular, but usually kept to himself as he sat sipping his mudslides.
I decided to play off the opportunity. “Titan has a point,” I said, winking at Branton as I turned my back to them.
“And what point is that?” Branton asked. His ego was clearly hurt.
I shrugged and spoke without turning back to face him. “I’m not worth the chase.”
Titan’s voice got even gruffer as he interjected. “That’s not what I meant, miss. I just meant that in all my years coming here, you’ve never let a man turn your head, no matter how hard they tried. You’re too good for the likes of any of them.”
If he weren’t right about the fact I’d had a track record for turning everyone down, I would’ve gotten a bit offended at his blatant statement and overly curious observation. No way was I too good for anyone. If anything, I wasn’t good enough—not like I’d ever say it out loud though. Instead, I just kept quiet, never looking in their direction to show them how much the words hurt.
I was incredibly thankful that a group of young college students walked in at just that moment, effectively stirring up the atmosphere, all sights now on them and their rowdy volume instead of on me and my lack of a love life.
I spent the next two hours serving the college crowd, one girl pissed that I wouldn’t serve her without identification. While we weren’t busy, things were flowing enough that I didn’t have to re-enter that conversation with Titan and Branton. Titan tabbed out shortly after the group arrived, but Branton stayed put, his eyes never leaving me as I practically floated around in my element.
Things were dying down as we neared closing time, and I busied myself with carrying things to the back storage rooms. I was so thankful we had enough income to hire a cleaning crew to come in each night, because cleaning was definitely not my cup of tea. Just ask my laundry.
I huffed as I carried a crate of beer from the back deck where the delivery guy left it and into the storage room, nearly yelping, startled, when I turned around and found Branton standing there with another crate in his arms.
“You motherfucker. You scared the shit outta me,” I said, my hand immediately covering my heart in an attempt to catch my breath.
“Sorry ‘bout that. Where do you want them?” he asked, bringing my attention to the crate still in his hands.
“Shoot, yeah. Put it down right here,” I instructed, pointing to the stack I’d just made behind me. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure,” he said, his voice strained as he set the heavy box down. “Kirsi?”
I turned just before walking out of the stockroom, the alert in his tone more attention getting than the sound of my name from his lips.
“The invitation still stands,” he said sweetly.
I smiled, even though I had no clue what the hell he was talking about.
“I’d love to take you out on the lake one night so we can watch the stars. Just you and me, no one else and no distractions,” he clarified, his face one of innocence.
My heart melted at the offer, not just because he was being super nice to me, nicer than I deserved, but because I knew it had no chance of ending well.
He didn’t give me any time to answer, not that I was being quick about it or anything. Before I knew it, he was advancing on me, my back bumping against the wall as he pressed into my front.
My breaths became ragged.
Gods, I wanted him so badly. Well, my body wanted him badly. However, my mind screamed at me to stop—push him away.
One of his arms rested next to my head, bracing against the wall, closing me in and forcing me to look into his mesmerizing eyes. Those eyes. It was like caramel swirled with chocolate to make the most delicious color I’d ever seen.
“Take your glasses off, please?” he asked, obviously because he’d lost his goddamn mind.
“No,” I said, refusing his request. There was no hesitation in my voice, no doubt in my mind I should refuse his demand.
“I can handle it, Kirsi. Please trust me.” His words made me hopeful, yet I knew deep down it was a lost cause. There was no way I’d get out from beneath this curse… no way I’d be able to live a normal life. He needed to know that before things went any further.
With his other hand, he reached up and fingered the corner of my lenses. I knew I was being selfish, but I didn’t stop him. He needed to realize how dangerous I was, even if it meant he’d get hurt. I just wished it didn’t have to be such a harsh lesson for him.
Slowly, he removed the glasses from my face. Out of instinct, I shut my eyes tight.
“Open,” he demanded, his voice filled with nothing but adoration for me. The conflict in my emotions made a whirlwind in my mind. I wanted this so goddamn bad, but I didn’t want to harm him, and I knew I didn’t have enough control to keep him safe.
“Please, Branton. Please don’t make me,” I begged. It was not like me to be so weak, to speak to someone like I wasn’t the one in charge. I was always in charge. Yet, here he stood, his simple touch taking control over every inch of me.
Frost began to build in the corners of my eyes. I hadn’t been able to cry, or hell, even tear up, since The Shift.
“Trust me, Kirsi. Trust tha
t I know what I’m doing,” he said, his voice nothing but soothing. I still couldn’t risk it.
“Here,” he added, first grabbing my hand and placing it on his cheek and then using the same hand to reach up and touch my face. He must’ve put my glasses in his pocket, which made me even more nervous than before. His hand felt so warm against my skin though and his lips felt heated beneath my thumb, and I couldn’t help but lean into him, lean into the comfort that was Branton. “Feel me. Just concentrate on me. You can keep your eyes closed, but I want you to concentrate on my mind, my body… my temperature.”
I had to be honest, I hesitated. I had no idea what he was getting at. With his mind tricks, he could’ve found a completely different way to pull my mind without actually looking into my eyes. Then again, I felt like I had nothing to hide from him. The thought sounded weird, even to me, but I couldn’t help what popped into my head. Part of me didn’t trust him, but the other part of me strived to have full-fledged trust in this man.
Listening to his soothing voice, I cleared my mind of all my reservations and focused on him and only him. I could feel every inch of his body, parts that were touching me and parts that weren’t. I could feel the warmth coming from him, the power emanating from every pore.
I no longer felt the need to hide from him. With the amount of strength coming from his core, I knew he could handle whatever I dished out. And if he couldn’t, I’d have a mess to clean up, both in my storage room and in my heart.
Yes, the man had managed to weasel his way into my chest, no matter how much I tried to fight it.
Carefully, I opened my eyelids, looking first at his lips before allowing my gaze to travel up to his eyes. He was so close… and so very beautiful.
“Trust me,” he whispered, just as his thumb traced the side of my eye, no doubt dragging some ice along with it.
For most people, tears were warm, salty, and forgiving. Yet, for me, they were cold, freezing in fact… needless to say, it was not what most would expect.
So, for him to be completely okay with how freakish I was, both settled me and made me even more nervous for his well-being. He very likely had no idea what he was getting himself into. I couldn’t even express how conflicted I was.
Heroines and Hellions: a Limited Edition Urban Fantasy Collection Page 75
